Over the past several decades the seminar training scene has slowly but steadily dropped off and that is for many reasons.

The expense, the same old, same old being dished up and seminars that have been conducted by boy wonders with claims of grandeur that have simply never delivered.

The Internet has also made access to experts and information more available and the volumes of books and DVDs that can be purchased is endless.

The other aspect of the seminar type instructors and what they have to offer is that the hype is often larger than life but the reality is they are humans and come good bad and indifferent.

I read promotions that are so far from the truth and never based on fact in regards to courses and instructors that any combat savvy individual would not give them a second look let alone waste hard earned dollars.

Things like this will be the biggest course ever conducted of its kind in unarmed combat for example when you know from first hand experience that one it has not yet happened and two unless it changes the way people think and act and gain international interest over night and even after all that the limited potential audience would have to travel and spend considerable dollars before it could lay claim to such status.

I have seen hundreds of such let downs get known over night campaigns and the attendee numbers never stack up to such claims.

People are also much more sceptical today and less likely to waste their money on a claim of grandeur or super human ability.

Many of the myths and legends that made prominent martial artists of yesteryear famous have turned out to be nothing more than propaganda and you don't have to be a genius to work that out.

Much of the amazing feats of these grand masters were nothing more than magician’s tricks to deceive the gullible.

We all know that as much as we would like to believe that a single man can become a weapon capable of breaking structures ten time stronger than human flesh and bone or defeating a beast ten times his size with bare hands it simply will not happen and although claims have been made to such feats, there is no physical proof.

There are now individuals that have come forward and in fact have come out with the truth and facts as to such claims that are very different to the claims.

Even big budget promoting of such seminars is often a waste of money as the general seminar goer is far more knowledgeable than in times gone by.

The other interesting aspect is that many of the masters combatants and fighters of today are far more Advanced than in years gone by and those looking for credible training now know who to contact and who has the best qualifications and skills.

You get most seminar goers that are there for curiosity value and will not change codes or take up the new style and others that are there simply for cross training purposes that will not attend the same such seminars time and time again.

I have found that people are more likely to individually contact respected schools and join up that way or undertake individual tuition training or wait for a group course from such instructors.

Referral and word of mouth from those in the industry is the best recruiting means today and not the hype or seminars of the past.

There are still the gullible or fiercely blind and loyal that will attend or are made to feel obliged to attend but their numbers are few and getting less and less.

You often get members that disappear and try other similar styles and that is healthy but I find they all end up back at the official home or place of the system or style if they have the combat smarts.

I have attended courses to report for Fight Times or interviewed those that have attended and contrary to the post course reports of sell out seminars or courses the reality could not be further from the truth and the numbers small and mainly from the host club.

The seminar demise is one thing but scaring potential interested individuals away with hype and hollow reputation and making false claims simply doesn't wash with the savvy of today.

Seminar and course goers can read between the lines and don't buy innuendo or half truths, they want the facts and be able to see proof for themselves before they sign up.

Another interesting observation is that the masters or experts of yesteryear in their discipline are no different to those of today or maybe they in many instances were less knowledgeable after all combative systems are living packages and must stay ahead of new threats that were not employed in the past.

The association between leading practitioners of yesteryear as such is much the same today with cross training and general association and in fact there is a more open willingness to train in more than one style hence more knowledgeable individuals all round.

The days of you only train here and we are the greatest no longer wash and people can see right through such propaganda.

The past and present masters and experts are all legends of there times in their chosen codes but they are not Gods and are made of the same stuff of the rest of us, which doesn't allow them to do feats like the claims of yester year that defy science and are more than often good yarns rather than based on any hard facts and evidence.

The times and education as well as the economy have seen a big change in big time courses and seminars of the past and  the tide is now more towards individuals that know who to seek out and what to seek out applying for such training.

I know as the current chief instructor of a facility in its eightieth year as a provider of both military and civilian training in close combat and self defence that the best things need to be done correctly and take time, and times have changed in regards to mass seminars every other week end.

I personally have stopped my outside magazine advertising as all my courses are full and have large waiting lists through referrals and word of mouth.

This is the way I have seen the change in attracting the more educated exponent today and personally it is a far better way of recruitment when you consider you are getting mainly committed combatants that are informed and know what they want and where they want to be.

I believe the focus has changed for the better and the calibre of exponent may vary in physical and mental toughness but they are more educated and smarter in their choices.

The individual tuition exponent travelling the world to be trained by the considered best in the business or signing up on one of their courses is far more common than in years gone by and very positive, testament to the calibre and commitment of individuals out there.