Haha sorry I didn't mean to come off as if you're not aware of what KM is. I agree, it's one thing to practice your maneuvers over and over until you can do them in your sleep but it's a whole different ball game taking punches to the face and body.
I can see how the theory behind KM works but what some people don't understand is that this fighting form was created for Israeli commandos who were already tough, aggressive, and physically fit.
You take an average joe and think he's going to take down any opponent with a knee to the stomach and a few hammer fists to the back of the head, then they are in for a rude awakening.
I stand by the philosophy of taking what your learn from all art forms and using what works best for you or what will help you out best in that particular fight.
And unfortunately the average Joe is going to be in for a reeeeeally rude awakening. When I took Okinawan Karate, the first test to move from white belt to first level was facing off with a black belt for one whole minute with just 1/2" pads on the knuckles. Sounds easy, but I was on the floor within the first 10 seconds and the clock was stopped every time I went down. And the black belt was taking it easy on me. After he kicked me and split my forearm open, I stepped into his next kick, grabbed him by his GI and threw him over my shoulder like a rag doll. Later my sensei told me that the purpose of that is to get people to react in the face of an overwhelming opponent and pain, rather than getting treated like a punching bag. He also said that most people do not react. In fact in my case he was about to call a stop because I kept getting up but I was just taking a beating. There is no honor or pride in taking a beating without fighting back. Taking down a black belt, even though he was going very easy on me, changed my whole way of thinking and my confidence. I can tell you though, that was the most terrifying single minute of my life.
The thing is that even if we are physically trained to fight, we are not mentally ready. Martial arts are, as the name says, about fighting, breaking, maiming, and killing if necessary. Most unarmed forms of combat were designed to keep you alive long enough to get your hands on a weapon. Also the whole thing about discipline, respect, etc is just a bunch of crap. The true philosophy behind a fight is make short and sweet, and once you start don't stop until your opponent can no longer get up. We don't have the mental training to do that.
There was a story about this girl in California that used to go running on a dirt track in the hills behind her home. One day this rapist guy that was on the run from the police happened to be hiding out there and he saw her run by. So kind of jogged after her and when she turned to head back home he grabbed her as she ran past him. She was a black belt and had won competitions. She proceeded to give him the beating of his life. He begged her to stop, so she did. The moment she stopped he made another grab for her, so she went back to beating him. Then he begged her to stop again, that he just wanted to take her money because he hadn't eaten in days, and that he was sorry. So she stopped, pulled a note from her purse and handed it to her. As he very reached to take the note, saying how sorry he was, he grabbed her wrist and overpowered her. He ended up keeping her died to a tree in the woods and raping her for three days and then killed her with a stone to the head. This was someone who was physically capable and well trained, but not mentally prepared.
