Meet Jonathan Wells: Nova Scotia’s Reality-Based Defense Coach
The Birth of Splice Mixed Martial Self-Defense
Splice Mixed Martial Self-Defense began in 2012 as a training group in my basement in Burnaby, British Columbia. We trained in various programs with a focus on the combat sports (boxing, muay thai, wrestling, Brazilian jiu jitsu), and also added in the weapons. Although I was training in most of these arts outside of my basement with other instructors, I wanted to blend all of them together, with weapons, with resistance. It seemed that few and far between would do this, so I decided to do it myself.
As time went on, I started exploring various reality based systems. I explored the works of some of the greatest names (and some lesser known ones) in the industry. It was during this time that I started to understand that there is a strong psychological/emotional component to self-defense. From here, I began to adapt scenario based training into my program.
Around 2017, I purchased a book that changed the trajectory of my training moving forward. That work was Rory Miller's Facing Violence. That pivotal book made me realize I had an extremely large gap in my training. That is I didn't implement the vast majority of self-defense techniques, that is everything that is not just physical skills.
From this moment in time, I amassed a large collection of books. I purchased books on de-escalation, human behavior, body language cues, deception detection, violence text books, cognitive psychology text books, sociology text books, criminology text books, victimology text books, situational awareness books, marketing books, manipulation books, books and studies on violent offenders, books on learning, legal texts, and that is just to name a few! During this time I also began taking online courses in topics related to these things.
From here I took a training model that I already utilized for physical skills (sparring games) and created dozens and dozens of games to develop these "soft skills". Armed with a curriculum of physical defensive skills, blended with this new (and continuing to evolve) soft skills, Splice Mixed Martial Self-Defense was born.
What's With the Name?
Long have I been fascinated with DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid). I always have found this structure intriguing. In my earlier academic career, I studied chemistry and biology and hold undergraduate majors in both.
An aspect of molecular biology is splicing genes. This is either taking out a section of DNA to make a change OR adding in DNA to make a change. I felt that the word splice was reflective of Bruce Lee's famous quote about removing what is useless and adding what is useful and making it your own (that is not the direct quote, but close enough). He was talking about changing and adapting martial arts to be specific to you.
Having studied both Jeet Kune Do (Bruce Lee's art) as well as genetics and molecular biology, plus the fact I was designing my own martial art / self-defense system system by adding both reality based systems with combat sports and then taking out things from both that don't serve my purpose, splice was the perfect word.
What is a reality based system?
The way I would describe a reality based self-defense system would be pragmatic.
What reality based self-defense does, is attempts to bring in real world scenarios to physical safety. These systems often have a component that covers situational awareness, de-escalation, legal ramifications, an emotional component that places you in the action, and also often incorporates scenarios outside of a typical gym. Often they incorporate weapons (usually guns, knives, and bludgeoning items) and defenses to them. They also often consider multiple attackers scenarios.
What reality based systems often are critiziced for is the lack of "good looking" technique, lack of traditional values, and sometimes having a too compliant "bad guy".
Splice utilizes all the different elements of reality based systems, but chooses to ramp up the skill development through a more mixed martial art training type format.
What is sporting systems and/or MMA?
The way I would describe a sporting martial art system, especially mixed martial arts (MMA), is effective.
What sporting marital arts often do well is they integrate some form of sparring. That is practicing your skills against a non compliant partner. Often, more traditional martial arts will have an attacker do some form of set pattern to which the defender responds, and then often the attacker stops moving. At this point, the defender can look very effective, but the problem is the person stopped attacking. This is not a thing in sporting martial arts, at least not once sparring and/or competition happens.
MMA specifically integrates a combination of striking and grappling arts. Specifically, the big four sporting martial arts often used in MMA is boxing (for the punches and foot work), muay thai (for kicks, knees, elbows, and clinch), wrestling (for standing grappling and taking people down), and Brazilian jiu jitsu (for controlling the fight on the ground and submissions). MMA however, is not limited to these sporting arts, nor do you specifically have to train in a sporting art.
The sporting arts and MMA are often criticized by self-defense people because they tend to lack traditional values, they have a higher rate of injuries, they don't incorporate multiple attackers nor weapons, and lastly, its is always in a controlled environment.
Splice utilizes all the different elements of MMA, but blends the different arts while adding in weapons, multiple attackers, and scenarios.