Revat - The Art Of Solving Problems

 

Revat is a new and innovative martial arts and self-defense program that is based on an ancient and secret Chinese survival system. Revat is revolutionary in the world of martial arts because it is very different from traditional and mixed martial arts. Unlike traditional martial arts systems, Revat is not defined by the sum of its techniques, but rather by the overall ability to apply effective self-defense to any attack executed by any attacker (taller, stronger, weapons or not, vicious etc). Revat is the first program that can be learned and successfully applied by anyone. You don’t have to be tall and strong to protect yourself. You don’t have to lift weights and do a split to be successful with Revat. Revat is unique because it can be adjusted to your physique and your level of fitness. However, you do get a great workout from the classes. You will feel better, healthier and safer with Revat.   Conventional martial arts and self-defense programs (including today’s mixed martial arts) seem to focus on collecting techniques rather than showing you how to fight with what they have. They make you believe that a “new” technique will solve all your problems.   Instead Revat follows a concept or rather a kind of philosophy that enables an advanced fighter to create his/her own movements and strategies in combat. A Revat fighter therefore has no finished techniques. He is able to adapt to the relevant fighting situation and does not waste any time with choosing the proper techniques during the fight. During the physical fight he follows a flexible concept, a form of strategy which acts like a categorical imperative or a golden rule and helps him to come up with exactly the right, one hundred percent suitable answer (defense) to an attack.   Accordingly, the Revat fighter does not need a fixed, predetermined answer (defense) for which he needs to seek a question (attack). Instead he is able to create a tailored answer to each question (attack) – and this within a fraction of a second! No delays, no second guessing!   This is made possible through a unique and revolutionary sensitivity training for the arms and legs known as the Revat Reflex Training. Unlike conventional and mixed martial artists, the Revat practitioner does not need to make a prefabricated answer (or technique) “suitable” by changing it, moving extremely rapidly or forcing it to be applicable by excessive use of his strength.

“Don’t try to push a square peg through a round hole!”
  To this extent, physical strength is not as important in Revat as in conventional martial arts and self-defense programs. That makes Revat a great exercise and self-defense program for professional men and women living and working in an urban environment. The absolute, individual speed of response, which cannot be significantly improved by intense training, is of secondary importance in Revat. The deciding and fight-winning factor in Revat is the speed required to adapt to an ever-changing situation without the loss of time (immediate reaction). I cannot allow my reaction to follow my opponent’s action in time; instead my reaction must come practically at the same time as his action.   To take it a step further to the mental level of Revat, even the thought that the other party is an “opponent” or “attacker”, who by definition desires the opposite of what we want, is not conducive to success in Revat. We do not see ourselves as separate from the other party but rather as complementary to him. By virtue of the sensitivity in our arms and legs as a result of the Revat Reflex Training, we “know” what the other’s intentions are. Instead of saying ‘No’ to everything the attacker wants to do, we say ‘Yes’ to all his actions and assist them. This means that we actually help him to do what he wants. However we overdo things and help him too much, so that he loses control and balance. We only control his movements to the extent absolutely necessary for our safety, but we allow him enough freedom of movement to let him make sure of his own downfall.   As we have recognized, the Taoist philosophy of life is an important component of the Revat concept. It includes softness, giving way to greater strength rather than resisting and using the attacking force of the opponent for yourself by “borrowing” it, recycling it and sending it back to the opponent, so that he is struck or brought to fall by his own strength or action. This also takes into account the legal concept of ‘reasonable force’, i.e. the attacker only receives back what he gave out. It could be considered as a form of “justice” that prevents excess and also safeguards the opponent’s health.   Revat as a self-defense system uses the successful “tit-for-tat” strategy:

• We are friendly, respectful and cooperative towards others as long as they behave in the same way.
• If the other person becomes unfriendly and offensive, the Revat practitioner can also change to uncooperative behavior.
• If the other person becomes friendly again, we resume our friendly approach.

At its highest levels, Revat is purely defensive in nature. The experienced Master should be able to prevent physical conflict in a sense that he and the other person are not opposites. The end result is the profound understanding that “he” is “me” and that the point is to reduce suffering in the world. However, the beginner has not yet learned to enter into his opponent’s spirit and adapt to him with empathy. In a self-defense situation, his only chance is therefore to pre-empt the other person with a hard and lighting-fast preventive strike. In the beginner levels “attack is the best defense” and that is also the subject of my book “Self-Defense For Modern Times”.   Sincerely, Ingo Weigel Revat Center For Personal Safety