# BrianBrief #8 (Setbacks)

- Link: https://brianejohns.com/2026/10/21/brianbrief-8-setbacks/
- Published: 2026-10-21T18:15:00-04:00
- Author: Brian Johns

## Setbacks can clarify and, in bold relief, point out your weaknesses.

Was it your preparation? Or did you ignore potential weaknesses? Or [did the setback/loss expose unknown weaknesses](https://brianejohns.com/2023/10/11/all-your-losses-lead-back-to-you/)?

For example, several things became glaringly obvious during Notre Dame’s loss to
BYU last Saturday. CJ Carr had an off night and faced coverages he didn’t read or
recognize. In addition, ND’s wide receiver corps is lacking, and BYU exposed it.
Also, unlike in the past, ND doesn’t have a great tight end right now.

They need to treat all of the above as a four-alarm fire and use the off week to
make some changes. A tweak here and there won’t do it.

## Obviously, this is from the perspective of competitive sports where weaknesses are exposed.

## But what about non-competitive endeavors such as martial arts/self defense?

Obviously, it would be better to know your own weaknesses or potential vulnerabilities
before a potential self-defence situation.

For example, if you’re 62 years of age, do you still train for speed and raw physicality?
There is nothing wrong with those two attributes. But would it be better to work
on timing (rather than pure speed) and deception? Deception can include guile, the
element of surprise and manipulating the attacker into letting down his guard.

We’d all agree that we want to survive any self-defence situation rather than have
to learn from a severe setback, as happened to a friend who ended up in the hospital
after a mass attack. He replayed that situation for a long time after that and knew
what he should have done.

## Anyway, what adjustments have you made as you’ve gotten older?

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