Martial Arts versus Self Defense

Author: Malcolm Bale

The Martial Arts of the Far East have become systems of Sport or have become an art consisting of pre - arranged moves and one step sparring techniques. This is far removed from their Martial beginnings. Traditional martial arts often dedicate a great deal of time to Kata, which are sequences of moves and techniques, simulating a person taking on one or more opponents. Often they involve speed, power, great poise and flexibility. These can be a good training aid but offer little assistance when it comes to practical modern self defense. Many arts do not prepare you for when an attacker comes in close contact or takes you to the ground as these may not be techniques that are allowed under the rules of a particular style. Remember in a street fight or attack, anything goes.

For a moment, picture two athletes in a tournament facing each other. They have prepared for weeks or even months, physically they are in great shape. Keep looking and first let's take away the referee together with the rules that he was there to enforce, now anything goes, they're not restricted to the same variety of moves that they are both accustomed to. Take away the gloves, the foot pads, padded head gear, groin protector and mouth guard. Take away the matting and replace it with concrete, let's add some brick walls and remove the lighting. Take away the crowd and anyone else there who may have been ready to jump in and break them apart as one guy is beat beyond unconscious. In fact let's change the environment to a back alley, a back lane, maybe a kitchen, a bedroom or even a lounge and let's make available all the weapons in each of these environments: glass, steel bars, screw drivers, knives and other items that you may not even recognize as a weapon. There is a different type of mind set required for a street encounter that is not necessarily covered by the average Martial Arts class.

In most cases it may not even be such an organized stand off but most likely be initiated with a blind sided attack, a mugging or even an attempted rape. Change the odds and replace one of the fighters with another who is fifty pounds lighter so it's no longer a match fight, change the attacker to two men or more. Now many of these competitive athletes may well be in great physical shape but are they prepared mentally for such an encounter? In most cases, the answer is no. Many experienced martial artists have gone to pieces in a street fight mainly because of the mind set required and also, what works in the training hall may not be practical on the street, especially if space is restricted.

Would you choose to hang around to see how you faired in a situation where the odds are stacked against you? I'd suggest right now that if there's a front door take it, if there's not then take the back door and if there are no doors then make one. If you prefer you can always be the guy remembered for taking on 4 guys and never made it. Avoid, Escape and Attack should be your options, in that order. The point here is that just because someone is considered an expert in the Dojo, in a particular style, it does not necessarily mean that they are an expert in Self Defense. In some cases they may well be but the two do not go hand in hand.

Violent situations are often glamorized by Hollywood with a hero using an array of fancy techniques against numerous attackers with an assortment of weapons but the reality is anything but, it's bloody, gruesome, and dirty and often ends in death. Those lucky enough to survive may end up with broken bones, smashed in faces, or any number of serious injuries, in many cases causing physical and mental scars that may never heal. On the street the attacker has never read the rules and attack with surprise and cunning showing no mercy on victims who look least aware.

It is important to train and practice in a way that you would like to react if you ever did face a real situation. If you are always pulling your punches two inches away from hitting the target in training then the chances are that your natural reaction under pressure may well be the same. In training get your attacker padded up so you can react with some real full on blows. You don't want your training partners to always be compliant either, ask them to resist and make it difficult and you do the necessary to make the techniques work.

Malcolm Bale 2nd Degree Blackbelt in Jiu-Jitsu http://www.fightwize.com

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