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I'm interested in opinions regarding a couple of things most often associated with combative training and realistic martial arts. Most of these elements I'm going to mention have been hammered into me since the time I began training and after recent reflection I determined that they are often not as true as believed. Now, of course, I am talking about civilian combatives and the situations are based on civilian experiences. Military combatives and the situations those boys place themselves in are a whole different animal, although I'm sure parallels could be drawn:
1: You Never Know When an Attack will Occur!
You could argue about the actual meaning of this. I interpret this statement to mean that someone is totally surprised and was in no way expecting a violent situation to occur. In over 30 years of training I cannot remember a time when I did not feel a situation escalate to a point where I knew something would happen. Whether it was at a party, walking down a street in a section of the city with a bad reputation or just sitting at home watching TV. I've always been able to pick up on the subtle energies of a given situation or environment and determine that it was becoming increasingly volatile. There were times when I chose to walk away and times when I chose to remain, hoping to diffuse the situation, but I've never been taken completely off guard... as a matter of fact, is some cases I can say I was completely expecting it.
2: A Practitioner should Adhere to the Social Philosophies of his Chosen Art.
Let me give an example of this: Taekwon-Do emphasises tenets such as courtesy, Integrity, Perserverence, Self Control and Indominatabel Spirit. I began questioning the use of these tenets some years ago. The reason was that I felt that they were impeding my ability to operate socially. I think they may still cause problems. The reason is how other people interpret them. We've all heard the expression "Don't mistake courtesy for weakness", right? Well, people do. Humans are social animals just like wolves or chimps and virtually every social animal that lives in groups has Alphas. These are people who have become leaders. I find that by being courteous in some cases works against this dynamic. I'm not saying to abandon proper conduct but people are testing each other all the time. If you have a position of reverence, other men will try to challenge that, either openly or by using more subversive means. Women test men to see if you are a potential mate. Being too much of a gentleman can get you scratched off her list pretty damn fast.
3: Mix Martial Arts Fighters wouldn't stand a chance in a Real Street Fight
Yes, I've heard this... from a surprisingly large number of people. The biggest argument for this suggests that this type of fighter lacks the necessary awareness to be able to tell when a situation is escalating or they wouldn't be prepared for someone who has a weapon, etc. I feel that while there is some truth to this, especially the weapons related statement, the truth of the matter is that MMA is a testosterone infused sport/MA as are most combative sports/arts. There is a heiarchy in the gym and at the arena. Because of that these people know very well when a situation is escalating and can choose whether to diffuse it or not. As for the argument that a lot of people make about grappling in the street, well, who said anything about grappling? You can go into the clinch or do a double leg takedown and not have to grapple... especially if you slam someone down on the hard concrete or on the edge of a table or bounce someone's head off the wall. As a matter of fact, I would almost say that a lot of the MMA guys that I've known have a very adaptive mentality and are quite prepared to make use of their environment to win a fight or an altercation.
Just a few things that I've noted over my years as a martial artist. I'm curious about your opinions on the above and if you have any other widely know quasi-myths about the martial arts list those as well. I'm curious...
1: You Never Know When an Attack will Occur!
You could argue about the actual meaning of this. I interpret this statement to mean that someone is totally surprised and was in no way expecting a violent situation to occur. In over 30 years of training I cannot remember a time when I did not feel a situation escalate to a point where I knew something would happen. Whether it was at a party, walking down a street in a section of the city with a bad reputation or just sitting at home watching TV. I've always been able to pick up on the subtle energies of a given situation or environment and determine that it was becoming increasingly volatile. There were times when I chose to walk away and times when I chose to remain, hoping to diffuse the situation, but I've never been taken completely off guard... as a matter of fact, is some cases I can say I was completely expecting it.
2: A Practitioner should Adhere to the Social Philosophies of his Chosen Art.
Let me give an example of this: Taekwon-Do emphasises tenets such as courtesy, Integrity, Perserverence, Self Control and Indominatabel Spirit. I began questioning the use of these tenets some years ago. The reason was that I felt that they were impeding my ability to operate socially. I think they may still cause problems. The reason is how other people interpret them. We've all heard the expression "Don't mistake courtesy for weakness", right? Well, people do. Humans are social animals just like wolves or chimps and virtually every social animal that lives in groups has Alphas. These are people who have become leaders. I find that by being courteous in some cases works against this dynamic. I'm not saying to abandon proper conduct but people are testing each other all the time. If you have a position of reverence, other men will try to challenge that, either openly or by using more subversive means. Women test men to see if you are a potential mate. Being too much of a gentleman can get you scratched off her list pretty damn fast.
3: Mix Martial Arts Fighters wouldn't stand a chance in a Real Street Fight
Yes, I've heard this... from a surprisingly large number of people. The biggest argument for this suggests that this type of fighter lacks the necessary awareness to be able to tell when a situation is escalating or they wouldn't be prepared for someone who has a weapon, etc. I feel that while there is some truth to this, especially the weapons related statement, the truth of the matter is that MMA is a testosterone infused sport/MA as are most combative sports/arts. There is a heiarchy in the gym and at the arena. Because of that these people know very well when a situation is escalating and can choose whether to diffuse it or not. As for the argument that a lot of people make about grappling in the street, well, who said anything about grappling? You can go into the clinch or do a double leg takedown and not have to grapple... especially if you slam someone down on the hard concrete or on the edge of a table or bounce someone's head off the wall. As a matter of fact, I would almost say that a lot of the MMA guys that I've known have a very adaptive mentality and are quite prepared to make use of their environment to win a fight or an altercation.
Just a few things that I've noted over my years as a martial artist. I'm curious about your opinions on the above and if you have any other widely know quasi-myths about the martial arts list those as well. I'm curious...
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