Wednesday, April 20, 2011

SPORT IS NOT COMBAT !!!

With the proliferation of MMA schools all over the world, combative sports are becoming more and more popular. Boxing gyms have been negatively impacted by MMA's growth. Traditional systems like Karate, Tae Kwon Do and Judo have also been negatively impacted by the rise of MMA. MMA has quickly changed the way that many people view the martial arts and it is good for the growth of the sport.

However there is an under current that I have noticed within the MMA community. While the explosion of MMA has been great for the growth of the sport there are many fans and practitioners of MMA that believe that what happens in the ring is similar to what happens in a violent street encounter. The truth is, the two could not be further apart. If you go into a violent encounter thinking sport and the attacker is thinking combat and violence, you are going to get killed.

The differences between sport fighting and violent encounters is vast and on so many levels, very unique. Combative Sports have rules. The presence of rules or an agreed upon code of conduct between two combatants automatically makes the fight sterile. Those who have been in a real violent encounter know that there is nothing sterile about violence. In fact violence is organic. It changes from second to second. It is not at all predictable and there are major factors that contribute to its unpredictability.

The presence of rules means no weapons! No weapons in a street fight? According to the F.B.I. and Department of Justice weapons are used in 70% of all violent encounters. That means that in 7out 10 altercations a weapon is deployed. When was the last time you saw an MMA fighter bring a weapon into the cage? In fact they are literally patted down prior to entering the cage. So the MMA fighter/practitioner is not at all concerned about a weapon being deployed and will not have trained his/her senses to expect and anticipate when the weapon is deployed.


MMA gyms do not train their fighters to be concerned with multiple attackers. Why? Well it's against the rules. When was the last time you went to a bar by yourself? When was the last time you went to a social gathering by yourself? Imagine you are at an event with a friend and you leave to get a refill of your favorite beverage. When you return you see that your friend is in a fight. What do you do? Do you start yelling out instructions to him like a good corner man? No. You jump in. You help your friend and you put boots to the guy that he is fighting with! Well what do you think your opponents friend will do to you? Again you will never see this in the cage.

There is a difference between combative sports and defending yourself against a person who is hell bent on causing your great bodily harm or even trying to kill you. The next time that you watch an MMA fight ask yourself one question. Which one of the fighters is actually in a homicidal rage and is trying to kill the other fighter? You won't be able to identify him because despite all of the bravado and the chest thumping, neither combatant really wants to kill the other. Neither one of the fighters will use any dirty tactics. Neither one of the fighters is hopped up on a drug or alcohol. Neither one of them are armed. Do you see how different sport is from combat?


There is nothing wrong with training in MMA. Your fighting skill and fitness level will certainly be improved greatly. But do not make the mistake of overestimating your skill level and underestimating the importance of understanding the commitment level of your opponent in the street. Studies have shown that criminals are far more prone to using violence than their victims are. No surprise there right? Additionally they are much better at committing violent acts than most people are at defending and neutralizing the threat.

The training must mimic the actual event. You can't practice two hand touch football and think for one second that you will be able to step into a full contact football game without experiencing a completely different sensation and level of violence.

In conclusion you can train in MMA and for that matter traditional martial arts both pursuits have their strong points. But you should never confuse those sterile environments with the organic nature of combat. If your training does not include dealing with an unknown factor you must upgrade your training now. Your training must include training empty hand vs weapons. You are more likely to run into a violent armed attacker than you are to run into a psychotic MMA figher. Where should spend your time?