pay per view. The question it sparked in my mind was,
does mixed martial arts actually apply to street based
martial arts combat?
My humble opinion and answer is two fold, yes they can
help your training but they can also damage your
perspective on life or death street self defense
situations..
Observation #1 - UFC is a great avenue for mixed martial
artists and self defense students to learn and glean the
martial arts nutrition these fighters have. One of my
favourite aspects of UFC 84 was the ability of two
fighters to control their dominant opponents by distancing
themselves and using their footwork and movement as a
tool for leverage and control over their more dominant
opponents.
Observation #2 - Most of the fights that went on the ground actually ended in ground and pound. Now it is a fact Brazilian Jiujutsu is an excellent combat sport however in a real street fight the ground can be a dangerous place. Broken glass, hard concrete and the fact that your opponent may have allies can get you killed if your on the bottom.
Observation #3 - In the UFC they have referees and have a safety system set up to protect the fighters from serious
physical damage. In a real fight there are no rules, no
referees and nobody will jump in when you are getting the
crap beaten out of you. UFC is a sport based martial arts
competition but remember, on the street a fight is a fight
and there are no rules.
Observation #4 - The mixed martial artists have a lot of
respect for each other and aren't trying to seriously
injure each other. In a self defense situation you want
to smash through your opponent with maximum intensity and impact causing as much pain and damage as humanly possible. This includes punches to the throat, eye gouges, kicks to the groin and using weapons.
Observation #5 - The UFC martial artists in these battles
are at top peak physical condition. A problem with street
self defense situations is that the most likely victim of
these attacks are out of shape, are weak, are unprepared
and don't have the skill or the mindset to take punches
to the face or even a crowbar to the head (as an example).
I encourage all self defense students to implement using
weapons, to remain confident, to train heavily and be at
their physical best condition at all times.
I've been a nightclub bouncer for over 2 years and I have
seen guys put their opponent into armbars, only to have
the guy in the armbar's friends smashing the would be
jiujutsu expert gets smashed in the head with glass bottles
or overwhelmed by his victim's friends and associates.
Sorry, but street fights have no rules, no referees and never go to a decision in the end. To best be prepared for self defense always be mentally prepared for fighting and be aware of your surroundings. I also heavily encourage sparring and practicing real life scenarios where you need to utilize explosive power to escape from a real fight.
I encourage you to continue watching the UFC and other mixed martial arts competitions but watch them with a skeptical and educated view for the fighting competitions and sport based combat that they are.
Most of the people who learn self defense techniques through martial art training do so in order to be able to defend themselves. It's a wild world we live in and self defense skills are important to prevent potential attacks and to give yourself enough self confidence to survive. Although people are looking for martial art training for self defense reasons, most martial arts are based on ancient practices and techniques.
Here are some really cool tips that will help you get the most out of your self defense training:
Control Your Fear Even if you know the best self defense techniques you are still vulnerable if you haven't developed one significant skill and that is fear control. You need to be ready to stay calm during a physical or verbal attack. There's no training that can simulate a real life situation (e.g. a real attack on the streets). However there are certain martial arts and self defense techniques that will help you control your stress and your fear. These techniques will make you feel a little bit comfortable during a stressful situation (e.g. an act of aggression against you). These fear control techniques involve breathing exercises and hand positioning.
Be Prepared For An Attack You ought to know that your body sends various signals to others. If you can read your body language then it will be easy to read an attackers body language and be warned of a potential assault before it happens. Some key warning signs of an attack are easily noticed. For example when a person is nervous and looks around him/her all the time, when a person's jaw is clenched or when his/her fingers form a fist. Another warning sign is when someone is hiding his/her hands. Many attackers also change the tone of their voices and speak aggressively when they are about to attack. If you notice such behavior by a person, then you better try to avoid talking or walking close to that person.
Attacked By More Than One Person There are cases where attacks come from more than one direction (e.g. more than one person attacks you). Self Defense techniques can teach you how to deal with such bad situations. The first thing you must consider when facing multiple attacks is to run away, if this is possible. The odds are against you so do not try to be a hero. Try to keep all attackers in front you so that you can see what's happening. If it's possible try not to be backed into a corner. Do not try to attack first unless you are really skillful at martial arts and self defense. Instead try to keep a defensive but not aggressive stance. In such cases you need to keep your energy reserves high so do not make unnecessary moves.
Both Steve Gib & Mara Mark are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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