What is

[Pacificshore]

In my opinion, when you take the word "combative" or "street self-defense" as is sometimes used, then you are looking at someone who is in search/teaching pure fighting techniques or principles. Something that is quick to the point and easy to recall in a combat situation. Many times there is limited amounts of history/philosophy behind combatives/street self defense courses.

 

As a martial artist constantly practicing your particular style, can you then turn your art into a combative/street self defense mode? I believe you can because it'll be the first thing you recall from all those years of training!!!

[Hapkidodude]

This thread is similair to the one I started when this section first was changed to "Combat Martial Arts". I think that a person can go a long way to make whatever art he or she takes a combat art. Meaning train it the way you want to use it. Now granted some arts are built for function , and some are built for form. Still, if you want to be combative in your training ,than find a place that teaches your style the way you want it. I like to train hard as to be ready to go all out if need be. I also choose a style like Hapkido or JKD. These styles have no kata, only techniques. Oh yeah, and spar as much as you can. You can only learn to be combative by being combative.

 

 

[Taikudo-ka]

"Yeah, it's not a 'martial art' unless it's likened to combat, otherwise it's just an art, which is what the WWF wrestling is - not that I see any beauty in it."

 

Hahaha.... last time I saw anything of WWF (which is rare) a bunch of guys dressed like they came straight from the Sydney Gay Mardi Gras Parade were beating each other over the head with fake movie props!?!??!? WTF... Like a badly acted movie fight except without all the camera editing to make it look half decent...

 

Shouldn't this stuff be called "Martial Forgery" in that it is supposed to look like a fight, but really the moves are designed to be harmless and ineffective!

 

I'd say any art where you learn methods designed to control or damage an opponent as quickly and effectively as possible is a "combative" art. The rest comes down to the individual and their willingness to "make it work".

 

Otherwise, I mean, if you spar all the time someone is going to accuse you of just doing a "sports art" which only works in the ring with rules and conditions... If you do kata and forms someone is going to say your just doing a "traditional art" which looks good but has no application... Boards don't fight back, but neither do they just break themselves, and heavy bags and wooden dummies don't fight back either... Nor would I ever want to use my "rip out your throat and crush your windpipe" move on a sparring partner... but in real life if my own was threatened, that is another story.

 

I think it is important to use a wide variety of training methods to become effective. Each lets you perfect a different aspect of your art, but has weaknesses that must be remedied by other forms of training. For example, if you spar, do you use gloves (often compulsory)... If so, how is this affecting the bare-knuckled fist you'll be forced to use "on the street"? Can you still hit the same, or will you hurt yourself instead? Do you have some deadly, way out moves you can't inflict on a sparing partnet? Perhaps something like kata will give you a chance to practise them in some sort of context? And so on...every form of training there is will help some areas of your fighting skill, but do little for others.

 

I'd say that to be "combative" you must have a broad training regime, and know the reason/proper use/effectiveness of all your moves. I mean, even a basic punch can be a weak, flat fisted hit to the ribs, or with subtle adjustments, a hard knuckle strike to the solar plexus. An ignorant observer could hardly tell the difference. The difference is all in the artist, not what system they studied.

 

Like they say about cetain other, ahem, "arts", it's not what you've got, but how you use it.