Reality-based fighting: the root of Martial Arts?

[James Bullock]

he is not just supposed to be in shape, he "should" be trained to protect, fight, and kill if need be.

I don't know that I agree with that. If I wanted to protect myself, I'd carry a pistol.

Hi TigerDude,

Protection/Self Defense is not as easy as just carrying a pistol. It is just as difficult to shoot a pistol under stress as it is to throw a punch under stress. The first line of defense that anyone has is yourself as in your mind, and entire body. A warrior (in my opinion) should be able to fight with and without various weapons including improvised weapons found within the environment. Carrying a pistol doesn't mean that a person can use it or has it when it is a matter of life and death. Just like studying martial arts doesn't always mean that a person can use their skills when it is necessary. Protection is a mindset as well as realist physical tactics and strategy.

[bushido_man96]

Good post, James. Very good points, indeed.

[Ottman]

Of course it depends on the art/school/teacher these days. My TKD school has taken a turn into being very focused on competition, but that's just because the students want it. We keep self defense training as an emphasis, and separate out our competition training and our self defense training to make sure that we can still get both in, and offer both to those who want either or, but more particularly we want to make that division in our students minds between what is competition as opposed to a real world situation.

I think it's very important that students understand that technique used in the ring, is rarely the best option on the street. This way we don't create a false sense of security within anyone.

Doesn't mean we can't or shouldn't do both though.

[NightOwl]

I agree that most MA styles were started for practical purposes. The problem arises (if it really is a 'problem') when you don't need to use it anymore or more reality based training becomes less feasible in a trigger-happy lawsuit society. Then what to do with it? Well if you can't fight, you might as well accomplish something by looking good. Therefore you focus in a lot on forms making them look as good as possible without bothering to learn how to apply the moveset against a resisting opponent, and you work in more and more tricks into your style so that you can wow onlookers with 360 flying axekicks. Then when reality based training starts coming into vouge (like I believe it is starting to now after a long drought for the past decades), people start looking back into what they are studying to see how you can apply it again.

[bushido_man96]

Nice post, NightOwl. Things coming full-circle, huh?