Does Martial Arts really help?

[TexasMike]

Some martial arts systems are little more than sport and, imho, worthless in a real self-defense situation.

At our school we train only for real life situations. None of this stuff where the guy punches and then leaves his arm out there so you can do your fancy technique. You may have your own idea about what you're going to do in a situation, but your attacker has his own ideas too. He may not cooperate with you as you try to apply your technique. Real fights rarely go down the way you thought they might.

You train for years developig muscle memory so you don't tighten up in a real self-defense situation. You don't have time to think when someone is throwing a haymaker at you. You will react, and if you haven't trained enough or trained correctly, your reaction will be bad.

And yes, a boxer has a distinct advantage over someone without training. But a skilled martial artist has an even greater advantage. The late Seikichi Uehara (Motobu Ryu Udun Di) was 96 when he defeated a 30 something ex-champion boxer in a televised bout in Okinawa!

[Tiger1962]

I think no one really knows how they will react in a real life situation until it actually happens. I would hope that martial artists (especially the "newbies") don't believe that some of the stuff you learn in class can be applied in a street situation; meaning, you won't start doing katas if someone tried to steal your wallet. LOL

Where martial arts helps is that it makes you size up situations like you never have before you started training -- that is how I believe it changes you.

Before I started training, I'd board a train or bus and just hope that I'm not unlucky enough to encounter some weirdo.

Now when I board a train or bus, it's automatically natural for me to immediately size up who is on that bus or train car; my eyes scan over the crowd and I think about who I should or shouldn't sit next to and how I would react if someone started harrassing me. That may sound kind of paranoid to some, but I swear that ever since I started training, this is how I think now. It's sad, I know. I don't like to let my guard down. I always try to be alert and aware of my surroundings and if something doesn't seem *right* I move or change my space. When I am home, I imagine what I would do if someone broke in, what would be the first thing I would grab to defend myself.

I didn't think this way BEFORE I started training so that is how I feel martial arts changes your perspective on things.

[TraditionalDan]

I agree with Tiger, martial arts have given me this perception. Let alone an unbelievable amount of confidence, I walk the street completely confident and aware of my abilities and limitations.

Whilst others may not even be truly aware of thiers.

[DWx]

Some martial arts systems are little more than sport and, imho, worthless in a real self-defense situation.

I think even sport MA does have some self defense benefits. Try sparring in a room full of other sparring and you get used to instinctively avoiding the other pairs and keeping away from the walls, the bags etc. That sort of thing can be beneficial as you are gaining a sense of spatial awareness and that may help in an altercation. Also you would hope that sport MA would make you fitter which again isn't such a bad thing when faced with an agressor.

[tallgeese]

Yes, sport training can have some cross over effects like you mention. However, the ability to defend yourself will get better infinitly quicker training in a combative fashion.

Also, we have to look at the potential harm to you sd skills that sport mindset training can do, in particular, limited to no contact sport practice. This kind of training 1) make people start worrying far too much about hurting people, which is actually the whole point of this thing, 2) gets people to not regularly hitting a human being hard enough to hut them, and 3) never actually gives you any idea of what it is to be reeally rattled by a shot.

Let's be clear, I'm not advocating a lack of control. I just hate to see schools do nothing but severly limited contact. It really jacks up the confidence level of partidcipants but never lets them get the feel for a real fight.

[bushido_man96]

It is important to consider the training methods involved when looking into self-defense/combative methods. Not the art, but the way it is approached.

[Throwdown0850]

I believe that competition is one of the best training tools for a "real" life situation, full contact being the most beneficial.. because you are fighting a fully resisting opponent..

[tallgeese]

I agree, Throwdown, that competition can be benifical to developing sd skills. Also, I think contact is important on for this to actually work out for you in the totality of things.

My problem with competion is events based on limited or no contact principles that can do more harm than good to not only your physical skills but your mental preparedness.

[Truestar]

Now when I board a train or bus, it's automatically natural for me to immediately size up who is on that bus or train car; my eyes scan over the crowd and I think about who I should or shouldn't sit next to and how I would react if someone started harrassing me. That may sound kind of paranoid to some, but I swear that ever since I started training, this is how I think now. It's sad, I know. I don't like to let my guard down. I always try to be alert and aware of my surroundings and if something doesn't seem *right* I move or change my space. When I am home, I imagine what I would do if someone broke in, what would be the first thing I would grab to defend myself.

I didn't think this way BEFORE I started training so that is how I feel martial arts changes your perspective on things.

That's hardly sad or paranoid Tiger. In fact that heightened awareness could save your life or someone you love someday.

[tallgeese]

I agree, not a bad thing at all. People who survive assults are typically those who maintian kind of a "condition yellow" attitute towards their surroundings.

It is important to have some "condition white" time as well. Usually when your in a secure enviornment. This keeps you from over-stress levels that can actually hurt you emotionally and physiologically in the long run.

I always try to think thru scenarios prior to worst case things happeninig. What's the plan if I get awoken in the night by an inturder? If some tries to force entry to my home. Carjack me (unlikley considering my car). What if my kids are in the car?

Mentally rehersing a plan can drastically increase your chances in this situation. Bear in mind, I'm not talking about whacking away at ninjas here (although I do sometimes catch myself doing that as well ). I m ean realistically approacing the problem and working thru details to survive it. In some cases, you can work through these in drills.

For instance, it's a lot to ask of hte body to get out of bed with a possible intruder in you home, access a weapon and deploy it if you haven't walked thru the scenario without the stressors of reality hindering your ability to think. So, practice going from bed, to your weapon, to deployment. I know where the angles are from my bedroom from which I can engage an intruder via my hadgun without putting my kids rooms in the line of fire. I go from bed to gun to these spots every now and again just to keep them in mind. If there is a baddie between me and my weapon, I know where my back up knife is so I can cut my way to the gun. This is just an example, your own response will dictate what you need to work thru ahead of time.

Proper preperation and mindset will go a long way. Not sad at all.

I think it's a marine saying- "be nice to everyone but have a plan to kill everyone you meet". Not bad advice.