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| True survival-oriented martial arts teach students techniques
and strategies that are unsuitable for use in any competition,
says Richard Ryan (left). |
Fifty years ago, Americans knew
little about the martial arts. Then our soldiers brought back stories
of little Asian guys who could throw them around like rag dolls and
break bricks and boards with their bare hands. Within a decade, the
karate and kung fu craze exploded, changing American culture forever.
The arts became part of our collective mythology, influencing everything
from movies to video games.
But despite their popularity, most people cannot
tell you exactly what they are. Are they an Asian form of self-defense
or the moves
we see in movies? In truth, the martial arts resist a single definition
because they do so many things for so many people. To some, they
foster self-reliance while creating a sense of personal power.
To others, they are a collection of techniques that will help them
become
better fighters. To still others, they are a metaphor for life,
often leading to a spiritual quest of self-discovery.
Certainly the martial arts are all those things, but essentially
they have evolved along three paths: exhibition, competition and
survival.
Exhibition arts range from the flamboyant breaking
competitions seen on ESPN to the dramatic demonstrations put on at
traditional
karate
tournaments. They have roots in real fighting, but for the most
part they are more like Vegas-style entertainment than down-in-the-dirt,
bite your-face-off combat. Only a fool would think that what happens
in a movie would work in real life. What Jet Li does on-screen
has
nothing to do with the sudden, brutal chaos of the street. In the
real world, attackers never wait their turn to get their butt kicked.
There are no wires, retakes or digital effects, so that fancy spinning
hook kick is likely to be intercepted by a tackle that slams you
to the ground and cracks your skull open. And that elaborate attempt
at stylistic blocking will probably find you stopping a punch with
your face.
The second category, competition or sport fighting,
is perhaps the most visible expression of the martial arts today.
Although
competition
has been around as long as the arts themselves, the current trend,
no-holds-barred fighting, has become the most influential. It
has changed how people view the arts and what they believe about
reality.
It has rocketed the Bruce Lee-pioneered concept of mixed martial
arts into the mainstream. It has fostered a greater exchange
of ideas and has made the concept of integrated skills more acceptable.
Unfortunately,
many believe that NHB events represent the truth of fighting. That
is accurate only if you take it to mean that
the bouts
have a greater degree of realism than the less brutal tournament
fighting of old. You should not, however, confuse more brutality
with real fighting. Sport fighting – no matter how few
holds are barred – is still it sport. It has rules, while
the street does not.
If NHB events were the real thing, they
would take place not in a padded cage but on the pavement-with
brick walls, glass
tables
and
other unfriendly things. Strewn about the "arena" would
be bottles, ashtrays and miscellaneous objects that could be
used as makeshift weapons. There would be no taped hands or
ankles, and
no protective gloves. There would be no referee and no tapping
out. Participants would be allowed to spit, bite, gouge, break,
smash
and use weapons. The price of survival wouldn't be a belt,
a title or some cash; it would be the other fighter's life.
NHB
events are realistic but not real. There is greater contact,
less protective gear and fewer rules than in the past, but
don't be fooled into believing that they represent.
About the author: Richard Ryan is the founder of
Dynamic Combat™ and the designer of the Tactical Defense Training™ system
for law enforcement. He has more than 30 years of experience in martial
arts, combative firearms and weapons training. For more information,
call (800) 945-4387.
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