Do I watch the UFC,
Pride, K1 etc? ...... - Yes.
Do I enjoy it?- Often. Do I admire their courage and
techniques? - some of it, absolutely. However all that
admitted, I think there are a number of
problems emerging with the revitalised fad of Mixed Martial Arts MMA contests. Oh yes it's a
fad, a strong fad and it has been here before in the
form of Roman Gladiators. Of course the Romans
took it a little too far, but, I'm sure the Americans
won't do that :-)
What is MAA Really?
Is it marketing HYPE?
Most everyday
people recognise MMA as the cage fighting they see on
pay TV. It becomes another way for Martial Arts
instructors to form an income stream by teaching what
they call MMA.
In my humble opinion MMA is a sport and
nothing more. It is also an agreed match fight governed by rules to
enhance the safety of the players. It is performed by elite athletes and has
great marketing potential.
If the truth be
known, most forms of
martial arts are in fact mixed martial arts. Just
examine their Kata and 2 person drills. They have just
failed to jump on the marketing bandwagon.
Here's a classic example of the marketing
hype and scare tactics used by those who push the MMA wagon to increase their
income streams.
"90% Of What You Learn In Strip Mall Dojo's, Martial
Arts Schools, Self Defense Seminars And DVD's Will Get You Killed In A Real
Attack On The Street.." Former "Bad Guy" Reveals A Simple And
Effective System For Reality Based Self Defense (MMA), Protecting You And The
Ones You Love, Quickly And Easily In Any Violent Encounter..
It is a classic example of standing on someone else's
shoulders to make yourself look taller. Never quite works does it.
By the way I've never found any violent encounter easy. Maybe my personal
value set is all wrong.
Is it Street
Effective?
Is MMA or octagon
fighting as real as it
gets ..... no I don't agree. Ask any police
officer, correction officer or bouncer and they will all
tell you about the dangers of ground and pound.
They will also tell you about the lack of rules employed
in a real live self defence situation.
A number of things occur to me when I
see the UFC cage fighting euphoria that some martial artists buy
into.
- There are
no rules on the street - head butts, eye gouges, groin
strikes, fish hooks are all viable techniques to win/escape.
- There is
no judge to acknowledge a tapout on the street.
- The fight
does not end with 'tap or snap' on the street.
- Your opponents friends stay out of
the octagon and out of the fight .... won't happen on the
street.
- The fight
resumes after a 'choke out' on the street.
- These guys are professional fighters
..... full stop. I'm not and you're probably not
either!
When we focus our training in a way that
mimics these guys we are throwing away many of the techniques
that give us an advantage against the larger opponent. There
is a lot to learn from these professional fighters.
However, there is just as much to avoid as well. It
requires proper analysis devoid of the marketing hype.
Here are a few of my rules/ideas
to counter Octagon mentality
- Be aware of match situations
(fights) ... remember there is no ref there to help.
- Never go to ground if it can
be avoided.
- Stand and strike if you have
to. Strike hard and work primary targets
(eyes, throat, testicles and ears).
- Learn to sprawl and attack
when an opponent shoots for your legs.
- Learn to stand up grapple.
- If you go to ground attack
primary targets and get up within 6 seconds.
- Do not attempt a tapout ....
your attacker might be bluffing.
- Be aware of the possibility
of weapons such as knives, pens and keys etc....
- Appropriate force always is
your only defence in court when you face an assault
charge.
- When you get up - run, run &
run fast.
The overriding rule of course is
to control your ego and avoid situations where undesired
violence occurs.
Benefits of Character Development
Personally I train in case I have
to fight. I don't train to fight. I train to
develop my self defence skills, and I have found through
this mode that I need to defend myself from myself -
self defence. Why show off all the time. As
the founder of our style once said, "where you're weak,
show you're strong and where you're strong show you're weak".
Martial Arts is so much more than fighting. So much
more than ground and pound. So much more than a badge or uniform to denote
style. With good research, teaching and training realistic self defence
techniques can be found in all forms of martial arts.
"While the foundation of any martial art must
be firmly grounded in martial skills, there are other much deeper dimensions.
Martial arts serve not only as a means of self defence, but also as a method of
self-cultivation and health promotion. The practice of Kung Fu and Tai Chi
develops the body’s attributes such as speed, flexibility, agility, strength and
power, not just for fighting, but for everyday life. It also sharpens the mind,
increasing alertness and reaction time. But its deepest level is the spiritual
dimension. In essence, the act of Kung Fu and Tai Chi is a process of active
meditation, which redefines Kung Fu as a vehicle for spiritual transformation."
Kung Fu - June 2000
What to Look Out
For
In summary learn what you can
from these events, but don't buy into the hype used by
those that market themselves as the only real thing out
there. Think long
and hard about the full benefits of training in a
complete martial art and developing your charater.
I believe that Zen Chi Ryu is a complete Martial Art that continues to evolve
and learn what it can from the MMA fad without throwing out the baby with the
bath water.
Sensei Peter
