It might come as a surprise that someone who learns a martial art could be unable to defend themselves. However, it’s not a surprise to many martial artists! I’ve personally seen two famous so-called “masters” decisively clobbered by superior fighters in the context of a martial arts club. I witnessed a friend, a scary karate tournament champion decisively knocked down in a pub. Some martial artists fail to defend themselves because their psychology defeats them - they give in to fear. Others, are beaten because their art simply isn’t up to the job. I mean here not their personal level of skill but the actual art. In other words, whoever used the art that it would fail to deliver realworld self defence. Scary? Well, not if you’re never attacked and enjoy a sport or leisure martial art on a weekly basis. But, if you are attacked you could be hurt, killed or worse! What’s worse? For many it’d be having to admit to themselves that they’ve spent years or decades, dollars and sweat just keeping fit, socialising and getting a warm glow from training a modern sport or hobby martial art!
Some naturally mean, aggressive personalities training in a modern sport martial art may fare well enough much of the time if they needed to use it on the street. Some naturally tough, physically strong individuals might do likewise. It depends on chance and a number of factors which the more serious student of realworld self defence systems would rather rule out or control.
These aggressive types are the ones who come to the average modern sport martial arts school and learn quickly and they naturally take to sparring and competing. They’re usually the tournament winners. They don’t get taught the art as much as they catch it! They’re in almost every modern martial arts club and are usually the “stars”.
By far the majority of martial arts expect the student to intuitively suddenly “get it” when they’re thrown into sparring. The exercises of the basics and pre-arranged sparring sets are supposed to prepare for sparring. Yet, in the case of most martial arts students, they don’t! Somehow the student is expected to figure it out for themself. Some do, most don’t has been the experience I’ve had.
The basic notion implicit in a martial art is it ought to train an ordinary well-adjusted person to be able to defend themselves from violent attack by utilising the actual art rather than relying on individual characteristics like aggression and physical size and power.
There are a number of reasons modern sport martial arts fail in realworld attacks. The essential reason is that they don’t conform to the eight basic principles and ten features of a realworld self defence system. For now, though, let’s look at the following:
Lack of psychological and emotional training - most martial arts have no systematic evidence-based program of mind training - either traditional or derived from modern sports psychology. From experience, I can state quite clearly that your mind can easily be your worst enemy and end up defeating you! In brief, if a modern sport martial artist is good at his sport but lacks relevant and realistic combat conditioning for the realworld - both physical and psychological - they dramatically reduce their chances of surviving a street attack!
Mind clutter - this is a term I use to describe the filling of the martial artist’s mind with far too many technical moves performing the same function. It’s fed by romanticism whereby so-called “martial arts moves” are posed in movies and martial arts practitioners think they have to look aesthetic or measure up to some visual ideal or utilise a range of different techniques. Mind clutter is also fed by what I call “pseudo traditionalism”. Whole arts have built their edifices on this notion. It means that obsessives collect techniques or strings of them and pass them on without question. They’re like squirrels collecting nuts! They can’t help themselves! Instead of analysing the function of a given technique to see if they already know something to perform that function - or that there is a better way to do it, they add in the collectible! It’s a common practice in martial arts to revere the past masters so much that perspective is lost. Not only traditionalists fall victim to this notion. The modern trend to what’s called “mixed martial arts” does it too!
Looking like a “martial artist” is often more important to the person who falls victim to this than actually being a winning fighter! If you connect this up with my comments on keeping your self defence within the eight principles and ten factors of an ideal martial art you’ll see the fighter with a large repertoire of techniques is actually cluttered in terms of getting into decision-making in the whirl and blur of a realworld fight where there just simply isn’t time for that! If you’re good at self defence after the initial attack or two and you’ve deflected the attacker’s moves then there are a few micro-seconds in which to possibly decide between a follow-up strike or two. But, in the initial attack you must respond without thought.
Mind locking - this is another term I use to describe closed-mindedness. It seems a lot of martial artists strive for this! The beliefs held can range from “Don’t disturb me with facts, I like this idea!” to brainwashing themselves with their beliefs masquerading as “research”, to downright dangerous notions of how self defence proceeds - or they believe it ought to. The problem when it comes to realworld self defence is that the modern sports martial artist has been taught and believes he can fight using his sport material! Not only are they not likely to be fighting under anything like similar conditions to their club or tournament, the techniques they try very likely won’t work in realworld attacks and won’t be fast enough. Certainly the attacker - often drunk - won’t be cooperating in feeding them anything like their standard commercial martial arts club co-operative partner drills!
There is also unlikely to be the sort of lighting and large, clear space available on the street or in the night club that there is in the martial arts club. The main problem with mind locking however, is the obsessive belief system it generates that certain non-functional martial arts or techniques will work under pressure in the realworld. I’ll offer two examples that are currently popularly regurgitated by martial artists. Both are nonsense. One idea is that fighting can best be conceived of and responded to in terms of “ranges”. This idea has it that people fight or attack you in different ranges - kicking, punching, grappling are several that are offered. Well, in formalised modern sport martial art there may be that sort of division. The reality is that on the street most attacks take place from conversational range where the attacker could reach out and put their hand on your shoulder! It’s far, far more realistic to think that there are two phases in combat: that where the attacker is not in contact and that where he is. The ideal realworld self defence system takes account of both of these.
Another example: there’s a notion promulgated by those who teach grappling arts that “all fights go to the ground”. This was popularised by the commercial promotion of Brazilian ju jutsu in the US. I’ll counter this with experience by saying that they simply don’t and, further, I’ll add a quote from none other than Renzo Gracie, one of the “first family” of Brazilian jujutsu in his book “Mastering Jujutsu” (2003). He says, on page 55: “One result of the historical trend toward ground combat has been that people have mistakenly assumed that the jujutsu fighter should always seek to take the fight to the ground. In fact this is not the case”.
Yet, the readers of US martial arts magazines unconsciously being victims of cultural and martial arts imperialism read some lesser light’s opinion on this and regurgitate it - in the ear or eye and out the mouth - without it passing through the brain filter. “All fights go to the ground” becomes a mindless mantra. Thus another martial arts myth and commercial martial art marketing myth is born! One of the masters of the Brazilian jujutsu art in fact quite clearly and unequivocally says otherwise. But, that’s fact - opinion is always more appealing if the fact is unpalatable, eh? Especially if you’re selling a grappling martial art. You want everyone to think they have to learn it or remain inadequate at self defence for life. Maybe though, there is some truth in the mantra, as with the ideal realworld self defence system all fights end on the ground - for the attacker!
Brainwashing - this can be of two types. The martial artist can brainwash themself or accept being brainwashed by others. The subject of the brainwashing can involve beliefs and attitudes about martial arts history, various arts, historical or famous personalities, or actual martial art skills and concepts. The gullibility of the person involved is a concern. If you mix in martial arts circles you’ll meet many, many martial artists who read and believe or take anything they’re told as carved in stone. I ask myself when confronted with these folk - is their belief or attitude logical? Scientific? Factual? Reasonable? Practical? I don’t argue with them. I long ago gave up on that - even if you managed to convince them on a point what have you achieved? You very likely haven’t dented their susceptibility and gullibility and they’ll go and accrue more stuff to really, really believe! An example - those who think head high flashy kicks and jumping kicks conform to the eight principles and ten factors essential to realworld self defence to be explained next, will invariably work in a realworld fight - will be risking their life and limb if they try these in any serious confrontation. They look great, indeed. But work under all circumstances in the realworld? No.
Hype and bluster myths - battle stories - Tales of the feats of great past masters or even at times of the living abound in most martial arts schools. The problem is a lot of them are simply tall tales! Mythical, magical thinking is a feature of the thinking of many martial artists. When this myth convinces young gullible practitioners of a martial art they’re walking fighting machines and their chosen art is some sort of magic there’s a problem in my view! Neither your instructor nor the great historical figures of your school fight for you on the street! It doesn’t matter how big and bad and mean and fast he is, how many fights he’s won, how many trophies he’s collected, how many arts he’s mastered, what his rank or title is, or whatever stories are told about him or how many magazines he’s appeared in or authored articles in! You’re on your own! It’s up to you!
Lack of training realistic realworld fight attack scenarios - this is fairly self explanatory. By far the bulk of martial arts today train in solo exercises. Alternatively, they train to defend against attacks generated by their art. Yet, if one assumes that martial arts are for self defence then the bulk of time ought to be spent rehearsing responding to close simulations of realworld attack scenarios. The bulk of training time ought to be on developing attitudes and attributes applicable to realworld self defence and against realworld type attacks. It’s really unlikely you’d be attacked on the street by a trained martial artist from your own school or others, so why train to fight against their material? It can be handled by training to cope with realworld attacks anyway - but the reverse doesn’t apply!
One issue I’ll tackle under this point is “sparring”. Let me give my views on what’s called “full contact” first, though. “Full contact” to me means a real attack under no rules or limitations designed to be deadly, it means kicking knees, punching the throat, kneeing the groin, biting and so on - with none of that padding or gloves you see a lot of martial artists wearing - no holds barred, winner walks away, loser is carried - simple as that! I’ve yet to witness any activity which people call “full contact” actually being exactly that - there are always restrictions, rules, padding and exclusions of target areas or strikes. Ergo, it is not “full contact”! The closest thing to “full contact” is Western boxing - yet even that has a lot of restrictions. I’m never in a position of drawing in my breath and whispering: “Gee!” When some-one tells me they do “full contact”. What I am in a position of thinking as an experienced martial artist and psychologist is: “Oh! We have some ego problems and wrong ideas here!”
Let me also comment briefly on the whole “sparring” notion as there is so much nonsense being spread about the optimal fashion by which to learn to defend oneself effectively and efficiently against a realworld attack it’s reached what could be called epidemic proportions. A whole generation of gullible martial artists have been misled by what amounts to a commercial marketing gimmick - that “sparring” is essential to martial arts skill and further that this must be in what is called a “mixed martial art” context. Worse, some think this can be learnt in seminars of a few hours here and there. It’s obviously a macho activity. It’s enjoyable to most who seek it out. There’s a lot - a great deal - of ego involved. To argue against it is made to sound like heresy or folly. It’s like talking giving up smoking to a heavy smoker, quitting drugs to a junkie, or trying to impress the dangers of binge drinking on a teenager! Logic and reasoned argument, even demonstration* holds no sway! People will believe what they want to believe - especially if they’ve invested in something and that investment includes their ego and identity. This is brainwashing and mindlocking, see?
The point I make to all my students is I do not want to develop or contribute to a mindset that there are controlled or pulled attacks, limitations on deadly targets, timed rounds, rests, rules, mercy, fairplay, referees, sympathetic and helpful bystanders or spectators, a first aid station, a phone for emergency calls or someone waiting to drive you to hospital if you’re hurt when you’re engaged in any street confrontation. Above all, that there is at least a semi-reasonable human being facing you. “Sparring” develops the subconscious mindset that all these factors are present - because they are to some extent in the club you train in. Sparring as I see it done develops a “tag” approach to fighting: he attacks, I counter, I attack, he counters etc. This develops a serial attack mentality and a “turn taking” approach. It conditions the martial artist to expect blows to be pulled or padded, rest breaks, lulls in the fight and some sort of “agreement” between the contestants. It also has a lot of club sociological factors involved - deference to higher grades, past grudges, mateships, rituals, rules etc. This mental context is not how any real fight is! Often you’re likely to be fighting not only your attacker but his mates - and you’re lucky if none of the clowns is armed or decides to grab an environmental weapon like a bottle or chair! You’ll sometimes be lucky to have any forewarning an attack is imminent! “Sparring” isn’t how realworld attacks occur! “Sparring” is not a simulation of realworld attacks! Only a simulation of a realworld attack is a simulation of a realworld attack! One, or at most two at most two attack attempts followed by taking complete control of the attacker so no further re-attack - no movement can occur is the simulation! It can be done. We do it. It is not “sparring”. “Sparring” is impossible when one person can’t move anymore! So too, realworld attacks are finished when one person can’t move anymore! Let that person be the attacker not you!
Lack of fighting fitness - many, in fact most, martial artists are not fighting fit or fit to fight. I don’t wish to offend but I must tell the truth, fat or unfit instructors are simply not fit to instruct! That much is surely simply definitional logic! Fitness can shift the balance in a realworld fight and certainly enables the martial artist to train harder, longer during training sessions. Fitness is important. Fighting fitness is different to general fitness though. Thus, specific, consistent, intense training has to be undertaken.
Complexity - the majority of martial arts, especially modern sport martial arts are far too complex, involve far too many techniques and moves. Many of these are fanciful and require a co-operative partner even to work in a demonstration. Complexity is antithetical to effective realworld self defence. It is vain to do with more what can be done with less!
What you see is not what you get - in my travels around the martial art world and observing and training at times in some different arts or versions of them, I found that mostly the methods taught in modern sport martial arts classes differed from the methods used when they’re actually sparring (which was supposed to simulate realworld combat, I’d guess). When they spar you can’t recognise, or they don’t employ in many cases, a vast bulk of the techniques the art has supposed to have trained them to use. Even in jujutsu or judo arts where there are often a wide variety of alternative joint locking, choking or throwing techniques very few are employed in sparring or competition. In most arts a lot of their techniques are banned from sparring competitions. Well, if you’re not going to use them why train them? Also, most arts looked the same in a sparring or tournament context and most lose their distinguishing trademarks or what they claim makes them different. They usually all look like kick boxers or brawlers. How many blocks do you see actually attempted - let alone working - for example, in Tae Kwon Do or karate-do matches? Why train these if you’re not going to, or can’t, employ them?
Thinking not fighting - the most critical factor causing modern sports martial arts to experience great difficulties with realworld self defence is that they require too much decision-making as to the type of attack they’re experiencing and choosing the counter actions required. This might be OK in a tournament where there are often lengthy pauses - or at least what I call that, for a few seconds - and attacks tend to come and go in a tag type fashion, but in the street or bar where the attacker comes on like a thrashing machine - no. There are too many decisions to be made in split seconds. Too much cognitive load! High, middle, low attack? Kick or punch? Straight or curved? Target? Going to grapple? How? Left or right? Multiple attack? Feint or real? If he does this what’ll I do? If I do this, what could he do next? Even extensive sparring and tournament experience won’t completely offset this cognitive clutter.
So, there we have it! The sad facts as to why modern sport martial arts fail in realworld attacks.
*(Note - sifu gave some logically flawless, exceptionally convincing and persuasive demonstrations to make his points at the seminar from which this extract comes. Most of the martial artists present thanked him at the conclusion.)