Mixed Martial Arts Training for Self Defense
72Should You Protect Yourself?
I want to tell you all a short story of a man who could have lost his life. If he has been training in mixed martial arts, things may have happened differently. Either way, it is much better to have the ability to take care of yourself then to be at the mercy of your attacker.
Here you are, finally getting off from work, doing everything like you normally do. You start walking home from the train station, when suddenly you hear footsteps behind you but think nothing of it and keep listening to your music. The next thing you know you're BLINDSIDED by a seventeen year old kid. You have no idea why this person just hit you but all of a sudden you're on edge and in survival mode. Now he and his friend tell you to give up everything in your pockets including that nice new iPod. The two are unarmed so you talk back to them and tell them no, still surprised by the sudden blow from behind. Then one of the guys say "Just shoot him and take what he got, we don't got time for this!"
Now you think of your wife and 4 kids and what would happen if you were killed tonight over a couple dollars, a wallet, and an iPod. What would happen if someone had to tell your kids that daddy's not coming home? So you give it up, all that you got even though he never showed a weapon. You go to the ER because of the gash over your right eye, get stitched up and head on home to your wife and kids. You are upset. I mean, you're a tae kwan do champion! You could have done something right? I mean with all those years of training, something should have came in handy. Well the chances are, NO. In a street situation, it's been proven that tae kwan do and similar traditional martial arts are not very effective. What has been proven effective over and over again is Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Muay Thai Kickboxing, Judo, and Wrestling - All the arts that are most effective in the cage.
Now I tell you this story because it recently happened to a close friend of mine, who has now been training Mixed Martial Arts in the Maryland DC and Virginia area for 5 months following this event. He has never been in this great of shape nor felt this confident, until training with us. Also, I write this article not to bash traditional martial artists and their art, but just to give someone a safer option for self defense. Most people choose martial arts because of self defense, so why not choose an art (or mixture of arts) that is the most effective to PROTECTING yourself? I am not saying that Vale Tudo or MMA can protect you from a gun, but if one is not present, you have a better chance of handling the situation without an eye that needs stitches or your things being taken. Take care, and protect yourself.
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i agree if you need to protect your self in a sittution like that do it but do abuse it
true cagefighting is in most cases more effective than most traditional martial arts but i think that in this case when a gun is involved the traditional martial artist would fair better because most schools teach that fighting must only occur when absolutely necessary. if the guy wants your ipod, give it to him and let that be the end of it. but if the guy takes it and still might shoot you, then that is the time to act. i would say just the mentality of cagefighters/mma fighters would attack before necessary and put themselves at more risk. not because of any fault of their own just for the simple fact most schools dont teach that mentality.
Just so you know the situation described would have happened no matter what style the guy trained because what really mattered was the fact that those kids targeted him cause he was obliviously listening to music and ignored his instinct to turn around and see what was behind him. I don't really see from what is provided by the article how mma is better self-defense.
I agree with James. If you practice active awareness long enough, it becomes second nature, a more passive kind of awareness. Consider it the closes thing you'll have to a sixth sense.
Hi,
I would have to agree too.
this si something that just grows on you after you have done it so long.
It is like riding a bike once you learn you don't forget very easy.
Thanks for sharing this!!
I would have to say mma is the best art without question & what people fail see is that some of it is too dangerous to use in the cage so some camps neglect to teach them in depth. Also the is no rule that says mma fighters can't use weapons or street fight. Most of them are street fighters, Forest was a cop & many of the Russian fighters were soldiers when they learned their art. Some of these guys can shoot the wings off a fly.
I like what Josh had to say. Practice mental awareness. Be observant of all that is around you. The pioneer cowboys were constantly alert to any thing out of the ordinary, ie, vultures overhead, a scurrying rabbit, etc. Every step many felt their life was on the line.
Neither, MMA nor TKD, have any place in self-defense and thinking otherwise is wild delusion. In a self-defense situation ground and pounding your opponent will see you jailed, going to the ground period will likely find you dead under the boots of your attackers friends...
I applaud your friend for his bravery and for setting an important example. EVERY GOOD self-defense instructor will teach you to act exactly as he did. What would you have him do different? Punch them both and run?
Not if you know that in a high-stress, life-or-death situation you have a 10% chance of hitting your target.
This stuff is totally made up.
Guys, I love and respect martial arts, I train BJJ, but still, my advice in this kind of situation is just to RUN AWAY! One doesn't go and attack people on the street for the sake of it! You never know if your enemy has got a knife, or a weapon, or a bunch of friends behind the corner, or twice as much Martial Arts experience than you! Getting into fight is the worst thing one could do in this situation!
Alternatively, if you cannot run away, just do what they ask...
The fact is that there is a very, very big line between a fight that would take place on the streets and a fight in a martial arts tournament. In modern days all martial arts are now mostly sport emphasized and are not made for street brawling. In the sports world of fighting no martial art is better than any other, its all about what you prefer. But if you want to fight on the streets then you will need to take specialized classes. In the sport (even MMA) you have rules such as no hitting the groin or the back of the neck or putting you fingers into someones eyes but on the streets anything goes even weapons. And in cold cruel reality you will get hurt no matter what your training. Police officers that specialize in fighting criminals with knives and other weapons tell me how they never get away without being cut or stabbed or hit, My father has been a policeman for 25 years and he always relies on his pistol for his defence here in Africa Namibia windhoek. Some of the bad people on the streets are very street smart on fighting because of their years of experience in fighting on the streets and they know exactly how to use a knife or broken bottle even since early childhood(This is Africa). I do MMA and karate because I love these SPORTS and Ive been starting karate since I was 7 and MMA since I was 14 and I am now 18 and I will tell you that I have been beaten on the streets several times and robbed. Il never fight against anyone with a knife or gun or even a sharpened object or people in a group because I know I will lose. A fighter in the ring,cage,dojo or mat (Martial artist) Is a fighter of honor while a fighter on the streets, schools, bars and clubs is common thug. Stay with your martial art! And if you want protection on the streets you might want to get a compact gun or tazer, even Bruce Lee carried a gun for protection. A good fighter fights with honor and pride in legit match while stray dogs and common thugs fight on the streets. Thank you.
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Dear Sir/Madam
We are Manufacturers and Exporters of Martial Arts, Boxing Equipments.
We Offer quick delivery and very reasonable prices of our Products Range.
Visit our website for further assistance www.zaraintl.com
Please let us know if you have any current needs.
Best Regards
Mazhar Hussain
ZARA INTERNATIONAL
Sialkot Road
GAGA –Daska
Sialkot-Pakistan
Ph: - 0092 52 6614890
Cell: - 0092 300 6454890
Web: - www.zaraintl.com
info@zaraintl.com
Martial Art Info 3 years ago
I totally agree with you. Even I practiced Tae Kwon do because I like the moves and how they build my strenght and shaped my body, in other word just to get me fit, as I know most of the moves won't be quite useful in real life threatening situation. For the real thing, I'm into Pencak Silat.