Combative Sports
I have mentioned before that I believe Combative sports to be an excellent way to stay in fighting trim. However, some combative sports can have adverse effects if one main goal is the study of Self-preservation. In the following sections, I will give a brief background on my Combative sports experience. I will also give some tips as to what types of Combative sports are beneficial and which do more harm that good. I can not state emphatically enough, that one must keep in mind that Combative sports are just that, sports. One must remember that any self preservation benefit is an ancillary one.
My Combative Sports Background
In my life time I have trained and compete in just about every type of Combative sport there is. Sound like a pretty big boast doesn't it? Well, I guess I should explain what I mean by type. I break Combative sports down to categories that contain similar skill sets. While there is many diverse arts and organizations with different rules, some sports are closer to each other than others. I will explain more below but to quickly illustrate, I would consider Judo and Sambo to be of the same "type". I have competed, or trained, at various levels in: Limited Contact Striking, Full Contact Striking, Grappling with Submissions, Grappling without Submissions and Mixed Martial Arts.
Combative Sport Types
For each of the five types of Combatives sports I have listed above, I will give a description of what I feel is characteristic of each type and some examples of sports which fit into the category. I will also give a short list of the pros and cons of each category, as they relate to Self preservation.
Limited Contact Striking is more commonly called Point Fighting or Sport Karate. Typically, it involves limited or no contact and what strikes are restricted to very specific areas. In general, the object is to score a "point" using a single strike to a specific target. While combinations are often used they are generally in the form of setups or feints making way for the main strike. Some typical examples include: Tae Kwan Do, NASKA events and most local "Karate" tournaments.
Besides general fitness (which any combative sport will give you), the only advantage I can see to point fighting is that it can greatly enhance your evasive qualities. Due to the fact that an opponent has to make very little contact with you to score, speed and evasion are the primary methods of defense.
The biggest problem with Sport Karate is that the techniques which are effective within the rules are, in many cases, suicide on the street. Again, due to the fact that such limited contact is needed, and that matches are often halted each time a point is scored, the techniques tend to revolve around speed rushes. The object of these rushes is to "touch" a scoring area faster than the other guy can counter. In many cases, it turns in to a game of tag masquerading as fighting.
Full Contact Striking typically involves throwing full power strikes to various body parts. In some cases the strikes must be kept above the belt, in others the whole body is fair game and others restrict where you can hit with what. In general, the objective is to either, knockout your opponent, or win a decision based on your overall performance during the match. The fighting is fairly continuous, however, breaks sometimes occur to restart the action or to split the fight into rounds. Combination fighting is imperative and the fights are normally a back and forth battle. Common examples include: Boxing, Kickboxing, Muay Thai and Kyokushin karate.
Full contact striking is a much better fit with Self preservation training than point fighting. For one you get hit a lot. Learning to fight effectively mean you must learn that being hit doesn't mean your done. Full contact striking teaches that. They also teach combination fighting. Defense is stressed a lot more because the fighting is continuous and over a longer period of time.
Problems include a lack of grappling, although some styles like Muay Thai include some limited standing grappling. Another problem is that often fighting is broken up during a clinch. As a result many fighters don't learn how to fight out of clinch, they just lean on the opponent and wait for the ref.. Also, depending on the style, some bad habits can be developed in regards to targeting. As an example, Kyokushin does not allow hand strikes to the head, as a result fighters tend to keep their hands down to protect the body and attempt to head kick a lot to gain a KO.
Grappling with submissions usually entails takedowns, positional grappling and submissions through the use of chokes and joint locks. In general point are awarded based one taking down your opponent and/or maintaining a dominant position. The object is to win through points or to make your opponent submit by applying a lock or choke. Common examples are Judo, Brazilian Jui Jutsu and Submission grappling.
Grappling with submissions is a key part of Self preservation. It teaches defense against takedowns and how to gain and maintain dominant position on the ground. It also teaches the need to protect your neck and joints. Although joint locks are not among the techniques that I advocate for self preservation, the fact remains that the Grappling boom of the last ten years has ensured that a lot of people have been exposed to joint locks. If you are careless a arm lock or ankle lock can finish a fight as easily as overhand right.
Some problems include a lack of striking. Submission grappling is normally a strictly grappling event. As such practitioners adopt stances designed to protect against take downs. These stances often leave the head and other vitals completely open to strikes. Another problem is that many Submission grappling arts persist with the notion that ground fighting is the most effective style for the street. This is an over statement at best.
Grappling without submissions is exactly what it sounds like. It involves takedowns and positional grappling. The object is generally to earn points by taking your opponent down and gaining the dominant position. Matches are one based on points or a pin. This is most commonly exemplified by the myriad of wrestling style world wide, the most common being Grecro-Roman and Freestyle Wrestling.
The best traits developed by Wrestling are an excellent grasp of takedowns and how to maintain dominant ground position. Also wrestlers tend to be in phenomenal shape and can be terrors on the street just because of their immense strength and ground control skills.
Wrestling also has a lot of pieces missing because it is one of the more controlled sports on this list. Wrestler lack striking skills, they expose their necks often, they tend to not have finishing skills and while they are often quite quick and maneuverable, it is not a maneuverability that is good for escaping strikes.
Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) are in many cases the most complete (in terms of combatives) of the sporting styles. MMA generally have, to some degree, elements of striking, takedowns, positional grappling and submissions. Depending on the rules you can score points with strikes or takedowns, gaining and maintaining dominant position and knockdowns. You can also win by choke or submission or go for the KO. Common examples are the UFC and Pride events, Shoot fighting, Pankration and to a lesser extent Sport Jujutsu (this is much different than BJJ).
MMA can develop many of the attributes needed for combat. Knowledge of distancing, striking, takedowns, positional grappling, and submissions skills. The breed tough, skilled and conditioned combative athletes. Speed, strength and stamina are encouraged and expected.
The main problem with MMA is, because it involves so many of the same elements of true combat, many people believe that "if it works in the octagon, then it will work in the street." Or on the other side of the token, "If it doesn't work in the octagon then throw it out." The main problem with this attitude is that MMA are a sport and as such have rules and conventions which separate it from reality. For example, it is a controlled one on one environment, the street is not. Holding someone in your guard for 5 or 10 min while you wait for an opening can work in MMA on the street it gets you hurt at best. Also many techniques used are part of a strategy that looks at the whole match. Wearing down techniques are key for a long Sporting match but not in a street fight that might last a minute if something goes wrong.
Overall the key, to combining sports with self preservation training, is honesty. Recognize which techniques are effective because the rules allow them to be so. Realize the deficiencies and accept them. Training and competing in Combative Sports can be a great benefit to you while training in self preservation but one must keep the distinction between combat and sport. The line is blurry but there is a line.