I would like to offer this final word and serious post on this tired street versus sport debate that I've seen for the last few years.
Ever since the emergence of mixed martial arts everyone has scrambled to the mats to learn to grapple (including me at one time - still do in fact but it's geared toward "street grappling", not sport, nowadays) thinking that striking was useless. But guess what, you need both, as many in the MMA (mixed martial arts) world now know, when strikers who could counter the takedowns and submissions began to dominate such events.
But in the real world you need so much more knowledge than just the striking and grappling. You need to learn how to use all of your bodily weapons, and how to fight in all ranges of combat. Not only that but you must train to be alert and have an awareness of your surroundings so hopfully you won't be caught unawares. You need confrontational management skills to help talk your way out of a possible fight, knowledge of the legal system and the laws of your state regarding self defense. You must train with various modern weapons such as firearms and edged weapons, as well as learn how to defend against them, you need to learn how to deal with more than one opponent, and the various situations you might find yourself in like a crowded bar, or lying down(if you were attacked while relaxing somewhere or sleeping at home), while sitting in your car, etc. You need proper psychological preperation for self protection...fighting in a ring and for real is similar but different. Your body (as even with ring fighting) your fight or flight response will put endorphins in your blood stream, adrenaline surging through your system, tunnel vision, and time distortion among other things. Sure in your first few MMA fights you will more than likely experience many of these things, however, they will be much more intense, and affecting you to a higher degree, when someone is actually trying to seriously injure you or kill you. Remember sure they're hitting each other and whatnot, but MMA is more of an extreme sparring session then a street fight. Both parties usually know about their particular opponent, and meet in the center of the ring, and have rules of conduct to abide by. In a real fight you could be suddenly ambushed from behind, or sucker punched, and anything can happen, hence the no rules, which brings me to another point.
To use the often used phrase of "you fight how you train" rings so true in this discussion. I've talked with many, many MMA fighters, grapplers, etc. and I've brought up the fact that you can be bitten, eyes gouged, punched in the throat, and any other nasty things you can think of. But then they say yeah, but they could do that to me also! Maybe, maybe not. It depends on how you train. It is a fact that with the psychological and physiological events taking place in your body, because of having to defend yourself against a violent attack, you will only be able to use the skills and techniques that you have practiced over and over. You will not be able to just do this or that at the drop of a hat (lol that rhymes). You have to train the way you want to fight, and there's no two ways about it. I've read on a noted self defense instructor's forum how he used to teach both street and sport techniques, and his students used to compete in MMA, and grappling tournaments, yet when they got into real fights outside the ring, they got seriously hurt using the sport techniques they trained in so much. So then they changed their training methods to street only.
I've read Matt Thornton's (Thornton of the Straight Blast Gym) article on Street VS Sport (that many MMA fighters seem to like to throw in reality based martial artists faces), which talks about this topic, and I both agree and disagree.
Mr. Thornton states:
"" You need to make a distinction between a "delivery system" and a sporting application of an art. As an example we will use a man I admire very much, Renzo Gracie. Renzo could see a bite, a foul tactic, a version of an armlock, from Silat, or White Crane, or Yellow Monkey Fever, etc etc, and probably be able to INTEGRATE and apply that move very quickly. Why? Because he already has such a strong base on the ground. He understands the positions, and he has a great delivery system. Compare that with say an Aikido stylist. He may see the same application for a bite, or a choke, etc, but never be able to effectively use it. Especially against a wrestler or another groundfighter. Why? Because he doesn't have that delivery system.
Mo Smith could see a punch or a kick or an elbow, from just about any striking art and probably apply it very quickly to his game. Why? Because he has a STRONG BASE in the delivery system of western boxing. Boxing has the body mechanics, footwork, timing, etc, that allow Mo to INTEGRATE those moves.
Randy Couture could see a sweep from say. . Judo, and probably use it right away. Why? Because he has a strong base in wrestling, and Greco. ""
This I agree with because yes people who are skilled at grappling are good at control and manipulation and could incorporate foul tactics rather easily. However, my point is this: Does such and such TRAIN IN these foul tactics so he may use them when it matters, or does he train in primarily sport oriented techniques? If the person trained in those techniques ON A REGULAR BASIS, then yes Mr. Thornton is correct. But if they don't train that in on a regular basis then Mr. Thorton's argument does not hold any water.
Mr. Thornton also states:
""Also, I do not dismiss the danger of blades. In fact I know just how dangerous they can be, and so does every other SBG Instructor. They are part of the curriculum, and they are addressed. But, I am very wary of people who talk about cutting arteries, and stabbing people in the guard, etc. Many times (not always) these people tend to be the kids that got picked on in school, lack a certain sense of self esteem, etc. I believe that people like this can be greatly helped through SPORTS. Whether it's boxing, wrestling, BJJ, Judo, NHB, etc. This type of athletic event can help someone like this gain real self esteem. But too often, instead of going down that route they I see them being drawn into the "streetfighting/ tactical" stuff. And I think this usually just increases there paranoia and fear, and eventually leads to anger.""
This statement is just ludicrous. I mean, weapons are a lethal situation that should be addressed. If while on the ground, it is possible to defend against weapon attacks, but you must train in that awareness and what to do should such an event occur. If you apply a choke let's say and you think you've got the guy and you haven't trained yourself to watch the person's hands, he could easily reach for a blade and stab you, perhaps fatally. Seems to me almost as if Mr. Thornton is simply dismissing such a dangerous issue, stating that only people who have emotional problems would bring up such dangers. No, they bring them up because that's a reality!
Learning combative martial arts isn't any as unheathly than learning a sportive form of martial arts. It's up to the individual. If someone who is violent, they're violent no matter what. If someone goes and trains at a school, sport or street, they could just as easily go out and use what they've learned to hurt people. Even "street" martial arts (good ones anyway) should address both the legal and moral aspects of the use of force.
Another thing I've heard is that you can apply MMA stand up and grappling in a street fight with no problem. These people have obviously not fought outside a ring or cage. Of course your environment and situation dictate what you do!
If you knew the guy you're fighting had a blade would you want to grapple with him? No way! You always want to assume the worst so that you're prepared for it. Of course you cannot always dictate where you fight and may find yourself in that position, and hopefully you've trained realistically to deal with that situation, and get out of it with as little injuries as possible.
Rolling around on the ground is very different on concrete than mats. I know this first hand. I was wrestling a friend of mine outside my old high school many years ago and I had him in my guard. Well, I tried to slide out the side to take his back, but not only did the concrete surface hinder my movement, but it hurt like hell! I wasn't getting out of the bottom with that maneuver.
All those cool reversals and submissions that have you sliding, pivoting, and rolling will tear you up on the concrete. Plus the fact that the rough surface will cause you to lose mobility. You're not on those smooth mats that have no friction anymore-not to mention the pain. Of course I'm smart enough to know that getting scrapped up isn't the most painful, or worse thing that can happen in a ground fight, although depending on where you're fighting, it can. Say a fairly smooth, even sidewalk compared to a gravel parking lot somewhere. Ouch!
It is a fact that in order to be effective in real fighting grappling must be modified. You must learn to put your shoulder into the guy's cheek or chin, in order to turn his head, so as to make it more difficult to take a chuck out of you. You have to learn to deal with eye gouges by moving your head, closing your eyes, etc.
You have to modify the takedowns and sprawling techniques that you do if you train for sport. I'm sure everyone’s seen so many grapplers shoot in and slam a knee on the ground while attempting a takedown. Same with the sprawl. They just kick their legs out and land on their knees. Not a good idea in the street where you're more than likely going to be fighting on concrete. Case in point, Renzo Gracie! While watching Pride: Bushido Vol. 3, I think it was, Renzo was being interviewed and said how he'd gotten in a fight, shot in and broke his knee cap! He had crutches as well during this interview. I thought that was funny because that just proves my point and every other reality based martial artist who screams about the need to modify techniques for the street. Renzo probably shot in, as I described above, and slammed his knee into the ground, like I've seen him do so many times in Pride, although he didn't have a nice soft mat to land on this time did he?
So as you can hopefully see there is a dramatic difference between a sport martial art and a true combative martial art. They have their similarities for sure, but they are also as different as night is to day.
It's critical that everyone learn of these differences. It just might be the difference between your life or death.
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