Sunday, November 29, 2009

The Danger of the Sporting Mindset

I was surfing a friend's forum and they were talking about a DVD by a noted self protection instructor on the subject of defeating an MMA trained adversary. He points out in the DVD that with the popularity of MMA training it's becoming more and more likely that you'll end up scrapping with someone who's had such training.

Of course the MMA forums are denigrating the DVD saying that the only way an MMA fighter can be beaten is (and I quote)

a "seasoned" (read truly skilled ) MMA practitioner can only be countered by 1. Luck; 2. Equal or greater skill; or 3. A massive size/strength/injury disparity.


This is an absolutely perfect example of the danger of training in a sporting discipline. Notice the angle they come at it with i.e. from an entirely sporting context.

From my perspective, that of someone dealing with the real world and not the ring I'd be thinking of things such as...

A martial artist should be concerned about...1. A guy with a gun; 2. A guy with a knife; 3. A group of guys; 4. A group of guys with weapons; 5. A sucker punch; 6. A pre-emptive strike; 7. An ambush; 8. A mob kicking the crap out of me while I'm rolling round on the ground with someone trying to put them in a cool triangle choke etc.

At first blush this might seem like a criticism of MMA guys and it's not. I admire anyone who trains hard and puts it on the line, no matter what discipline that is. It is however a criticism of the dangers of a sporting mindset and it is also a criticism of guys who play in the ring thinking they are automatically now qualified to talk about self defense.

That's a little like paint-ballers telling Special Forces guys how to conduct themselves in a firefight.

Self defense/protection training requires a certain mind-set, don't confuse it with the mindset you'll develop in a club that concentrates on sport.

3 comments:

TimBlay said...

I concur and admire your willingness to say it "publicly". Such views have regularly drawn ire from the MMA community, I know this first hand.
Continue to espouse these great methods, there are many of us who listen and use it. It let's me know that I'm not crazy or alone for teaching what and how I teach.

TimBlay said...

I concur and admire your willingness to say it "publicly". Such views have regularly drawn ire from the MMA community, I know this first hand.
Continue to espouse these great methods, there are many of us who listen and use it. It let's me know that I'm not crazy or alone for teaching what and how I teach.

JME said...

Thank you, sir, for your well reasoned and articulate response to a growing trend.

Joel Ellis
Peaceful Warrior Chinese Kenpo
Columbus, MS