Print this pageMixed Martial Arts: Dangerous Self Defense
The latest fad in the martial arts world is the growing popularity of what is known as Mixed Martial Arts more commonly known as MMA. MMA is the style of fighting made popular in recent years by the sports fighting entertainment circuit known as The Ultimate Fighting Championship or UFC and their reality TV show called The Ultimate Fighter. There is a growing concern among combat instructors and some members of the traditional martial arts community for individuals who practice or are interested in practicing this style of martial sports combat. The concerns stem from the fact that most people are highly uneducated about the martial arts word, sport fighting and/or actual combat such as what exists in a life or death self defense situation.
The best way to begin to understand the difference between Martial Sport Combat and Martial Arts is the definition of the two terms. The simplest definition of the term Martial Sport Combat is a “combative or fighting art” structured for a specific type of competition with its techniques and theories designed and/or bound by the rules of organized combat. This type of fighting ranges from simple point fighting like the type of sparring that is most commonly present at Karate tournaments to full contact fighting like boxing, kick boxing or MMA. A true or Traditional Martial Art can best be described as a systematic course of combative study that has been developed through time-tested battlefield knowledge. Its techniques movements and theories are designed for use in a self-preservation, life or death situation. Traditional Martial Arts techniques are often too dangerous to be used in non-lethal combat.
When choosing a martial arts style one must stop and think about the reason why one is looking to begin training in the martial arts. This reason needs to dictate what art a person gets involved in. If a person is just looking to shed a few pounds or pick up a hobby, all styles of martial arts whether sport or traditional have physical fitness benefits and are fun to be involved in. However, if a person is also looking to learn discipline, self-defense, personal protection techniques or potentially life saving knowledge studying MMA can give an individual a false sense of security and can be very dangerous to the practitioner.
Visit most MMA schools and you will most likely see practitioners of this form of martial sport practicing a combination of American Boxing and/or any style of Kick Boxing for what is commonly referred to as “stand up fighting” and either Wrestling, Judo or Brazilian Jujitsu for what is called “ground fighting”. These sport styles have many pros and cons yet one must remember that no matter how brutal they appear, they are designed and instructed for organized competition and can be inadequate for self-preservation.
I know what you’re thinking, How can a person trained in all the martial arts styles that professional fighters use effectively, be in danger on the street in a self defense situation? 
First, one must realize that MMA itself is a style of martial sports designed specifically for sport competition. Its techniques are often drilled and practiced according to the rules of competition; while the techniques of the various traditional martial arts systems are often practiced from a self-defense perspective. Instructors or trainers of sport fighting rarely ever take into consideration that when training the average person in other words non-pro fighters, that the students practicing are going to encounter many foreign elements on the street that they do not encounter in the gym or in a ring. Some of these elements may include multiple attackers and weapons of all types ranging from a simple bar stool to a firearm, simply put an environment not conducive to organized combat or a "fair fight". Traditional Martial Arts usually do a better job of preparing a student for the shocking and often sobering reality of fighting outside on the street.
Let me tell you a story which can help put things into perspective. The story is about a young man who trained in the art of MMA. He was a fan of the UFC and Pride Championships fighting circuits and a dedicated practitioner of his art studying Kick Boxing and Brazilian Jujitsu for almost two years, and he had dreams of someday being a professional fighter.
One weekend this person was out having a good time at a local drinking establishment when a situation developed. A simple verbal disagreement ultimately lead to a fight breaking out between the MMA student and another patron of the bar. The MMA student stayed standing for a short time but let his training take over, and he decided to take the fight to the ground when his stand up began to go south. While rolling around on the ground he saw the opportunity to place an arm lock his assailant. While lying on the ground spread out and leaning back doing a textbook arm lock the assailants friends decided that they were not going to let this fight go on any further. They decided to curb stomp the young man. Out numbered, the MMA students’ friends could not lend aid and he was severely injured. Put simply he was beaten ugly. As this true story shows, the way you train, is the way you will react in a dangerous situation. If this anonymous person practiced a style of martial art that focused on his health and self defense he would have known that in a street fight going to the ground is one of the worst thing you could. Perhaps things may have went differently and he would not have been severely beaten.
Let’s face reality, the average Joe or Jane walking into a MMA school or a Traditional Martial Arts school is not going to be a professional MMA fighter nor a combat instructor. Odds are they will never step into a ring or cage and slug it out for top money or prizes and if they are lucky they will never be thrust into a life or death situation. The average person training in MMA is more likely a fan of the competitions and wants to try to attempt what his favorite fighter does in the ring rather than live vicariously through his or her television set. While the Traditional Martial Artists student has dreams of some day being like Jet Li or Chuck Norris. And there is nothing wrong with that, as long as the practitioner of an Art as well as the arts instructor or trainer keeps reality in perspective. One must know the style they practice! Is it sport, is it traditional or both? Remember, learn how to utilize what you know in real life, outside of the Kwoon (Dojo), or gym.
Today the word is a different place than ever before. Crime of all kinds is quickly rising and it almost seems like the fabric of our very humanity is somehow tore and unable to be sewn. I urge all martial arts instructors and students regardless of system or style to remember the core ideals that have bound all of the styles of martial arts together for as long as they have existed in modern civilization. Always train with discipline, respect, honor and wisdom.
Written by: Sifu PJ Zippittelli