Traditional Martial Arts vs. Mixed Martial Arts vs. Reality Based Fighting

Today, there is a huge interest in fighting skills and many people want to learn how to fight so they defend themselves or their family should the need arise. This article is about fighting and which is the best method to learn the “fighting arts.” Let’s start with the basics and break down the differences of the most common types of fighting systems in the most basic manner possible.

1.       Traditional Martial Arts:

+ Art based, hence “martial arts”

+ Takes years to master

+ Is about much more than fighting with the goal often being to avoid the fight when possible

2.       Mixed Martial Arts (MMA):

+ Is first and foremost a sport

+ Remember, sports have rules; real fights do not (never underestimate this reality)

+ Serious participants tend to be in outstanding physical conditioning

+ Skills may or may not transfer to “real” fights. For example most MMA fighters do not know how to disarm a gun, rifle, shotgun, or knife from an assailant.

3.       Reality Based Fighting:

+ Typically “defensive” in nature

+ Focuses on a well-rounded although very focused, yet effective, skillset

+ Tends to stick to basic techniques that can be applied by most practitioners

+ Complete length of training consists typically of 40 hours of initial training and then it is up to the student to practice and attend on-going training at random intervals

+ Think of law enforcement, military, special operations units

So, which is the best? Well, that depends on your needs or goals. If you are looking for the “art” aspect then go to a traditional martial arts school. If you are into the “sport” then go to a MMA school. But, if you want to learn how to “fight” then go to reality based training. Having said that I do believe that each type of training is beneficial and can improve your fighting ability. I have a black belt in Tae Kwon Do, Shotokan Karate, and Kenpo Karate. It took me 10 solid years of training to EARN my black belt. I earned it through consistency of training along with a lot of blood, sweat, and an occasional broken bone. I will never perform another kata or participate in traditional aspects of martial arts because it doesn’t fit in with my goals. There is nothing wrong with doing so it is just not for me. 

Today, many martial art schools make you pay for testing so their motivation is for you to test often as it makes them money. Your martial skills are not much of a factor for your potential promotion as much as the school making money from you testing. The result is that your skill level is typically far below adequate. I find this very unethical and it goes against the values, morals, and code of the martial arts. I have seen many martial art schools guarantee students a black belt in 1-2 years. This is completely ridiculous and in my opinion rarely possible. I was fortunate to attend a martial arts school that taught the traditions, as well as, solid fighting skills. I find this to be the exception rather than the rule. To promote to the level of a brown or black belt actually meant something. Today you can go to some schools and see 7 and 8 years olds with a second degree black belt! The black belt you wear around your waist doesn’t make you who you are. It is the knowledge, skills, and abilities that you have learned and hopefully earned. Enough said on that issue.

Mixed Martial Arts practitioners tend to be in very good shape but lack a “complete” set of fighting skills. This is not to diminish their abilities as they can obviously fight. Well, they can obviously fight in a ring, with a referee, and with rules. Real fights have neither a ring, ref, nor rules. Never lose sight that MMA is a sport. For example, if I get into an altercation with the incredible MMA fighter Georges St-Pierre I am putting two rounds in his body and one to the head. I am not going to participate in “his” fight. I am going to “prevail” in “my” fight! If I were to fight his fight he will snap me in two. Again, real fights are not a sport.

This brings us to Reality Based Fighting which is a very open and non-descriptive subject. At the lower end of the spectrum I would say that reality based fighting is what new officers learn at the academy when doing initial defensive tactics training which is typically a 40-80 hour block of instruction. This training is very basic in that you learn fighting stances, blocks, kicks, strikes, punches, movement, handcuffing, takedowns, gun retention/disarming, use of force, verbal skills, scenarios, etc. This is what I refer to “rock bottom” basic skills. This is the foundation upon which everything else builds upon. Now, if you have previous training in traditional martial arts or mixed martial arts it will be very beneficial to your skillset and provide you with a definite advantage as long as you learned “quality” skills. If you went to a training school and picked up bad skills you will have to “unlearn” them which can be very difficult and time consuming. Generally, officers with no previous training look like fish out of water struggling just to maintain a good stance and remembering to breathe. Officers have a very limited amount of time (40-80 hours of training) to obtain rudimentary skills that they are going to use on the streets in “real-world encounters.” This should be the foundation for you to build upon by being an active participant in which you seek out additional training to grow and improve your skills. Today there are a lot of very reputable trainers with real world relevant experience available to train you. They conduct seminar type training that can range from 2-5 days of proven techniques and tactics. Also, you don’t generally have to be in law enforcement to get such training although some classes may be restricted to law enforcement. Additionally, many of these instructors have “been there, done that” and know what they are doing. They understand the realities of both conflict and violence, as well as, the solution. They will run you through challenging and stressful scenarios using High Gear or RedMan Training Gear.

So, why Reality Based Fighting compared to other fighting methods? First, traditional martial arts take years to master. Second, mixed martial arts is a sport. Reality based fighting is all about fighting without the “art” and without the “sport.” The skills you learn should be relatively simple, effective, basic, relevant, and applicable to real world violent encounters under both psychological and physiological reactions to stress. Due to the effects of stress your training should focus on using gross motor skills. Stay away from fine motor skill techniques that will never work in the toxic environment known as violence. Never get wrapped up in the argument of which “style” is best as there is no perfect system or style. There is only what works for you and what does not work for you. It is also best to focus on learning “principle-based” tactics and not “technique-based” tactics. Knowing principles allows you to understand the goals of prevailing in a violent encounter. This allows you to adapt to the attack. Technique-based tactics often cause you to try to fit the technique to the attack. Chances are you will not have the ability to react with such speed. It is also critically important to train your skills using full speed at full force with appropriate protective equipment. I can’t tell you how many times I see instructors demonstrate a technique or skill at a slow speed and it always seems to work. It works because: 1) the instructor is doing it slow and 2) because the student knows what to expect and “goes” with the technique. The only way to truly know if a skill has any merit it to practice it at full force and full speed with protective equipment. But, before doing this it is important to really know, understand, and practice the skill before testing it out. Also, keep in mind that complicated techniques rarely ever work except in the movies. If you are shown a knife defense where you are supposed to grab the wrist midair, somehow avoid the blade, conduct a wrist lock making the assailant drop the knife, and then do a graceful and effective flip FORGET IT. It doesn’t work that way! Train for the worst case scenario and you will be prepared when the ugliness of violence is perpetrated at you or your family.

At this point you are either really pissed off at my comments or you are open minded and willing to listen to my perspective which is based on my years of experience. Either response is fine with me as I am not responsible for defending you or your family. The question is: Are you ready to respond to the worst case scenario by successfully resolving brutal violence that is directed toward you or your family? I am. 

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