I believe one of the biggest reasons MMA has become so popular is that the sport seems to answer the question of “does it work?” Of course, like any sport, there is still drama, show-boating and politics, but one cannot argue the fact that these are, for the most part, legit fighters who pit themselves against others in brutal contests determined mostly by knock-out or tap-out.
There is no magical, mystical force that takes a competitor down; it is skill, speed and determination. No man behind the curtain, no “chi balls” messing with internal organs.
Where did traditional martial arts go so terribly wrong? How did we reach this point where if you happen to study a traditional fighting system, you are more or less considered a laughing stock by the rest of the fight community?
There are several reasons for this, but the biggest one of all…we did it to ourselves. We allow things like lineage, tradition, politics, rank and ultimately ego to get in the way of common sense. We mistakingly believe that because we practice some “ancient” rituals or spend time doing some deep breathing exercises that we can somehow over come just about anybody on the planet. And all that comes crashing down when a traditional martial artist, kung fu, karate, aikido or whatever, steps into a ring and gets pummeled.
In the 90s we saw an emergence of a martial arts form known as pressure-point fighting. I will not mention names or styles, but essentially these folks claimed they could win a fight instantly by hitting a few specific points on the body. To be fair, there is some science behind this. For example, if you have ever taken a shot directly to your temple or your ear, you know that it causes a certain amount of balance disruption.
But these guys made a lot of money demonstrating how they could hit a series of points in a specific order and render someone unconscious with very little effort. Magical. Except for the fact that their training partners frequently toured with them and stood perfectly still while the supposed “master” demonstrated his prowess. Even though a lot of these guys were debunked by real fighters, there are still folks out there who are fooled by this crap. Perhaps they want to be.
Worse still, the masters who claim to be able to control someone with “chi” or ‘ki” without ever laying a hand on them. A scant search of YouTube will pull up some of these clowns and their students. You’d have to pay me a ton of money to throw myself down while you waive your finger at me.
But it’s not just the desire to control “the force” that hampers traditional martial arts. It’s ego and the reluctance to step out of box. It is the notion that because you come from a long line of prestigious martial arts masters that you are a master as well. It is the reluctance of many instructors to answer questions, relying on their exalted status and saying things like, “Because I said so” when in reality, they probably don’t understand the anatomy, kinesiology or physics to provide a descent answer. And they lack the reps because they stopped being a student a long time ago, content with their rank and title. If that's how they teach, you owe them nothing.
Martial arts techniques were and are created by human beings (not gods or gremlins) trying to find a way to survive a possibly lethal encounter. It was never meant to be a gospel or a magic act. And in most cases, the original intent of martial arts wasn't meant to be a vehicle for someone's ego. Do the rest of us a favor and don't feed into it.
If you happen to be in a school where you are not allowed to ask questions, if you get hit with “tradition” or someone throws their status in your face, let me give you some advice: Seek training elsewhere. Realize and understand that there is no magic, no mystical force that will come to your aide because you happen to do a little tai chi. Most importantly, realize that we are all fallible. Someone who isn't willing to admit that about themselves is not what I consider to be a "teacher."
Find a place where you are encouraged to ask questions and even challenge techniques. Furthermore, find a teacher who has the courage and skill to acknowledge that a given method doesn’t work on everybody and has the ability to demonstrate alternatives, or perhaps has the sense of self to admit, “Yeah, this won’t work all the time.” That’s the person you want as a teacher if you the least bit concerned with self-defense.
Stay clear of martial arts “masters” who do not or cannot walk the talk. Be mindful of people who portray themselves in an elevated status when the only things elevated on them are blood pressure and cholesterol.
Most of all, seek a teacher and a dojo where everybody is a student, constantly striving to improve their health, their technique and their disposition. That’s the kind of community you want to be a part of. May the “farce” be far away from you.
Dave Magliano
Tatsu Dojo
Jissenkan Budo
Dojo Cho
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