| Getting the facts straight | | | | Traditional martial artists often rely on archaic |
| Recently, I was checking the sales ranking for my | | | | training methods and spiritual philosophies of a |
| book on Amazon.com, when I noticed I have | | | | much more primitive time. Where MMA athletes |
| finally received a customer review on Amazon. | | | | rely on the most up to date drilling and scientific |
| After reading the review, I found myself humbled | | | | training ideologies. Much more is known today by |
| and dumb founded. The customer who reviewed | | | | the general populous on the matters of |
| my book on military knife and hand to hand | | | | psychology, physiology, anatomy, physics and the |
| combat was obviously a practicing martial artist. | | | | economy of motion. It is the lack of the most up |
| He appeared to be one of the "Know it all" types | | | | to date sciences that make much of the |
| as well. Although much of his review on the layout | | | | traditional fighting arts obsolete and inefficient. In |
| of my book may be spot on; I was amazed at | | | | essence it is the tradition itself that makes many |
| his blatant ignorance in not knowing the difference | | | | martial arts training methods in effective and |
| between combative training and martial arts. In his | | | | inefficient. Now that we have identified the martial |
| own words,"Though the author may know what | | | | arts, we should compare it to today's modern |
| he is doing in this book, you may already as well. | | | | combatives. |
| If you took some sort of M.A. class for any | | | | The combative training of today is a product of |
| period of time that was worth anything, then you | | | | the military machine. Today's military is more |
| would have learned most if not half of these | | | | efficient and productive than any in history. The |
| techniques for knife fighting. " I must agree with | | | | philosophy of doing the most with the least drives |
| him on this. | | | | the war machine. In World War II Colonels Eric |
| If you take some sort of martial arts class for | | | | Anthony Sykes and William Fairbairn began to |
| any period of time; that is worth anything; | | | | develop a new type of training for soldiers based |
| eventually you may learn half of the techniques in | | | | from their experience in Shanghai and the |
| the book. Although I clearly state in the book that | | | | trenches of World War I. Close Quarter Battle |
| my attempt is not to teach specific techniques, | | | | (CQB) or Hand to Hand Combat was the norm in |
| but use techniques as a vehicle to drive home | | | | trench warfare and the soldiers fighting it needed |
| principles; and I admit that there are countless | | | | to be able to quickly and efficiently kill and |
| numbers of techniques one can learn, not simply | | | | immobilize their adversaries. The two men realized |
| limited to my book. This guy "Cliff" is the example | | | | that they needed to develop a system for |
| of how many can not distinguish the difference | | | | training or ideology of training that would enable |
| between martial art and combative training. | | | | masses of troops with no prior experience in |
| Distinguishing the difference | | | | martial arts to learn hand to hand combat quickly |
| Before one can truly distinguish between a martial | | | | in a matter of days, not the years often required |
| art or combative training, they must reflect upon | | | | by martial arts training. This training had to not |
| the origin of today's practiced martial arts. The | | | | only be learned quickly, but retained and trained |
| term "martial art", refers to a war like art; with | | | | quickly as well. Soldiers on the front and behind |
| martial referring to war. It is true that ages ago | | | | the lines needed to be able to react without |
| during the conception of today's martial arts, the | | | | thinking, relying on muscle memory. In combat the |
| countless numbers of systems and styles were | | | | heart rate exceeds 180 beats per minute and all |
| born from military drills and close quarters battle | | | | fine motor skills go out the window. |
| of the time. During the ancient times without the | | | | Sykes and Fairbairn realized that many of the |
| aid of today's modern weaponry and fire power, | | | | extravagant "pressure points" used in traditional |
| soldiers were forced to engage in battle with | | | | martial arts would not be effective. They realized |
| clubs, swords, daggers, spears and often hand to | | | | that pressure points were not effective for two |
| hand. Warriors of those times began to develop | | | | reasons. One, the enemy may not feel it under |
| tried and true systems of both armed and | | | | the influence of adrenaline and two; the soldier will |
| unarmed combat, much like today. They | | | | more than likely not have the ability of fine motor |
| understood that military units must gain muscle | | | | skills needed in order to strike the target. |
| memory in their tactics of choice and saw the | | | | Therefore the modern combative training was |
| need for regimented systems of combat. The | | | | simple easy to retain and concentrated on gross |
| methods and techniques of their day required | | | | motor skill movement. Because in combat soldiers |
| ways to dismount riders off horse back and | | | | are all too often sleep deprived and under |
| break or penetrate wooden armor. It is quite | | | | nourished the techniques taught needed to not |
| obvious that in today's combat environment those | | | | rely on physical strength or athletic prowess. |
| techniques would be obsolete. Through out | | | | Today's combatives are often known for the |
| generations and over the centuries the ancient | | | | dirty fighting aspect, not found in traditional martial |
| arts have been passed from master to student | | | | arts. The warrior codes from long ago no longer |
| and master to student. The once effective and | | | | apply today, chivalry is dead. Because the |
| powerful combative training of the ancients has | | | | combative techniques are taught to such a |
| become an antiquity. | | | | variety of fighting men who's bodies are not |
| Today the ancient techniques of Samurai and the | | | | conditioned to desensitizing training; the trainees |
| fighting monks of China can be seen being | | | | are taught to strike with only the most |
| practiced through training hall windows all over the | | | | structurally stable weapons of the body. A soldier |
| world. The ancient forms and techniques that | | | | can not afford broken hands and feet on the |
| were once practical battle tactics have been | | | | battle field. It is for many of these reasons that |
| manipulated by popular media and business | | | | combative training stands far apart from |
| ideology. Many practice the ancient martial arts for | | | | traditional martial arts. |
| a plethora of reasons. Some of their reasons are | | | | In summary |
| for the very same reasons that the training was | | | | The traditional martial arts, practiced today was |
| developed. People practice for fitness, protection | | | | actually the combative training for the military of |
| and hobby. Others train simply to preserve the | | | | it's time. Just as time changes, so did the training. |
| art. | | | | Societies became more educated; moral values |
| After World War II, the west was introduced to | | | | and codes have been altered. The world is not as |
| the Asian martial art craze. Soldiers, Sailors and | | | | spiritually guided or involved with mysticism as it |
| Airmen were exposed to the Asian fighting arts | | | | was during the time traditional martial arts were |
| of the Japanese and Philippines and wanted to | | | | conceived. The once effective combative |
| learn. Many of the indigenous instructors or gurus | | | | techniques of their time, have evolved into an art |
| realized the opportunity to make a buck from the | | | | form surrounded in mystique and the legends of |
| naive westerners and began teaching watered | | | | old; enhanced by modern media. Today's |
| down versions of the fighting arts. Often masters | | | | combative training is based completely on modern |
| would draw out the training and add flashy, | | | | science and need for efficiency. It is of the |
| intricate and complicated techniques to the | | | | utmost importance for combative training to |
| curriculum. It was the flash that would sell to the | | | | adhere to these rules. |
| new western market. Soon even Hollywood | | | | - Simple general Principles must be taught |
| would make movies with actors such as Bruce | | | | - Must not rely on power or athleticism |
| Lee and Chuck Norris demonstrating their | | | | - The focus is on destroying whatever the |
| athleticism and prowess on screen. | | | | principal comes into contact with |
| Belt ranking systems were added to help new | | | | - Efficiency and economy of motion |
| students feel as if they were progressing and not | | | | - Be able to be learned and applied in a very |
| quit. The once effective techniques for ancient | | | | limited amount of time (Days or weeks) |
| combat were reduced to nothing more than | | | | In conclusion |
| acrobatics with some self protection value. Many | | | | Combatives training today most definitely contains |
| of the hidden techniques which were the pride of | | | | many of the techniques that one will learn in the |
| warriors of old were lost through the simple | | | | traditional martial arts if they attend classes for |
| process of supply and demand. Modern | | | | any period of time. One might think of the two |
| technology and weapons only aided in losing the | | | | types of training as steak. One is chuck full of fat |
| practical fighting techniques and turning the martial | | | | that is unnecessary and could clog your arteries, |
| arts into a lucrative but provocative industry. | | | | the other is a lean hybrid, that contains only the |
| Today there are martial art companies that place | | | | necessary nutrients to keep you going. After |
| their clients on programs known as "black belt | | | | reading the review from this guy "Cliff" I |
| plans." | | | | immediately went to his profile to learn more |
| People are forced into contracts that they can | | | | about his point of view, so I could see where hes |
| not afford to breach for a certain amount of time | | | | coming from. I wanted to know if his bashing of |
| until they receive their black belts. During the early | | | | my book came from arrogance or ignorance. |
| 20th century the "black belt" rank was respected | | | | Where he was asked to type a blurb about his |
| by many for holding fighting prowess. Today that | | | | interests, contained one phrase.This was his |
| rank has lost much of that respect. All too often | | | | interest"Wing Chun and the variety of ways it is |
| we hear about the black belt who got beat up by | | | | spelled." I immediately realized by this and the |
| a boxer or street fighter. All too often a white | | | | number of books with titles like "Kung Fu of |
| belt student can completely annihilate their "black | | | | Caine" Referring to the Caine from the TV series |
| belt" Karate or Kung Fu master during sparring in | | | | (Kung Fu), that this fellow was not completely |
| the training hall. Today the sport of Mixed Martial | | | | familiar with the differences between martial arts |
| Arts has proven that the martial arts of old are | | | | and combative training. Therefore I wanted to |
| obsolete to even today's modern training | | | | write this article, with my best effort to |
| methods. The MMA athletes of today , that hold | | | | demonstrate that when comparing martial arts |
| no belt in any martial art would dominate over | | | | training to combative training; it is like comparing |
| more than half of the practitioners of traditional | | | | apples to oranges. |
| martial arts. | | | | |