MMA for self defense thought experiment

[axelb]

The big thing missing from many MMA and many TMA (which is not a bash on those arts) is the prefight, the interview stage, the positioning prior to engage, and the "if's" of whether it will be a fight or not?

People often talk about it not being ready for self defense because it doesn't practice with "X" techniques, but both MMA and TMA schools have useable techniques as long as they are built up to live drill and trained under pressure - this will be used by the student at the point of the fight becoming a realisation (e.g. when the first attack is initiated).

There are a few reputable schools that do focus on the "self defense" aspect, which can help, but it does not take away that the tools trained in MMA are valid for part of a self defense engagement.

 

[punisher73]

Going back to the OP....

"Yes", if MMA fights were limited to a very short time span it would change the strategies and tactics. If you were limited to 1 five minute round and then if no one finished the fight by stoppage, submission KO/TKO then the fight was a draw.

BUT....That is the exact reason why MMA is a SPORT and is for entertainment value through the venue of a combat sport. People want to see a fight between two skilled opponents. The sport would die very quickly if all you got was a short fight that ended in a draw every time. It's one reason why the UFC started going to a judge's decision after the huge debacle after UFC 5's "Superfight" between Gracie and Shamrock. It was a 30 minute fight with no winner and then a 5 minute overtime and still no winner so it was declared a draw.

TMA's have been watered down to appeal to people who want to feel like they are good fighters without ever finding out in most cases. If trained properly, TMA's will still produce a fighter capable of protecting themselves in most situations that they find themselves in. All of MMA's techniques come from TMA's. Their focus is on the techniques and strategies that work best in their specific rule set. Change the rules and the sport environment and you will start to see new things that work better. And back to the original question, cutting the time to have to finish you would start to see different things.

There is a grappling competition (name escapes me) that the only way to win is by submission. You see a lot more aggressive grappling and not waiting for the other guy to make a mistake approach or trying to get little moves to get points.

 

[Grenadier]

Admin's Note:

Thread closed, pending staff review.

Some of y'all have been skirting the line, and had already been warned previously in the past...