flashlock
Banned Troll
Actually "Flintlock" as a mistake that I corrected with edit, not a joke
Sorry 'bout that!
Oh, I thought it was clever! Haha!
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Actually "Flintlock" as a mistake that I corrected with edit, not a joke
Sorry 'bout that!
In the street, beside the opponents themselves, there are many other variables that can the alter the outcome of a confrontation. On a slippery surface a standup fighter will have the disadvantage. Inside of a lounge in a tight area a Judo/Jujitsu type fighter could have the edge. In area's where there could be debris on the ground, like broken glass etc., a gound fighter may not want to go to the ground.
Because of these outside variables I believe the fighter that has the best chance in the street is the one who is able to adapt so that he can fight in any environment.
There are purists who study and advance the art, and we need those for the techniques in the arts to improve. Then there are artists who love the art and practice the art for the joy of the art, and there are a lot of dojos and dojangs with a lot of people doing that and enjoying it. And there are fighters who take what is learned by the various purists and apply what they can in the wider but shallower context of effective fighting. We need them all.
Martial arts are not self-defense.
Personal safety is a jambalaya issue of its very own. What's more, self-defense (the act of physically defending yourself) is only one small contributing factor to the larger subject of personal safety. Personal safety is a complex situation involving many factors of which, physical self-defense is no more than a spice to add the final touches. By that I not only mean knowing the goals and standards of self-defense, but also any weapons and tools; and knowing their legal application for that purpose. In light of this, your "fighting skills" are even less important. I am on record for saying: Flat out, when it comes to personal safety, safety of your family, self-defense and crime prevention your "fighting prowess" is less than 5% of the equation. If you choose to ignore the other 95% of the issues involved you're setting yourself up to get your brains blown into a fine pink mist if and when you find yourself in a live-fire situation. The reason that is a valid statement is that in personal safety: Physically engaging in violence is the last level of a larger strategy. A strategy that not only is designed to -- and most often does -- prevent the situation from escalating to violence, but if it still does go violent gives you a set of articulatable facts and standards that explain and justify your behavior to the authorities.
The conceptual error that the "Martial Arts IS Self-Defense" crowd make is that they make engaging in physical confrontation the foundation of their self-defense strategy. The reason they get to "What if you can't run?" so fast is that they no reliable strategy FOR personal safety other than the idea of hitting someone. It may be wrapped up and justified in countless different ways, but isn't one of the critieria for a violent person: Someone who can't figure out how to get their own way except through violence? If you can't figure out how to keep yourself and your family "safe" except by getting involved in a punch out with a group of street toughs, then you have a flawed definition of personal safety. And odds are, your definition of self-defense is off base too.
Hi exile,
I'm not arguing about the utility, and it's as much of a strawman to think that I don't agree with (ii). If it came across that way, I'm sorry if it wasn't clear.
But, in my view, the vast majority of people in society are pretty ignorant to the fighting arts. And the vast majority of them die of heart disease, not violent assault. They probably get into a few scraps and maybe get mugged, but generally they ensure their safety through other realms than being able to fight H2H effectively.
So my feeling is that if your primary concern is for the safety of your person, your family, and your property, then there are more efficient places that you could spend your time and money (home security, firearms training/licenses to carry, safeguards from identity theft, set up a community watch, research crime stats in your area and designate places to avoid, etc.) than in a martial arts dojo or gym.
And again, my opinion, is that -- aware of it or not -- most people are not primarily motivated to join martial-arts for pure self-defense purposes. Some people want to challenge their bodies and minds, some are battling insecurities, some people are looking to compete, some people want ego gratification, some people just think it's cool. And if your H2H skills improve significantly at the same time, it's a huge plus.
I think that LEOs and military personnel are an exception in this case, because their line of work (LEOs especially) demands that they engage in H2H situations on a regular basis. Accounting or construction work doesn't make the same demands. And my sense is that cases of ordinary people being forced into H2H situations that couldn't have been avoided through other means are more anecdotally than statistically significant.
This is just the conclusion I've come to in my relatively short 23 years on this planet. I'm certainly not a closed book on the topic, but that's how I see it so far.
Hello sirLet's look at this another way, my friends. Please be honest: make a list of the top 3 styles you would most dread facing in a life and death situation. No need to explain why a certain style is on your list, no need to belittle any other style... I'm wondering what we'll all put down, and what we'll all leave off because it's not "scary".
Here's mine:
1. BJJ
2. JKD Concepts
3. Muy Thai Boxing
(You see where this is going...?)
I'm not one of those that believe that all systems are equal. I definately feel that there are some that are superior to others and are more applicable to self-defense.
However, I believe that the determining factor is the person. Specifically, how they train, their mindset, and their level of experience with regard to applying their material in a spontaneous, adreneline-fueled situation.
While skimming through this thread, I saw a question about picking styles whose practicioners you would least want to fight in a real SD encounter. I'd honestly say that I would be most worried when dealing with the average product of our "mean streets" or our prison system. These guys typically have some basic boxing skills and a few dirty tricks and that's pretty much it. The difference is that while they may only know 4 or 5 punches (and the basic combos that can be created from these), they have used them for real. Many of these people have probably been in more fights than everyone involved in this discussion combined. Furthermore, and this is big, their mindset/attitude is such that they have no qualms about using violence at the drop of a hat...agression counts for a lot. In short, I would be much more worried dealing with these types of people than with most "martial-artists."
just my $0.02...
I'm not one of those that believe that all systems are equal. I definately feel that there are some that are superior to others and are more applicable to self-defense.
However, I believe that the determining factor is the person. Specifically, how they train, their mindset, and their level of experience with regard to applying their material in a spontaneous, adreneline-fueled situation.
While skimming through this thread, I saw a question about picking styles whose practicioners you would least want to fight in a real SD encounter. I'd honestly say that I would be most worried when dealing with the average product of our "mean streets" or our prison system. These guys typically have some basic boxing skills and a few dirty tricks and that's pretty much it. The difference is that while they may only know 4 or 5 punches (and the basic combos that can be created from these), they have used them for real. Many of these people have probably been in more fights than everyone involved in this discussion combined. Furthermore, and this is big, their mindset/attitude is such that they have no qualms about using violence at the drop of a hat...agression counts for a lot. In short, I would be much more worried dealing with these types of people than with most "martial-artists."
just my $0.02...
shaderon said:It's the guys with the murderous intent in thier eyes that I'd least like to face.
Hello sir
Personally the style fills me with dread much less than the competence of the practitioner. In the for-real attack, I would maintain that the style is almost utterly irrelevant. Is it not of greater importance to heed and watch for the opponents intentions both in terms of what he conveys about his mindset and about his physical movements? I mean rather than taking note of whether he favours one style of punch over another?
In reality [and yes I have thank you very much] there is little to no time to consider one style over another and any rational or even subjective dread that we might otherwise feel for the various styles dissolves into adrenaline.. imho..
To me, an attempted takedown by a BJJ expert is no different from an attempted takedown by a boozed up letch at closing time on a Saturday night.. either way I do not want to be within their range at the time the attempt is made! I think for me the person without any art at all can be as deadly as one proficient in one or several.. So in reply to MJS original question I would say the person every time..
I hope this makes sense and does not sound argumentative
Yr most obdt hmble srvt,
Jenna
If you agree with her, why is it important that she answer the question? For myself, I find that her answer is complete as it is: she, like many others, myself included, is much more concerned about the competence of the individual than the art the individual practices. It takes very few techniques, if they are properly practiced and performed, to do serious damage to another person. Many of these techniques are common to many styles - it is the competence and intensity with which they are performed that determines the danger of the opponent - not the art the opponent studies.Thanks, Jenna:
I agree with everything you say. But if you HAD to answer the question, which style of MA would you least like to face, which style would you pick?
Ta,
If you agree with her, why is it important that she answer the question? For myself, I find that her answer is complete as it is: she, like many others, myself included, is much more concerned about the competence of the individual than the art the individual practices. It takes very few techniques, if they are properly practiced and performed, to do serious damage to another person. Many of these techniques are common to many styles - it is the competence and intensity with which they are performed that determines the danger of the opponent - not the art the opponent studies.
f no one wants to answer the question, it won't go anywhere.
Most think it a non-sensical or non-reasonable question. I have yet to see a style that would make me fear someone simply because they practiced that style. It's the agressivenessor sociopathy of a person that scares me.
Because I wanted to see if there was a consensus on what art people most feared to face--IF you HAD to pick and MA... alas...
If most people were afraid of XYZ, then we could ask questions of why--what made XYZ more intimidating.
Does that help? If no one wants to answer the question, it won't go anywhere.
You might be more afraid of a psychotic criminal than any martial artist, or more afraid of black widow spiders--but the question for the nth time is what style would you least like to face?
I feel like I'm asking "would you choose a red car or a blue car", and getting the answer: I like yellow motorcycles.