Riz's Martial Arts Training

The Arm Drag is a ridiculously simple move, so simple that I don't even like thinking of it as a technique in itself! To perform it, you just need to grab, pull and guide your opponent's leading/attacking arm (yes, with more finesse than I've described it). It works on the age-old martial arts concept of using your opponent's size, weight and momentum against them. That is, when your opponent's momentum is advancing forward (or alternatively, his posture is such that his size and weight are pushing his body forward), you grab and guide him in the direction he was already moving (often pulling him off-balance). Depending on the scenario, the move can be performed with explosive force or with gentle, well-timed grace. Here's Marcello Garcia showing you how it works:

Long & Short

Personally, I like the break the arm drag down into two categories: The Long Drag, and the Short Drag. A long drag involves you gripping your opponent's wrist/forearm and guiding him a longer distance (think: Aikido) – this movement becomes especially useful in conjunction with wrist locks, sweeps and heavy striking techniques (more so from when you are standing). The Short Drag involves you gripping your opponent behind the elbow, usually resulting in less overall movement – the resulting scenario is usually ideal for shoulder barges, major hip throws and taking your opponent's back (though an elbow to the back of the head never goes amiss either!).

If timed correctly, a Long Drag can be used to lead into a Short Drag. Both are suitable for gi/no-gi applications.

Application

Arm drags are especially useful against aggressive or dirty fighters who opt to shove, tackle or grind their arms into you (usually their forearm across your face). In fact, the reason I first used an arm drag in BJJ is that someone in my guard was grinding his forearm over the bridge of my nose while punching at my ribs; I pushed his elbow across, (short) dragged his arm and took his back – love connection made.

Furthermore, arm drags are especially well-suited for smaller fighters (finally, gravity is on our side!) as their opponents often need to lean further forward (or in my case, almost crouch!) in order to efficiently attack. There's a psychological aspect that helps here too – I find that most fighters (even guys who'd otherwise opt for a more defensive/reactive style of playing) when facing a smaller opponent immediately want to dominate by rushing forward or dropping their weight on them.

As I've mentioned, the arm drag is ridiculously simple – so simple, that people get it wrong all the time! It literally is guiding your opponent in the direction he's already poised to go.

• Don't make the mistake of tugging and pulling in a direction your opponent clearly isn't moving – to move him will take a lot of strength and it will tire you out in the process.
• Remember to move your body appropriately (it's all in the hips) when attempting a long drag otherwise you may find that you've just given your opponent a better position – I think of it like this: I'm dragging my opponent a longer distance, so instead of counting on him to make the journey all by himself (your opponents aren't the most trustworthy people after all), I'll help him along – either by scooting to the side or step around myself (tai sabaki).

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One of the earliest posts I wrote on this blog was The Triangle Hypothesis, which talked about three facets key to improving as a martial artist or fighter. For those of you who've read it, you may remember that I chose to add 'C' to the 'triangle' that many past instructors of mine had related to me. The C in this case stood for Cardio & Conditioning. The logic behind my decision was that without the right levels of fitness and body conditioning, you would be unable to fully utilise the three corners of the triangle that are Power, Speed, and Technique. This post intends to elaborate that view.

It's not by sheer randomness either - While rolling last night (my first night back! *sigh*), I was caught in a surprise Achilles ankle lock (and took a nasty elbow to the brow) and as a result, walking just doesn't feel right anymore – but instead of depressing you (my ever-emphatic reader) with a post about how my leg hurts or about how my eye looks like I was the loser of the Thriller in Manila; I'm going to write about my clever improvement of my instructors' theory with C (even though I'm pretty sure most of them just assume that C is a given).

"Minds, like bodies, will fall into a pimpled, ill-conditioned state from mere excess of comfort."

- Charles Dickens

It's no secret that the more time you spend on the mats (whether rolling, stand-up sparring or drilling), the faster you will improve. And we always hear how martial arts (especially those considered 'Traditional' styles) are all about Technique being used to overcome Athleticism, so then why have I devoted an entire post to Cardio/Conditioning? The answer in short, is that unless you have vastly superior technique to everyone else – your endurance and conditioning is going to play a factor. 

If you're looking to excel in competition (you old glory hound, you), stamina is clearly needed as you'll have to spar several rounds with relatively little rest in-between. Furthermore, if you like competing in the Absolute division (or equivalent weight-free zone), it's possible that you'll be sparring against bigger, stronger opponents who will sap the stamina out of you! There's little you can do when you're completely drained of energy against a well-trained bigger, stronger opponent so the best option is to train hard before the competition to ensure it doesn't happen.

"The time to repair the roof is when the sun is shining."

- John F. Kennedy

Non-competitive types need to be wary of the same points. You may not be competing at tournaments but note that the competition format is pretty similar to sparring sessions in training. If you don't have a high level of stamina, you won't be able to train as efficiently – i.e. Half of your 2 hour training session is wasted if you only manage to train hard for 1 hour before gassing. Though some of you may here point out that training isn't about all about 'quantity' but rather 'quality'…and you're right. However, once you begin to fatigue, your technique without a doubt begins to slowly deteriorate and while training at this point is arguably still beneficial (any training is better than none in my opinion), it is less efficient (the exception here is when you intentionally fatigue your body so as to limit your use of strength and to focus on working techniques).

And as an old boxing coach used to tell me: physical fitness improves 'mental toughness'. But is that enough? Sadly, no – as martial artists, our training all too often focuses on 'dishing out' while we spend relatively little time conditioning ourselves for the more unpleasant reverse scenario of being the 'main dish' (also quoting my old boxing coach).

In fact, I'll just explain it to you the way the old man would rant about it to me (minus some explicit wisdom)! It helps to know that Coach A was appalled by modern boxing tactics where boxers 'dance around' and 'play for points', he was a staunch believer that you punch for the knockout ("There's no such thing as a jab" he'd say).

Exercises to toughen the body have been all but forgotten. Competition has led to extensive cardio training so that fighters can last entire fights (most of which are spent running in every direction except towards your opponent). Exercises to toughen the body to withstand the rigours and demands of training and combat have been more or less discarded. Coach A used the example that most boxers have never boxed without heavy gloves and thorough wrapping – how's one expect to condition their hands if they're wrapped up and then further protected by a fat padded glove? Jack Dempsey makes a point of it in his book Championship Fighting: Explosive Punching and Aggressive Defense, urging the rookie boxer to train with ‘striking gloves’ or by “snipping the fingers of a pair of leather work gloves” so that he can condition his fists. 

Martial arts such as Karate require even more conditioning to deal with tackles and attacks below the waist. Furthermore, developing the ability to withstand the constant (but minor) injuries sustained in training is paramount as it to an extent, dictates the level of confidence you have in the said art – so hit that makiwara until it apologises to you!

The Best Way to Cardio and Conditioning

This is one of those obvious points that's so obvious people don't notice it. The best way to develop the required stamina and conditioning for your martial art is simply to train…a lot! Not only does that ensure that you'll be developing your body in a natural way that complements your art but, you'll be doing it via means that you already love doing (the assumption here is that you enjoy training)! Make sure to train hard and push yourself in all aspects of your art, otherwise you may find your body woefully underprepared later… and please make sure to properly warm-up, stretch, and cool-down. Here's a clip of Goju Ryu 10^th dan Morio Higaonna – he uses a rock to condition his fists… He's a scary man (though apparently a really nice guy too!).

The next best thing…

If you're gym/dojo/basement happens to be closed, you're a little shy about training in the park, and no one is around to play sports with, there are plenty of other options. Main thing – find something challenging that you enjoy. Personally, I hate elliptical and body building machines so I steer clear of them. Instead I prefer to swim (with the occasional bit of underwater karate when the coast is clear!) or go for runs at varying speeds (undisciplined interval training). One of my training partners hates exercise and formal workouts; he instead chooses to dance on days off from the dojo – I've joined him a couple of times… two hours of salsa/hip hop is surprisingly hard work!

Dieting

Though I know plenty of people that are constantly dieting in order to make weight, I'm not really a fan of the process. Personally, I think it’s better in the long run to follow some healthy eating habits and maintain a weight that is natural to your body even if it means that you end up at the bottom of your weight category – after all, why would anyone really want to fight someone much smaller than them (unless the ickle opponent is an absolute badass)?

Recovery Time

Whatever means of cardio and conditioning you choose, make sure to get in ample recovery time. Not only will this help your absorb information/techniques faster but it will allow you to perform at a higher rate with a lower risk of injury. And yes, sometimes you'll just need a week or two out from training – don't worry about losing the short term training as taking time off not only helps you recuperate but, it also allows your body to fully assimilate the training you have done recently (just be sensible about how often you take time off).

*Sigh!*

You may have noticed that I've used more boxing references than I usually do in this post. It's because my head is still going over Amir Khan's defeat of Marco Antonio Barrera from last week. The "Baby-faced Assassin" (Barrera) is one of my favourite boxers and it's sad to see him dominated (though I suppose I must admit, he has been on the decline for some time now). Ah well…c'est la vie! 

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Also referred to in BJJ as the "Mata Leao"

The RNC is a peculiarly named but highly effective submission. To understand its somewhat dubious-sounding title, we have to go back to its usage in classical ju-jitsu and/or judo where the technique was referred to as hadaka jime, which literally means "naked strangle". In this context, 'naked' is referring to the fact that unlike many other strangles this variant does not require the use of a gi (those white pyjamas we wear!). This leads on to the second peculiarity in its name, the rear naked choke is not a choke at all, it is a strangle. The difference is that a choke cuts of the oxygen supply to the lungs whereas, a strangle cuts off the supply of blood to the brain.

By blocking the carotid arteries, this technique can render a person unconscious in less than eight seconds; prolonging the hold can lead to brain damage and death – in 2005, Rafiel Torre, a former MMA trainer and competitor, was convicted of murder after using the RNC to kill his lover's husband.

The RNC is used in a variety of martial arts classes and resulting injury is a rare occurrence. It should be mentioned however, that if applied improperly (occasionally, the military style 'V-grip'), can lead to a crushing of the trachea as well as causing the submission to act as an airway choke. Here’s Bas Rutten explaining the basics:

Once you've got it tightly locked in, the RNC is a fight finisher. However, taking someone's back can be quite a challenge – especially against grapplers who are well aware of the impending strangulation! Furthermore, once you obtain the Rear Mount, locking in the submission requires a strategy of its own (especially against stronger opponents who firmly grab hold of your arms) – this is where the following video by Stephan Kesting of Grapplearts.com is a godsend:

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I’ve had a pretty lame week. Not only have I been unwell, unable to train, and stuck in the office for 16 hour shifts (no kidding!)…I’ve also been craving a particular type of cupcake, which I just can’t seem to find! However, this made it all better for me.

On March 8th, Shinya Aoki and David Gardner duked it out in Saitama (Japan) for the opening round of the Dream 7 Featherweight Grand Prix. Aoki (“The Baka Survivor”) has already made a huge name for himself, and Gardner (forevermore known as "Hello Japan") isn’t completely unknown either.

The Dream 7 event failed to pull in high viewer ratings, but the fight finisher between Aoki and Gardner will be on highlight reels for years to come.

Wow…

Look at it this way, at least Gardner got to say hello before the fight ended (I love the fact that the commentator says “Goodbye Japan!” during the tap out)!

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Also known as ude garami in Judo; Sometimes called a Key lock, Figure-Four Armlock or Chicken Wing (which incidentally was the nickname of a good friend of mine when we were in school…nothing to do with martial arts, everything to do with the way he used to run).

The Americana is a basic submission where the arm is bent at around 90 degrees and twisted towards the head cranking the shoulder as well as applying a large amount of pressure to the elbow. 

This high percentage submission is most commonly performed from Side Control (usually, 'Four Point' Side Control) or from Mount; some practitioners are also very successful at applying the technique from the Top Half Guard position. It is also commonly used by many traditional Stand-Up systems as a basic lock/takedown against an incoming punch or downward 'stab' (a la Psycho).

The link below (they wouldn’t allow me to embed the video – sorry!) takes you to Gene Simco (whose name appears to be synonymous with controversy in the BJJ universe) explaining how to apply the Americana from the Closed Guard (with and without a Gogoplata variation – but if you already have a Gogoplata locked into place, why wrestle for an Americana as well? That's just greedy Mr Simco!):

Gene Simco Gogoplata/Americana from Guard Double Attack

The Americana was the first submission I worked on in a BJJ class. I had never been a fan of its Stand Up application as was taught to me in Karate and to be honest, I'm not a huge fan of the submission's application on the ground either! I just feel that that to really effectively use the submission, you need to be able to pin down your opponent's arm – given that many of my training partners are able to more or less bench press me with a single arm (no joke!), the technique for me just feels unstable/risky, more so from the Mounted position.

Even when on the receiving end, I find that the Americana is relatively easy to defend or counter against. I tend to notice that when it does work, it is more a case of brute force than technical expertise (I mean in general, not just with me) – it's bizarro twin, the Kimura, is a lot more threatening.

So why have I posted this article? Well, just because I can't work the technique as well as I'd like doesn’t mean it’s a 'bad' technique – it's one of the simplest and most commonly used submissions from Beginner to Black Belt level (or so I've been led to understand!). Furthermore, its application from Guard (which has a lower success rate) works well if you use it as a Sweep (its works wonderfully if you combine it with a Butterfly Hook).

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I had initially planned to write a post regarding both the 'Achilles Ankle Lock' and the 'Knee Bar' but then I remembered Stephen Kesting's GrappleArts website already has a fantastic article dedicated to each of these techniques.

I'd be depriving you if I tried to explain the techniques myself when there is already a much better resource available. So here are the links:

http://www.grapplearts.com/Ankle-Lock-Breakdown.htm

http://www.grapplearts.com/Kneebar-Mastery.htm

Personally, I find that the Achilles Lock is far too easily countered for me to go for it. The Knee Bar is an effective move but quite a difficult one to apply in my opinion. 

Previous Leg Lock: Toe Hold Ankle Lock

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Sometimes referred to simply as a ‘Foot Lock’, the Toe Hold Ankle Lock is a submission that is applied via the twisting and applying torque around one’s instep and the axis that runs along the centre of the foot.

It is easy to apply and worlds safer than the Heel Hook; as such, it is the second most frequently used ankle lock (following the Achilles Lock) and probably one of the most popular leg locks used.

The submission is applied using both your arms. In the case of applying the submission to your opponent’s (who has his/her back to the ground) right leg, your right arm grasps his right foot with your hands placed over his toes (your fingers should be curling in below his foot). Your left hand should move in front of his shin and wrap around his leg (thus encircling it with your arm) and then grab on to your right wrist using a five finger ‘monkey’ grip. Using the left arm as a fulcrum, apply pressure by pushing down on the foot/turning your body and twisting the toes towards your opponent’s groin.

Here it is explained by Bas Rutten in his 'Leglocks & Legbars' instructional video:

Key Points to Remember:

• You’re not grabbing his toes, you’re encasing them.
  
• The monkey grip may feel awkward at first but it is a lot more secure than a standard ‘four fingers + thumb’ grab. Given the size of leg muscles, you’re going to need a secure grip!
  
• Make sure to pay attention to his free leg, the fight may end badly if he lashes out with kicks.
  

Here are a few of my favourite transitions to the Toe Hold Ankle Lock:

• Whilst passing your opponent’s guard
  
• From an incomplete Omoplata set-up, or ‘Jiu-Claw’
  
• From just about any X-Guard sweep
  
• Whenever you’re in a scramble!                                                               
  

The submission however presents some simple escapes/counters and as such is relatively difficult to use against experienced practitioners. The most common escape is simply turning your body in the direction of the torque; an attempt I made some days ago was countered by my partner stacking/rushing into me and applying a neck crank. My personal preference is to counter the lock with a heel hook.

Previous Leg Lock: The Heel Hook

Next Leg Lock: Achilles Ankle Lock & Knee Bar

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Your progress in the martial arts is generally a result of three things: Training, Instruction, and Natural Attributes. This post is relevant to the ‘Training’ aspect, which in my opinion is the most important of the three. 

Despite what you see in the movies, martial arts are not a solo gig. Solo training certainly plays an important role but sooner or later, you need to work with a partner. The calibre of your partner directly affects your progress and vice versa – it’s actually a pretty big responsibility (as such, this is going to be a bit of a long post!)! It’s also a two-way street; your partner is there to help you, just as you are there to help your partner. And while skill level does play a factor, it is not the most important trait of a good partner. Here’s a rundown of what I believe to be the 5 key aspects of being a good training partner (in no particular order):

Maintain Proper Hygiene

No one likes a stinky training partner (not even if you reek of expensive cologne). The only acceptable smells in a dojo/gym are that of Tiger Balm and the sweat that occurs during the training session (…and that peppermint foot sanitizer stuff too). Be sure to wash your gi/clothes between training sessions (always a good idea to keep more than one gi if you’re training regularly) and make sure you’ve washed your body and checked your breath before you start class. Make sure to clip your nails and remove any piercings/items of jewellery. And finally, the reason I was inspired to write this article…don’t do anything ridiculously unsanitary (such as biting your partner… you know who you are)!

Communication

If you remember only one point from this post, make it this one. Communicating with your partner is essential. Ask whether you’re providing enough resistance or using enough force. Similarly, if someone is going too hard on you or you have an injury – let them know! Communication is about more than just safety (though safety should be your number one concern), partnered training is an opportunity to learn from someone other than your instructor – make the most of it. Ask questions and offer advice (but don’t nag).

Developing a rapport with your partners is generally a good way to go. If you are comfortable with someone then you are more likely to enjoy training with them. Sometimes ‘friendly rivalries’ may develop – these can push you to work harder than you have previously, but don’t fall into the trap of training to beat one person. Use these rivalries as motivation to grow as a martial artist.

Enthusiasm

Don’t be a downer – no one wants to train with someone who looks like they’re not interested in what they’re doing. It is natural that certain aspects of training will be more appealing to you than others but it is important to participate with good spirit in every aspect (yes, even drilling techniques without any resistance is important).

Make sure to train regularly; attend every session you can and be punctual. Not only will this breed familiarity but it also builds discipline, which will help you train more efficiently – that is, if you are disciplined whilst training, your partner will feel compelled to match your level of commitment.

Etiquette & Equipment

Preserve dojo/gym etiquette. Etiquette is not just about imitating Japanese (or wherever else) traditions. At its most basic level, dojo etiquette can be considered part of class structure, for the sake of letting go of your ego and, to keep the class in order.

The man who rows the boat doesn’t have time to rock it. 

~ Anonymous

On a deeper level, dojo etiquette is an outward expression of your awareness in the martial arts. By observing proper etiquette, you are demonstrating understanding of your relationships with other students/teachers and also with the martial nature of your training.

All martial arts carry with them a degree of risk. It is important to maintain the required safety standards of your class. However, make sure you are using the same or similar equipment to the rest of your class:

About six months back, I was at a local throwdown where I was pitted against a local TKD practitioner who was known for his terrible body conditioning. From the beginning of the fight, I used a lot of low leg kicks…but they barely fazed him. In fact, they hurt me! Checking my legs at the end of the fight, my shins had gone a funny shade of blue. I was terribly demoralised that this guy known for being an easy win had absolutely destroyed my legs…until I saw him remove a pair of footballers’ shin pads from under his tracksuit bottoms.

Now while you may be able to get away with that sort of thing in poorly regulated competitions like the one I had entered, it’s not something that’s done whilst training. I.e. if you have knee problems, wear knee supports – but don’t wear them because it makes your Closed Guard harder to pass; If your class trains using Pride mitts, which offer 2 inches of padding, don’t use MMA gloves that offer less. Be safe…but be fair.

When Drilling / Sparring / Rolling

Always use the appropriate amount of force. If you are just drilling with resistance, the appropriate amount of force/resistance is however much it takes to make your partner really work the technique, but not so much that your partner gasses himself/herself out on each rep (this of course doesn’t apply if you are Live Sparring / Rolling). Remember: Drills are to improve technique, not strength.

Do not put power into the form. Let power arise naturally from the form.

 ~ Old Tai Chi Proverb

When Live Sparring / Rolling, you should generally be going at 70-90% - going ‘all-out’ at 100% often leads to bad judgement and injuries as a result. Always maintain some degree of control as to what you (and if you can, your partner) are doing.

If you are sparring against someone weaker than you, your aim should be to elevate their game by using them as an opportunity to work on fundamentals. If you are sparring with someone much better than you, use it as a learning opportunity – they are providing a demonstration of how to put to practice what you’re learning.    

A final point - Selfishness and bullies are easy to spot. Karma’s a b****; if you’re picking on the smaller / less experienced members of your club, sooner or later your seniors will give you a taste of it. If that’s not enough, think of it like this – if you break all available training partners, you’ll not be able to train. If you help them reach your level, you’ll get plenty of practice as well as find stronger challenges within your club.

Do unto others as you wish others to do unto you (…provided you’re not a masochist). 

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As the rules of MMA evolved (became tamer so as to capitalise the main stage via the pay-per-view bandwagon), a new breed of fighters started to dominate - stand-up fighters who had branched out to complement their striking skills with an effective ground game (or at least enough of one, to sully the submission and positional dominance that the 'pure' submission artists had thus far possessed) but still, representatives from TMA styles continued to provide a poor performance (it is only recently that TMA-based fighters who have branched their skills are coming out on top – though little credit is given to most of their traditional base styles).

The weak performance by those alleged to be top level traditional martial artists in the UFC (coupled with the rising McDojo trends in the US and elsewhere) led to the development of a widespread belief that TMAs are outdated (at best! others claim they were useless from the start). But why? Could the mechanics of a punch or a kick really have changed that much in the last hundred years? In truth, techniques haven't changed (not to any significant degree anyways) - true, people don't have the same lifestyles, or wear armour as was done in the past, but this only serves to make TMAs more effective (no longer a protective barrier to work around/through). 

The crux of the matter is this. The standard of martial arts training in the mainstream has fallen. Here are some of the factors leading to this:

• 'McDojos' which focus on turning a profit rather than actually teaching the student. 
  
• Unrealistic training - usually the fault of the instructor who doesn't bother to teach students how to apply their training.
  
• Encouraged Laziness - many MA schools teach one hour classes, twice a week....progress is going to be VERY slow (moreso, if the students are not encouraged/forbid to train outside of class whether it be at a second club or solo) and this is nowhere near enough time to condition and train the body while also training techniques.
  
• Unqualified Teachers - I've actually met Karate teachers who've had literally 2 weeks of training. No joke (Needless to say - not only do they provide poor instruction, they are also useless examples). 
  

MMA has raised awareness in TMAs. Less than 15 years ago, McDojos were only really recognised by experienced martial artists/fighters - now a much wider audience is able to see the amount of hard work martial arts really require, and though many are still only interested in a quick black belt, many more realise that half-hearted training is little more than a rhythmic delusion. Royce Gracie put it quite nicely, "A belt only covers two inches of your ass, and the rest you need to back up on your own." 

TMA practitioners are reminded of the need for realistic application and body conditioning as well as regular training routines. MMA reminds TMA that a black belt means only that, a black belt - if you want to defend yourself, if you want to fight... the colour of your belt will have little effect on anything. The only thing that will help you is training, not just repetition. Remember: Practice doesn't make perfect...Perfect practice makes perfect. 

( Note: Depending on the art, there are many levels of black belt. A shodan - 1st degree - generally means that the student has become proficient with the basics of the art ...don't be fooled into thinking that black belts are necessarily all masters! I know I'm certainly not! )

PS: Happy New Year Everyone! :-)

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Not so long ago, terms such as 'Karate' or 'Kung Fu' were synonymous with self defence. Indeed a black belt was revered as a master of what appeared to be mystical arts showcasing inhuman feats of strength, aggression, and agility - maybe that's a slight exaggeration, but the belief that black belts could defend themselves to almost superhuman levels was fairly widespread.

The MMA scene reduced these superhumans to mere mortals wearing funny white pyjamas...some of these masters became laughing stocks for the world to see. People became hugely sceptical of the vast majority of Traditional Martial Arts (especially any 'Internal' Arts), which was only natural given the situation and frankly, a lack of public understanding regarding martial arts, sport combat, and self defence scenarios.

Though, I'm sure this issue must have by now been addressed in-depth by a plethora of knowledgeable martial artists more articulate than me, I'm going to explain the topic from my understanding. MMA fighters are immensely talented individuals; the sport is easily one of the most demanding of those commonly practiced in the world today. However, MMA (really, I mean Combat Sport in general) is not self defence training - MMA is a rule set.

The Basics

Let's start by examining the differences between ring fighting and a simple brawl. In my opinion the key difference is 'emotional content' (as phrased by Bruce Lee). While aggression and getting fired up is common in MMA, they are not akin to the anger and the intent as presented in a self defence situation. A MMA fight is not personal (in most cases!), self defence is nothing but personal - allow me to clarify at this point, a fight is not self defence; a fight (even just a drunken street fight) requires both (or more) parties to, at least subconsciously, agree to the confrontation. 

Self defence revolves around survival - it is the necessary response to an attack of malicious intent. The victim (for lack of a more apt term) is not in the mental mindset to fight. As such, self defence isn't about winning, it's about not losing (...your life).

(Of course, I fully concur that what starts as self defence can easily develop into a fight, and that fight can then continue into an attack on the original attacker once the 'fight' is over. But I think the point at hand is clear...)

The devastating effects of a 'sucker punch' are well-known. World class fighters have been knocked unconscious by an unexpected punch before or after their fight - in many of these occasions, the so-called 'knockout punch' would hardly have phased the fighter during the course of the fight (probably because of the adrenaline dump powering him on) - a clear warning isn't always available in street encounters. This leads to the next factor, matchmaking.

All Combat Sports involve some form of preceding matchmaking. Matches are usually made according to weights and comparative abilities. For example, you would be matched against someone of around the same weight (5-10 lbs either way) and of a relatively comparable skill level in order to ensure the safety of fighters as well as in hopes of securing an exciting match. i.e. If I became an MMA competitor, I wouldn't have to ever worry about fighting Fedor unless he or I respectively lost or gained substantial weight (and I by some miracle was deemed to be worthy of the Fedor's fists).

Destiny/Luck (or lack thereof;) is what determines your opponent in a self defence situation (and to some extent in a 'standard' street fight/brawl) - you could be fighting a 'moronic meathead' (standard training dummy) or you could be positioned against a trained fighter on amphetamines.

Combat Sports prepare you to focus exclusively on your opponent and ignore any distractions occurring outside of the ring/octagon/mats etc -not a very helpful skill should any passerby/witness choose to join in the attack (scarily, this is a relatively common occurrance!). You are prepared to react only when you know an attack is coming; your guard is already up. Street situations do not allow for this luxury, which is why most traditional martial arts dedicate years to slowly cultivating a state of relaxed alertness, referred to as Zanshin ("remaining mind") in Japanese arts. Jean-Claude Van Damme famously positioned himself for a barrage of insults following his Franglais assertion, Je suis AWARE.

Of course, Zanshin isn't quite a Spidey Sense - it is simply a healthy awareness of one's surroundings developed through training different forms of kumite ("sparring") and other such exercises. It is not a trait exclusive to Japanese martial arts practitioners by any means; most seasoned bouncers and security personnel develop zanshin unconsciously whilst on-the-job.

Self defence (or street fights in general) do not involve any kind of regulations - the gloves are off (pardon the pun) and anything is legal. Biting, pinching, eye-gouging, hair pulling and striking to the groin are examples that scratch the surface of the attack possibilities present in a street fight than do not coincide with MMA training. I'm not suggesting that MMA fighters are unable to perform these techniques, I'm saying that such techniques may be less instinctive to an MMA fighter than to say, a Krav Maga expert (...that said, Krav Maga in my opinion, is one of those few styles that can easily result in the victim being given a longer prison sentence than the assailant). 

Furthermore, there is no determined time limit to the fight. While most fights are believed to last between 90 and 180 seconds (longer when groups are involved), most self defence situations are resolved (for good or bad) within a minute. 

Remember: A situation can end following a simple slip of the feet; there is no canvas ring/octagon - one could hit his head on the curb. Many deaths have occurred from falls in street fights.

Let's talk about equipment - most safety equipment used in combat sports is for the sake of both fighters. Wearing gloves reduce the risk of breaking your knuckles or hand-bone (in case the punch lands on your opponent's elbow or square on his forehead); gloves also provide support to the wrists which are known to buckle under impact or falls. When on the receiving end, gloves reduce the risk of being cut or breaking any facial bones; while increasing the chance of being knocked out - in fact, this was one of the primary reasons to introduce heavier gloves into boxing. Prior to this, many of the blows that now usually result in knockouts would more likely result in broken teeth, cheekbones, noses...but no knockout. 

There is also a factor of the equipment not used in MMA - knives, guns, bats, bottles, chairs etc. Regardless of one's training, a weapon in the attacker's possession always complicates matters - relatively speaking, very few people (even those trained in weapon-based styles) would feel comfortable when the pointy end is facing them. Whilst many martial artists may have some experience training against weapons (or at the least, understand how the rules of a fight change completely when weapons are involved), pure Combat Sport fighters have no experience in such occurrences (unless they've looked into it personally). 

Groundfighting in Self Defence

Groundfighting (while necessary to know...to an extent) is its own jar of sour pickles when it comes to self defence. For a start, on the ground you're vulnerable to damage from anything that's on the ground - if you're in a bar or club, this could involve broken bottles; or if you're on the roadside, this could be sharp rocks or sand getting kicked in your face. 

Tackling multiple assailants whilst standing is an impressive feat - even if you're not able to beat them, you may be able to bump and shove them before making a dash (...you could always take a page out of Musashi's book and try fighting them in a doorway or narrow alley...though this is tenuous at best) - Doing it whilst on your back is a near impossibility (unless your assailants are completely and utterly incompetent...no, I mean more hapless than those guys from the Home Alone movies - what? it's Christmas, it's on TV all the time) - even Rickson Gracie made the clear point that if you roll with two guys that are determined to beat you, one way or another you're going to lose (I should point out here though, that he also stated that if you use BJJ correctly, in most self defences situations - you'll remain standing whilst your assailant is 'rolling'). Groundfighting is great on the mats, but realise that it is learnt only as a necessary precaution in self defence. 

And I say the following out of pure speculation (but it makes some sense to me): If it is a female that has been attacked in what could be a potential rape situation, pulling the attacker into closed guard may only arouse him more - certainly, the arousal may be short-lived if the defender breaks his arm a moment later but, I imagine that short period of arousal against the woman's body may leave some emotional scarring that simply kicking your attacker in the balls and running away would not. ...Just speculation....This of course won't be true in many cases....

The Disclaimer

This is the part where I tell you that I have absolutely nothing but respect and admiration for Mixed Martial Arts and its practitioners. I'm not saying in any way that MMA isn't effective in self defence - in many ways, MMA practitioners are much more prepared for self defence situations than many so-called TMA artists. MMA practitioners tend to have higher levels of fitness and better body conditioning as well as being accustomed to the full contact nature of street encounters (though randori or jissen are often talked about, relatively few TMA schools really devote sufficient time to their training - though I hasten to add, this doesn't necessarily refer to no time limit, no-holds-barred-to-the-death-style training...but rather to training techniques in a variety of situations against a moderately resisting opponent who is able to counter and/or break attempts at attack). 

I'm not interested in arguing which is better - that's really just a matter of personal opinion as to which discipline better fulfils your personal goals (the assumption of a linear comparison is not really well thought out anyways). Personally, I see relatively little difference between MMA and TMA - to me, MMA isn't really a style of martial arts but rather the utilisation of different aspects of TMAs to function under a rule set (I'm not too fond of these new guys who have no background in any one style/particular strength but are just 'okay' at everything...). 

The major difference I find is that TMA's are not for fighting - they are primarily for self defence. As such, they both have extraordinarily different learning curves (that is, MMA can be learnt faster but will not help you as much when you get older; TMAs are much slower to learn but can still be very effectively utilised when you've passed your physical prime). 

Fighting is an integral aspect to both disciplines, but for TMAs, it is something that follows self defence - it does not define 'self defence'. And that's really the message I'm trying to get across in this very long post. While Combat Sports can be very effective for self defence, their practices are not an example of self defence; there are other effective options available given that they are trained correctly. 

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• Lock your opponent's foot tight under your armpit (I find the Gable Grip is the best to use).
  
• For maximum effect with the submission, be sure to twist your entire upper torso, not just turn your arms (though this is sometimes enough!).
  
• Finally, remember this is an extraordinarily simple move - it can be applied from almost any position with relative ease.
  

Here are a few of my favourite transitions into the Heel Hook:

• From the single-leg takedown.
  
• While attempting to pass your opponent's guard.
  
• From the basic X-Guard sweep (Toe-hold ankle lock works really well from here too).
  
• As a counter to someone trying to get his butterfly hooks in (though this has a low success rate, it will frustrate people to no end!).
  

If you're ever caught in a heel hook, make sure to tap as soon as you feel it. The pain caused by the submission is relatively bearable until after you are already injured - at which point, you'll curse yourself for being born with legs. True story.

Using the heel hook is like selling your soul to the devil - the offer is incredibly alluring. Once you nail that submission and realise how easy and effective it is, you develop a thirst to go for it again and again. And by the time you realise how dangerous it can be - you have probably already hurt someone.

On a side note: If you want to see someone who was absolutely merciless (read: "showed absolutely no concern for his opponents' wellbeing") with the heel hook, here's a clip of Ken Shamrock in his glory days against Leon Dijk:

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