I have read sme of the blogs by ICC Kiser and been thinking about them. His ideas for having "laws of combat" and "paradigms" of a real fight are very useful and prompted me to write down my own thoughts. Whereas Kiser enjoys adressing the more technical concepts of sef defense, I wanted to focus on simplicity. It important to note that I AM NOT A STREET FIGHTER AND CLAIM NO EXPERTISE, but I have experienced violence and self defense. I welcome your comments and feedback. I think learning from other martial artists is what makes this site so valuable.
This is my ideas for the mindset of a real fight situation. I wanted to focus on two things. The first was simplicity. No techniques, no steps, no checklists. Everything goes back to the basics in a real fight. The second is universality. You can be a striker, a grappler, or even a non-martial artist. In the end, violence is universal and so long as you survive it doesn't matter whether you use judo, kung fu, or a lamp post.
I think the most important thing to keep in mind is that a true martial artist is the least likely person to get in a fight. A true martial artist can keep a lid on his ego, know when he is in an unsafe situation, and know when it is time to leave quickly ad quietly. Unfortunately, that means that when the true martial artist gets in a real fight, it will be a bad one. It will likely be a surprise attack, with bigger stronger opponents that have the intention to hurt you. Either that, or you will be protecting someone's life, which is also difficult. In the end, knowing self defense is only an advantage, but no guarrentee of survival. Your opponents are likely to have their own advantages, so yours may be slight. Keeping that in mind, there are three things you have to do in a real fight.
1) Keep Thinking
Combat is primal. It brings out a side of people that they didn't know they had. You have to keep your mind moving. Don't become an animal in your mind, that's what your opponent will do. You will survive because you are smarter. Find the solution, use your enviroment, do the unexpected, be creative as best you can.
2) Keep Going
Although it seems painfully obvious, disparity is a serious risk in a fight. If your opponent is armed, insane, or there are more than one of them, it can be difficult to keep your composure. The reality of violence can be overwhelming. Taking real blows, getting ambushed, or seeing friends or (God forbid) family in danger, pushes the mind towards paralysis. You have to know in your head that you will survive no matter what. If you are down on the floor and looking at your own blood, keep going. Your opponents need to see the look in your eye that you are no victim, no ordinary person. They need to know that you are a little crazy, and willing to go all the way. Although it's no guarrentee, simply staying in the fight for as long as you can will give you better odds for intervention by law enforcement, onlookers, or an act of God.
3) Don't Win. Survive.
The compulsion to win is a human one, especially in males. We want to stand over our opponents and declare victory. Don't. This is not a competition. If you can run away, climb up a tree, or simply give the guy your wallet, do so. In the vividness of combat, we can lose reason and focus only on defeating our opponent. We forget that we don't nessesarily have to down someone to survive. If running is not an option, then simply do whatever it takes. Don't try to fight with dignity, dignity is what keeps you out of your fight. Don't worry about your image, your image doesn't matter if your dead. Don't think that anything is sacred, nothing is more sacred than human life. If taking a urn filled will your dead sensei's ashes and smashing it over a would be killer's head will save your life, then thats how you survive.
I belive that the biggest benifit from good martial arts training is not the techniques (but those can certainly save your life), but the training to stay focused, thinking, and alive if you ever find yourself in a real life and death situation. That being said, I study martial arts for the spiritual and mental benifits as much as the benifits of self defense. I am still a beginner, and I know that my views of self defense will continue to evolve and sharpen as I continue to train.
Tags: Combat Fighting Street Self Defense Real Mindset Paradigm
