questions about sport combat arts

I have trained in the martial arts for most of my life. However it was never oriented around sport or competition. Can someone help me understand the advantages and disadvantages of competitive sport arts?

 

Competing against someone is a true test of competence. It can provide short term goals and is fun
Disadvantages? You can get tied into a ruleset?

 

Off the top of my head...

As a training method the sports paradigm:-

offers the empirical testing of theory within controlled conditions.

Builds functional fighting ability in the most expedient fashion.

physical conditioning.

increases practitioners comfort levels with agressive physical contact.

Provides (in some cases) the opportunity for competition if required by student.

you get to do, rather than simulate.

 

All of the benefits competition as Hello says can be missing in certain arts due to the incorrect approach of the instructors. So crosstraining is the answer.

 

I totally agree :hat:

 

Well, your pitted against an opponent who you have not met, does not want to co-operate, who is highly trained, and in good physical shape.

It's essentially the closest thing you can have to an actual fight within your chosen art.

There are alot of advantages in that, both physically and mentally.

Cross train and on top of that you won't have to worry about becoming caught up in a rule set. Which is about the only downside I can think of.

That and possible injury if your competition circuit is particularly intense.

 

I somewhat agree

 

Theres a real endpoint to the training, as your actually doing something with a goal.

plus its a lot of fun and you meet some fantastic people.

 

In my experience those who train for competition are fitter, stronger, faster - because in general the train harder - because in general they have more of a focus and direnction in their training.
However I think the OP hit the nail on the head in describing them as 'sports arts' and they should not be confused with training for self defence.

 

yeah that's very true.

I would offer the idea that the best self defence type of classes actually train within a sports paradigm when it comes to testing their physical techniques though. A drill can still exist within the sports paradigm and is more likely to if it is non-complient. The best I've seen show students using boxing/mma equiptment under an adapted mma ruleset to fit the senario or lesson objective.

as you said...

 

In terms of the 'infight' section of self defence, Once you have a decent operating system going, its not that hard to do a little extra training on context, tactics and adaptions for environment, good examples are these:

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HP3vAPffCVw"]YouTube- ISR Matrix Clinch with Cloth[/ame]

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BpEzI7mleY"]YouTube- ISR PM (Defensive Tactics)[/ame]

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NM7qggkxs0&feature=related"]YouTube- The Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Guard Adapted for Self Defense & MMA[/ame]

 

Depends which sport. If you're training MMA you're training 90% of anything you'll need to use for real. The remaining 10% isn't hard to add.

 

Ive done both, I think that a balance of sparring with preset goals, i.e. escape, or take mount, or take dominant clinch, full sprt rules etc, added to the use of scenario based training is ideal.

Personally (and as such its cool to disagree) I think that scenario based training as the top of the pyramid (5%) that can only exist ontop of a solid base of practical skills, (95%) track and field plus standup, clinch, ground, and weapon and dirty tactics awarness.

 

Yeah that hi gear stuff looks totally sweet... not very cheap though! I believe that team quest use 'em so they can train harder with less risk of injury, nice for them if they can afford 'em.

I quite like some of Tony Blauers stuff, I used to get his e-mails but he also seems like a bit of a certified nutter too :hat:

 

Like you say it isn't hard to add but also is probably not necessary

 

Prefight bits, post fight legal issues, upkicks from the ground, using two on ones if theres something nasty in the hand, maybe guiloteens side on to not expose the nuts, some headlock defense stuff, maybe attached striking using cloth grips, all in all there all nice to know but decent striking and clinch and enough groundwork to get you the hell off the floor will do for the hands on bit at a push.

The thing is most self defense isnt the fighting bit, and having a sensible, confident mannor is much better for avoiding trouble/being a victim then learning how to hide a spyderco knife on you and learning the sayoc vital point template of by heart.

 

:hat: