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Aside from a brief dalliance with Judo when I was a small boy, my first unreserved submergence in the Martial Arts, was in Kung Fu. While I yearned to embrace the traditional aspects of the system, I found myself willing to absorb any idea, no matter how small from my Sifu. We trained forms, self defence techniques, pad & bag work, sparring and tournament fighting. I was never as gifted as others seemed to be, taking longer to grasp basic concepts than others, I often lacked their speed, flexibility and endurance. The one key factor I had was determination. The will to overcome those more natural to the arts than I. I entered many competitions, and left empty handed, going out in the first round every time over a four-year period. The turning point came, when my Sifu, himself a celebrated tournament fighter said, "maybe this isn't for you". I felt discarded, and redoubled my efforts, only to be rewarded with a series of victories and acknowledgement over the next four years.

One of the important factors in this success was cross training. I trained with some Jeet Kune Do people every weekend. I soon had the fancy stuff knocked out of me, getting kicked in the balls while trying a spinning heel kick, and getting my nose broken when my guard was too slack. While they were somewhat disparaging of other systems of practice, I found there were some things worth retaining from my Kung Fu. In fact, there were some things these guys didn't know about at all. In their words, I absorbed what was useful. I found that the modified fencing footwork, feints and drawing techniques, were very similar to what we trained for in points. These days, I still remember the sickening feeling of being kicked hard between the legs by someone who knows how to kick. It's a wonder my wife and I are blessed with a child.

The modern open tournament has become a circus, with multi coloured suits, acrobatic techniques, and bizarre scoring systems, it has become hard to tell reality from fantasy. Some purists will argue that there are no true Martial Arts any more, as there are no true Martial Situations. We basically play with historical movements, while real warfare is more about guns and bombs. Person to person self-defence has little to do with the alleged Military origins of some of the arts. The Modern Arts do have something to offer though, be they Traditional or eclectic.

A fight in a point's tournament is often won by the first person to score. The person who is most 'switched on' and 'alert' is likely to get into gear first! Is this not true of the spontaneous Street situation?

In Street situations we are unexpectedly placed in scenarios where we have to make decisions abruptly, and without consideration. Our dojos or kwoons are within closed doors, not on the streets, so we always get a second chance, or a reassuring comment. These are luxuries you can't afford in the concrete jungle.

The 'freestyle' points circuit, is somewhat confusing to more traditional Martial Artists. From their perspective it is hard to see anything other than a lot of people playing psychological tag. If I dare to describe Karate Kumite as a sport for a moment, the difference in the point scoring is that successful strikes are usually clearer, and easier to see. In contrast, on the freestyle circuit, you have techniques like the blitz, where the attacker flies in with a multi strike combination, in the hope that a referee will see something land.

The objective of the offensive points fighter, is to get from a safe distance (out of range), to a striking distance, so fast that, the opponent is unable to defend in time.
A typical attacking combo would be backfist/reverse punch/ridge hand, which is a bit like an exaggerated jab/cross/hook combination. Only a small modification of this technique is required to turn the jab into a spear hand strike to the eyes, the reverse punch to a leopards paw strike to the throat and the ridge hand to an eardrum shattering cupped hand. A pretty effective combination on the street?

To be a premium point's fighter, you must practice your arsenal of techniques thousands of times. When, and only when you have done this, can you use these skills on the mat. An attack thrown without confidence of success will never succeed. If you dismiss 'Point' fighting out of hand, how do you redress this in your own system if not the same way?

Many factors come into play during a bout; by no means least of these is psychology! The match often starts before you step to the mat. You watch your weight class warming up and stretching, all the time analysing their movement patterns, their favourite techniques. The first person to score during the bout gains a psychological advantage, as his/her opponent now has to attack to address the deficit. Some fighters play to their strengths, while others draw on their weaknesses, relying on counter strikes. With Peripheral vision the top points fighter is aware, not only of the opponent, but of the referee(s), manipulating circumstances in their favour. Consider for a moment, the opening sequence of a street confrontation. Your actions are governed by your initial assessment of your opponent(s) are they not? If you are struck first, do you not fight back from a weaker situation, yet striking first, you dictate the pace of the events to come. There may be no referee, but peripheral awareness is important should you be dealing with more than one opponent is it not?
There is one goal in competition, and that is to come first, so the training is done with that in mind, yet the Pavement Pugilist has the very same objective, without the confusion added by training..

I'm not suggesting for one moment, that you give up your current mode of practice, and head for the nearest tournament to test this theory. I would simply ask that you give points fighters the benefit of the doubt. While they may well be aware of the limitations of their practice, are you so certain of yours? These days World Champions of this or that are as common as Black Belts. Some are good, and some are bad! At top level though, the points fighter is a far sharper hunter than your typical Karateka, Kick boxer or even Street Fighter.

There is a widely held belief that how you train, is how you perform. This is largely true, but I want to make an important distinction regarding points fighting!

My own belief is that how you 'think' when you train, is how you perform! You can be superficial, and look to the immediate task in hand, yet perhaps there is more to be learned. As opposed to admiring the result of a technique during practice, try to look at other ways it could be applied.

To be 'top notch' at anything requires dedication and hard work. Just because someone is successful on the mat, does not mean they are incapable off it. We have to look at people in general a little here, to realise that anyone who is adaptable enough to raise themselves to the top level in a given field, has the ability to excel in others. An example might be the post Olympic bid for Carl Lewis to leave Pro Athletics, and join Pro Football. Yet he's not just a fast pair of legs. The important tool is the brain, and the motivation it creates.

While many tournament fighters may compete at weekends, and delude themselves that they are real tough guys, you will find that in reality, the top rank fighters enjoy what they do, have an understanding of what reality actually entails, and train for that eventuality as hard as the next person.

My motto on the mat was 'be first and be last'! Does this translate to the street?

One last thing! If you are reading this article, and you are a points fighter, you are probably nodding your head, agreeing with everything I've said while buffing your fingernails and basking in the gleam of Silver and Gold in your trophy case. I have commented only on the positive aspects of point fighting, and the benefits I feel I have gained. I have not mentioned the negative points, so go get yourself hit properly, and stop playing tag!

 

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