What are the key differences between a sport / MA fight and self defense?

Discussion in 'Self Defence' started by Tom bayley, Mar 24, 2015.

  1. Pretty In Pink

    Pretty In Pink Moved on MAP 2017 Gold Award

    Haha, this kind of thinking is pretty rampant in bad RBSD places.
     
  2. aaradia

    aaradia Choy Li Fut and Yang Tai Chi Chuan Student Moderator Supporter

    MMA fighting is people choosing to walk into a ring and want to fight.

    Self defense is people doing everything they can to avoid it even getting to the point of actual fight.
     
  3. guybrush

    guybrush New Member

    the most important things are that in a match like the UFC, typically the rules there and the nature of the fight favour going to the ground and styles like BJJ. In a street fight however you typically do not want to go to the ground! Because the guy who you're fighting with could have 4 more friends who will kick you in the head whilst you're on the ground. So rather than taking someone to the ground and trying to submit them which may be a great technique in a 1v1 fight, in the street you may want to do the opposite and try your best to stay on your feet as much as possible.

    Another thing is you dont have to be so situationally aware in the UFC or something, in a real fight in a bar or outside you may want to check around more, how many friends does this person have, who's nearby, any potential allies like police, bouncers, or more potential foes. What is in everyones hands does anyone have a knife, bottle etc on them. What is near to you is there a chair, bottle, ashtray, stick, brick etc you can pick up and use as a weapon? Being aware of your surroundings and finding something you can use as a weapon is a factor in real fights which is not a factor in something like UFC. If I lived in a dangerous place I'd certainly carry a sap or something around with me, it'd be much easier to whack people around the head with this than have to use my fists.

    of course there are many other differences, like how much space you have, you have the space to run away if you want to in a real situation.
     
  4. Hannibal

    Hannibal Cry HAVOC and let slip the Dogs of War!!! Supporter

    Your definition of self defense is too narrow

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ukn...x-attacker-who-pounces-as-she-walks-home.html

    Mass attacks are pretty rare occurences, and if you DO find yourself in one you need a quick fire impact system.....such as boxing or muay thai - you know, MMA stylee

    Also you assume you have a choice about going to teh ground - sometimes that decision is made for you



    Depending on where you live this could get you arrested of course

    And the one thing UFC/sport fighting gives you is a pressure tested skillset.....it is very easy to insert situational awareness into a proven delivery system; it is much harder to to the reverse
     
  5. YouKnowWho

    YouKnowWho Valued Member

    Both in "sport" and "SD", your fist will meet your opponent's face exactly the same way.

    [​IMG]
     
  6. guybrush

    guybrush New Member

    From my personal experience it's much rarer for a solitary person to start a fight. People are far more likely to start a fight when they are in a group with their friends. When I was younger I have been around chavs who were quite submissive and quiet on their own, but in their group were a lot more aggressive. A night out in pubs/clubs is where I am most likely to get into a fight myself and in that situation it's almost always a gang of people. A group of aggressive lads looking for a fight, not wanting to lose face in their group, but usually one or two members of their group will be the most aggressive, the others are just more sucked into the fight and often if you knock out the main ones the rest will lose the heart to fight.

    Of course I know you dont have a choice to go to the ground, but you can train to try not to go to the ground which is why I've decided to learn judo, it's in that key combat range of standing up grappling where it's going to decide which person goes to the ground and which can remain standing. A great thing to be more in control of for street fights I think. Personally I am already thinking on a muay thai and judo combination for self defence at the moment. Of course I think it could be good to know things like BJJ, but I think the difference being in the ring it's good to know this to take an opponent to the ground and submit them, on the street its good to know how to grapple to be able to not get trapped on the ground and to be able to get up asap if you are unfortunate enough to get taken to the ground. The last fight I saw was someone grappling with a guy on the floor of a kebab shop and a couple of random chavs trying to kick his head at the same time. It was quite funny as one of the chavs missed his kick and kicked his m8 in the head instead of the other guy, then all the other chavs turned on him lol. These are old chavs I'm talking about like 25 who have just never grown up, start fights in pubs but also spend time in the streets probably still hanging around with younger chavs like 14 year olds as well. They are the type of people I would most likely get into a fight with where I live. Older chavs who go out looking for a fight.

    I am not dissing UFC styles btw but just saying the difference between a fight in the ring or a fight in the street. Of course a UFC champ is going to have a huge advantage in a street fight and I choose my two styles Judo and Muay Thai based on their proven success in MMA combat sports, as well as other things like the fighting ranges I want to train.
     
    Last edited: May 21, 2015

Share This Page