Martial Arts: Effective Systems of Self-Defense?

[Runt]

This is the first draft of a report for my English class. I posted it here in hopes that I could get some feedback. Any and all comments are appreciated!


The Effectiveness Of Martial Arts As Systems Of Self Defense

Introduction
One would think that when Vishven Chandran--a black belt in Taekwondo—had to defend himself during a drunken brawl in a bar, he would win. The average Taekwondo student receives their black belt after two years of training at three hours per week, and Vishven, a student of four years who trained six hours a week, had received four times that amount of practice. Yet despite his intensive training in blocks and counters, he still received a broken nose while trying to defend himself. When I heard this, I immediately called martial arts training into question. If Vishven, no beginner by Taekwondo standards, had still managed to get hurt in an unarmed fight, did this indicate that his martial arts training had no application in the real world? How effective, really, are the martial arts as systems of self-defense?

Self-Defense: A Definition
Most people consider self-defense to be the use of physical responses to counteract a threat, i.e. a block to counteract a punch. Yet there are many other ways to protect oneself. I believe that self-defense consists of more than just physical techniques used to counter a threat; it also includes of preventative measures used to stop danger from occurring, physical responses used to counteract an attack if one does occur, and additional actions used to stop a situation from escalating into something uncontrollable once an effective physical counter has been made.

Dispelling The Myths Surrounding Crime
Before the effectiveness of martial arts techniques in real life situations can be evaluated, it is important to first determine what kind of threat a martial artist—or anyone for that matter—is likely to face in the real world. In order to do this, one myth about crime must be dispelled.

Myth: “I’m most likely to be attacked by an armed assailant.” When I was first brainstorming questions I wanted to answer with this topic, I asked myself, “How useful can the unarmed defensive techniques taught in martial arts possibly be against knifes and guns?” It was my belief that most violent crimes involve armed offenders. However, this simply is not the case. Only 26% of all violent victimizations occurring between 1993 and 2001 involved an armed attacker (US Bureau of Justice, “Weapon Use”). This means that in a real life situation, you have about a three out of four chance of encountering an unarmed attacker—good news for the well-trained martial artist. Therefore, in this paper it is going to be assumed that all attackers are unarmed, and the effectiveness of martial arts will be evaluated with that in mind.

 

[Runt]

The Three Basic “Time Zones” of Defense: Before The Initial Attack
Prevention, in my opinion, is ninety-nine percent of self-defense. An individual who knows how to prevent a dangerous situation from ever developing will never need to use any of the fancy moves taught in martial arts classes. As Kamienski argues, “being armed with accurate information is the first line of defense against any threat” (40). Knowing who may try to harm you, where they may attack, and at what time they will most likely attack can help you survive.

I know from experience that martial arts schools don’t go in into the Who, Where, and Why of crime. It’s considered sufficient to learn the counters for very simple, very common physical attacks. Students aren’t taught to avoid places where such attacks might occur; indeed, we aren’t even taught to recognize a dangerous situation. Our self-defense training teaches us to protect ourselves after the first attack against us has been made, and not a moment sooner.

One self-defense instructor suggested a rather interesting preventative measure. He states that, “Self-defense study and training develops the qualities of movement that discourage victim selection and project a ‘don't mess with me’ demeanor” (LaHaie, “Short Circuiting”). Grayson, author of a study on victim selection, argues that people who move in a way that exudes casual confidence can “substantially reduce their risk of assault” (qtd. in LaHaie, “Short Circuiting”).

Although most martial arts schools do not waste valuable class-time drilling their students on walking confidently, martial arts nevertheless help build confidence, which can dissuade potential predators. A particularly self-conscious and unconfident young white belt in my own Taekwondo class has developed over the last year into a blue belt who now walks with his chin up, makes eye contact, and speaks confidently. He, as well as other martial arts students, is now less likely to radiate “victim” to all potential predators and therefore is more likely to avoid threatening situations.


Evaluation Of Preventative Aspects of Martial Arts Education
How well will an uninformed martial artist whose training has given him or her an aura of confidence be able to avoid a confrontation? That “don’t mess with me” demeanor may be enough to dissuade an attacker despite the fact that the uninformed martial artist has walked right into a situation where a crime is likely to occur. In comparison, a non-martial artist cannot be assumed to have access to any more information than a martial artist, and thus is equally uninformed. Furthermore, the non-martial artist is probably not going to exude that particular aura of strength and confidence that an experienced martial artist will most likely possess. Thus, a martial artist is probably less likely to be chosen as a victim, and therefore has been more successful than the non-martial artist at preventative self-defense.

 

[Runt]

The Three Basic “Time Zones” of Defense: During The Initial Attack
How well do martial arts techniques measure up against a real attack? I know from experience that most of the time in a martial arts class is spent learning a wide variety of fancy techniques that would never be of much use in a real fight. I just began mastering the “spin inner-outer crescent kick” in my own class, which is far more about control than power and as such is simply too weak to be useful in a real fight.

While roughhousing with my uncle, a cop of over thirty years of experience, it has quickly become apparent to me that the quick, brutal counters he knows are far more effective than the fancy, complicated self-defense techniques that I have been taught. His defense is simple enough that with practice, it’s one move (flipping the attacker over), should easily become reflex. And being so fast and uncomplicated, there is little opportunity for the attacker to resist the self-defense technique, nor as much of a chance that my uncle will mess up. My defense, however, has much more room for error; it is more complicated and thus harder to make reflex, it takes longer to execute and thus gives the attacker a variety of opportunities to attempt further attacks against me, and it requires me—a young woman—to pit my strength against what would most likely be a man who is much stronger than me. It is a simple fact that “many women underestimate male upper body strength and how vulnerable they are to being physically overwhelmed” (MacYoung and Gordon, “Five Stages”). A woman like me can throw a two hundred and fifty pound, six foot three man in a martial arts class, but it usually takes a few tries to do it properly. On the street, in the middle of an attack, we don’t have time for multiple tries.

As MacYoung and Dianna Gordon stress in “Legal”, "The martial arts are not fighting styles, they are training styles... More to the point, sparring is not fighting. Nor is stepping into the sports ring. In a ‘real fight,’ there are no judges, juries, and rules to protect the participants. There are no disallowed moves. Whoever is still standing is the winner. The loser is probably hurt and doesn’t remember a thing or dead!"

This aptly illustrates another problem with martial arts as systems of self-defense. Martial artists are taught how to spar…not how to fight. Sparring, essentially, is a highly regulated, very polite mock fight. Contact is allowed, but the goal is to score points by landing a strike, and not to actually hurt your opponent. Thus, fast, highly controlled, flashy techniques are not only preferred over more rough shows of brute strength, but they are actually the only thing permitted. Due to this system, martial artists learn two things that might hurt them in a real fight: they learn to pull blows at the last second and they become programmed to block weakly against the restrained blows they expect from their opponent.



Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Martial Arts Training In Countering An Attack
Although their training makes these moves less than perfectly effective, a martial artist at least has reflexes and experience in blocking, ducking, and striking. Unless he or she has gained experience in street fights or similar situations, a non-martial artist has no repertoire of defensive techniques and no experience at all—even in a highly regulated sparring ring—of defending himself or herself. Thus, although martial arts training might put a martial artist at a slight disadvantage when facing a real assailant, that training nevertheless might give them enough of an edge to come out on top—i.e. unharmed and with their life intact—despite these disadvantages.

 

[Runt]

The Three Basic “Time Zones” of Defense: After The Initial Attack
Finally, once a situation has come to blows and an individual has nullified the assailant’s initial attack, there are techniques that can be used to end the confrontation and prevent the situation from escalating to something uncontrollable. When I asked if he’d ever had to use his martial arts training to defend himself in the real world, my interviewee, a Tai Chi student of two years’ experience, wryly replied, “No, I have skills as a diplomat” (Kooshesh). Tongue-in-cheek his response may have been, but it addressed an element that is lacking in most martial arts self-defense programs: communication. In Arian Kooshesh’s case, his ability to communicate has allowed him to prevent a situation from ever escalating to physical blows, but diplomatic behavior can also help a situation cool down even after the initial physical blows have been exchanged. It is true that “quite simply an overwhelming amount of violence could be avoided if someone simply overrides ego, apologizes and walks away” (MacYoung and Gordon, “Legal”).

MacYoung and Gordon aren’t the only ones who believe that walking away from a fight is a great way to protect oneself. Leland Brandon asserts that walking away is an effective self-defense technique that every style of martial arts teaches. He emphasizes that a martial arts student facing threat should, “Walk away, run if you can, and if you get hit so what…only if you feel your life is threatened should you take it to the next level” (qtd. in Formichelli 22). If your life isn’t threatened, then there’s no reason to remain in the confrontation. Indeed, if you “did not stop attacking after the immediate threat had passed” then you’re “actively engaging in an extended, aggressive and most importantly, consensual altercation” and therefore you are “part of the problem” (MacYoung and Gordon, “Legal”). By prolonging a confrontation the victim also gives the assailant new opportunities to overcome them.


Evaluation Of How Martial Arts Train Students To End A Confrontation
Luckily, although most martial arts schools don’t teach students diplomatic communication skills, they do teach us the difference between self-defense and fighting. All self-defense techniques involve “block, stun, and run” (the words of my own Senior Master) techniques that allow the martial artist to escape the situation. They do not involve sticking around and continuing to engage the opponent. Thus martial artists have an advantage over people who choose to remain behind and satisfy their ego by beating up their aggressor, but do not necessarily have an advantage over all non-martial artists.

 

[Runt]

What Martial Artists Say
When asked if she personally believed martial arts to be effective systems of self-defense, Mary Bloode, a student with ten years training in weapons’ defense, replied, “Yes, they can provide a valuable asset in most fights, even if you aren't able to use any attacks or anything, it can still help because you can sort of guess what they might do.” When asked the same question, Arian Kooshesh told me that, “Martial arts are as effective as the time and energy you put into them.” Finally, Vishven Chandran, the young man who got the bloody nose in the bar fight, wrote, “unless you’ve drilled yourself to the point of perfection, it all turns into a street fight really.” The impression gained from all three of their responses is that martial arts have the potential to provide, but do not guarantee, a successful defense. There is also the subtle implication that if a martial artist is not well-trained and experienced, they may very well get hurt instead of coming out on top.

 

[robtex]

Marc Macyoung is a good source in that he puts alot into strategy training. I loved your essay. Thank you so much for sharing it . I would have like to hear your point of view as a very petite female though. I havnt read as much of Macyyoungs stuff as Peytons stuff (they are buds) but I understand he puts a lot of emphasis on dealing with your own fear. I was wondering if, from what you read that he does and if so how it would tie in...I think the slang is chemical cocktail? Does that sound right...can't remember but something about the adrerline dump.

Do you know much about things like pepper spray, kuboton, stun gun ect and what are you pros and cons on that? Does it fit into the scope of this paper?

The emphasis of TKD is on concussive (kick punch) techinques but in an altercation there is some who theorize there is an ebb and flow between concussive and grappling and still others who say that many conflicts start concussive and end grappling......what is your take on that?

I know that M Macyoung (and Quinn too) talk about non verbal ques that can tip one off to an ambusher and that could really be useful.

Who is Vishven Chandran specifically? How tall how much does he way and what has he accomplished so far in the arts? I think the opener would have had more impact if we felt we knew him a little more.

Man Runt you are so amazingly skilled at writing ....I love reading your essays. I read one of your stories ..but I need to read more.

I also hope you tell us more about your marital arts journey. I really would love to hear how you grow in the arts.

 

[cardero]

Martial Arts: Effective Systems of Self-Defense?

I believe it is a effective system for self-awareness

 

[Linus]

...had to defend himself during a drunken brawl in a bar...

Are martial arts the best way to defend oneself? I don't know, but it probably works better when you are sober.

Perhaps you should not be questioning martial arts, but rather martial artsits.

 

[Master Vigil]

Pretty good. The only thing I would like to comment on is the part on sparring. I understand your way of coming from Tae Kwon Do sparring, but it is from my experience that Tae Kwon Do sparring is no way near like a real fight. However, this does not mean that other styles version of sparring follows suit. I teach Tang Soo Do which is a little older than Tae Kwon Do. And alot older than olympic style TKD. I competed in an olympic style tournament and let me say, they do not know how to fight. It was mostly flailing and swinging of the legs. Hardly any use of the hands, no blocking, and lots of jumping. None of which work in a real fight. Most fights go two ways. Striking and Grappling. Grapplers kick *** compared to strikers. There may be a striker who can kick a grapplers ***, but they are outnumbered by the opposite scenario. This is why some of the greatest martial arts are those that incorporate both, aka, ninjutsu, tang soo do, hapkido, cuong nu, etc...

Other than that, pretty well done. You just may need to broaden the area of martial arts coverage.

"Perhaps you should not be questioning martial arts, but rather martial artsits."

This is also another really good point. Alot of martial artists these days are nothing like the martial artists of a the old countries. In America perhaps someone may train every day of the week. But normally for no more than 2 hours a day. Back in Korea I know, my Choong Jae Nim would practice every day for 4 hours a day. On dirt floor, sometimes outside in the rain. Or in the snow barefoot. We americans have it easy, we get the heated school with the matted floors. We are wusses compared the old guys. My Ninjutsu instructor would make me fight him on plum poles. He would throw apples at me and make the cut them with a sword. And I thought that was hard, that was nothing compared to the ancient Shinobi training.

 

[robtex]

Runt I hope you post the final product. I loved reading it.