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Old 04-13-2008, 11:01 PM   #16
Buck
Join Date: Feb 2008
Posts: 950
United_States
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Re: What is "combat"?

I am sorry for posting so much. What I am getting at is that sure people can say that the Aikidoka failed. If he was using my art, they would say, then he would be alive. Well that is hindsight. Every one can be defeated.

I am also saying combat doesn't have levels, people have levels. A cop doesn't use deadly force on someone running a red light, or when a fleeing suspect is caught by a cop is immediately thrown to the ground, and choked out. Another example is why take a drunk to the ground mount him then ground n' pound until he is K.O.ed, only because he took poor swing at you and missed in a bar? Sport MMA fighting isn't good for public use, it works on one level. The ring level where it dominates. Or when you find yourself on the ground, and the other guy is on top of you.

Aikido works on many levels, but on one level it doesn't work well on is sport fighting. Aikido works well when controling someone is important. I know of cops who use it when they need to cuff someone. I know Aikido is good for come-alongs, and disarming someone, be it a gun or a broom strick. Aikido doesn't work well when your on the ground.

Combat then is any situation where you realize you are needing to defend yourself physically. How you react to the threat is based on your profession if it applies i.e. a cop or solider, personality and background, your martial art and level of training, other training outside martial arts, and the type of situation your are in. To say MMA fits all situations is as wrong as to say Aikido fits all situations. I think combat can be looked as levels two levels, mock which would be things like Randori and ring fighting, and actual combat such as any real situation. Real combat has degrees of intensity, from the awkwardly swinging drunk, to someone shooting at you.

I think some people mix that idea up, and confuse mock fighting for the real thing. In a real fight it comes on quick most of the time. Some fights have the common telegraphing of trash talking, then bumping or pushing, then going to blows. But not every situation follows that pattern. Or it doesn't require the K.O.ing of the attacker. Decernment and having the skills to meet as many levels as possible is what I think helps keep the combat situation to a low intensity level. In that way you have greater control over the situation and being able to managable it better.

Every art and sport has a weak point. Knowing your weakness is a strenght in any combat situation. Not thinking you have a weakness is fatal. Lots of people do make that mistake. For me, Combat is one thing, and not parted out. It is being able to read the combat situation properly and apply the right skills and tools accordingly, that is the key. Not an easy thing to do. People have to train in stressful situations and under duress to be more successful than not. Not everyone has the training for that or does train to do that. And when they find themselves in that situation where they are not trained and are not prepared, they experience fail. Failure can be freezing or over-reacting. It isn't the art then, it is the person who trains to deal with real situations (real combat) accordingly. I am just saying one size doesn't fit all. Just because you train, it doesn't mean you can or you will. Real combat of any kind or intensity isn't in found in ring, or a dojo. A ring is a competition, a dojo is a place to train. Both are different types of training. At the end of the day what really matters?

I could be way off base. I don't want to sound if I am arguing with anyone. It's my hayp'ny thrown in. A different angle.

Last edited by Buck : 04-13-2008 at 11:08 PM.
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