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TRAINING PRINCIPLES
In reality, you will rarely perform a "perfect" technique. If you train yourself to have perfect technique while understanding the reasoning and principles involved, you stand a much better chance of surviving an attack than if you train for sloppy technique.
You will never make a mistake everyone else hasn't made. You will never be mocked for making a mistake. However, if you make a mistake, make it big so you can recognize it and correct it.
Understanding the principles is the most important aspect of training. One must know and understand the reasoning for everything they do.
Strength and power must always be controlled and concealed. Uncontrolled strength and power can harm you and the innocent. This includes class training...if you try to be fast and powerful without developing the basic mechanics, you could injure yourself or your training partner. Strength and power must be concealed for two reasons: form and strategy. It is very bad form to flaunt what you think you know. Strategically, you never what a possible assailant to be aware that you know anything. Be strong, but appear to be weak.
Always appear to be "less" than you actually are. Arrogance is disrespectful and dishonorable.
Although "ground fighting" is a necessary combat skill, the ground is the worst place you could ever be in any attack situation. No longer is the safety of the matted floor of the dojo/gym present. The mat has been replaced by concrete, rocks, busted glass, nails, curbs, posts, cars, and unseen weapons to name a few. The rules disappear as do most of the lights, and your dojo buddies are replaced by HIS buddies...waiting to tap dance on your face or kick your ribs for a field goal. As Jim Harrison said "you could be fighting a dude in the middle of an empty 40 acre field, and a gopher will come up out of the ground and bite YOU in the ass!" You stand a much better chance of surviving an attack if you claw out their eyes, collapse their trachea and sink a knee into their ribs and getting back to your feet, rather than wrestling for 10 minutes, trying to get them in an arm-bar (then what?). Stay on your feet at all costs and access as many vital targets as possible with maximal speed and power. If you wind up on the ground, get to your feet as soon as possible. However, we do not live in an ideal world...as part of a complete combat system, you need to have ground fighting skills.
Training must begin slow and smooth. Even those who think they have sufficient training tend to move too quickly. They tend to think they already know what is going on. Too often, they get ahead of themselves and do not understand the principles. As you continue training and get the mechanics down, then speed and power is slowly increased.
Training begins by working on the body movements and attacks in the simplistic "ideal world". As training progresses, the variables are added in until it becomes fully realistic.
All fundamental principles of movement, attack dynamics and directed application of force are based on physics. All body movements, targets and strikes are also based on anatomy. Science is the underlying foundation of combat, from the physics of movement (mechanics, kinematics, dynamics), reverse engineering (anatomy/physiology), neurochemistry and stress psychology to the geometry and mathematics of position and mobility. Understanding how the body functions is necessary for fitness, combat and healing. Physics will show how to get the most power, strength, stability and speed a combatant needs. Anatomy will explain targets, striking surfaces and proper fitness and stress psychology will help understand not only the mind of the attacker, but overcome, fear, confusion and self-doubt.
Targets must be applicable and not rely on pain as the primary focus. For many varying reasons, many people can withstand a tremendous amount of pain, or it will not affect them until the altercation is finished...and you are in the hospital or a body bag. Instead, the targets should cause disruption of the physical integrity of the body, whether it hurts or not. Targets include joints, bones, muscle insertion groups, organs, selected nerve masses and air & vascular flow (trachea and carotid arteries for example). These targets are meant to dislocate, break, rupture, numb, tear, rip, crack, make unconscious, damage, destroy and even kill the human body. Targets can be accessed via. strikes, locks, constrictions or through various other methods and weapons. They should not be designed to hurt, but destroy.
Remember the 4-D's of defense: distract, disarm, disable and destroy.
When dealing with weapons training, train with weapons you would be able to use. Walk into Wal-Mart with a Katana blade, ninja stars or a pair of sai, and see how long you end up in jail for. Weapons must be things you can carry on you or have easy access to that you can utilize without having a "concealed weapon". In ancient Japan (or most anyplace for that matter), the weapons used were mainly farm tools, modified into weapons. Modern weapons are much different. Training to use blades and firearms is also necessary as part of a complete combat skill.
The Mizzou Martial Arts Club is not a belt factory. Anything can be bought or cheaply made, but that which is earned has the greatest value. If you are more concerned with having a rank than in earning a rank, this is not the place to study.
The training atmosphere is one of mutual respect, continuing knowledge and personal enlightenment.
MMAC is dedicated to the truth. We also stand on the highest principles of honor, integrity, honesty, courage and respect. This is not the place for big talk, swaggering and puffy egos.
Know the real-stuff from the bull-stuff, those who know what they are doing versus those who think they know what they are doing: fact from fallacy.
People attack very differently than they did ages ago and your tactics must be geared that way. Something "traditional" that was developed in China 200 years ago could very well have little modern application.
Physical contact is a must. One cannot learn proper self-defense without ever making contact with another person. It is very unnatural and unpractical. However, contact is kept light during the beginning of training. As one progresses, contact increases until it is full speed. This takes time, depending on the person. No one is rushed. Training is at the students pace.
Although many forms of competition are considered "counter-productive" (point Karate/Tae-kwon-do), realistic competition (such as Sli Beatha or Pankration) is NOT counter productive, but an excellent chance for the student to realistically test their skills. Competition is very important to training as it builds reflexes, coordination, strategy, application of tactics, maneuvering, speed, physical/mental conditioning and can help with students areas of improvement. However, not all students practice martial arts for the same reasons. Therefore, competition (or sparring) is not required of students, but it is recommended. * A student who participates in competition or sparring stands a much better chance of successfully defending one's self than those who simply train for technique.
Personal defense/offense is not only about protecting yourself, but others who may be in trouble. How honorable would ignoring someone who needs help be? Tactics must also be geared to assist others.
Attacks are fast, messy and never pretty. Defenses must be fast, violent and powerful. Defenses range from a simple "leave me alone" whack in the nose, to the unfortunate instance where you may have to take someone's life in order to protect yours or someone else's. Attackers range from the "drunk brother in law at the family reunion" to the "knife-wielding-homicidal-maniac" (bullies and predators).
Defenses must be simple, realistic, practical and effective. This eliminates flashy, flamboyant, pre-determined 10-move defenses. They must also be simple and similar. A practical technique that can be successfully used against several different attacks is more practical than 10 different complex techniques for one attack.
Be always eager to learn. Be always ready to teach.
MMAC does not tolerate racism, sexism, homophobia, classism, religious prejudice or bigotry.
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