Mixed Martial Arts vs. Reality Self Defense It's Not a Matter of Technique What I'm about to say may shock some of you who know me. I'm mostly known for teaching reality self defense and close quarters combat. But I'm also known in the combat sport and martial arts arena for the years I've spent training and instructing Judo, Jujutsu, Wrestling and Karate. I've been able to walk in the worlds of combat sport, martial arts and reality self defense. To this day I still participate, compete, study and instruct in all three aspects of the world of martial arts. The question today is "Which is Better for Self Defense, Mixed Martial Arts or Reality Self Defense?" The reality group will say that MMA is governed and restricted by rules and regulations and sporting techniques will leave you vulnerable as well. MMA has no sense of urgency and choosing the ground is a big mistake. All of which is true, then why is it in a real fight the average MMA practitioner would shred the average reality self defense practitioner? Shocked? Yes I said it. It's sad but true, if you took the average Mixed Martial Artist and they ran into your average reality martial arts guy he (or she) would wipe the floor with the reality practitioner. The reason for this has NOTHING to do with technique or strategy and EVERYTHING to do with TRAINING and ATTITUDE. Your average mixed Martial Artist will spend at least 1 to 2 hours a day, 2 to 3 times per week training, while your average reality martial arts practitioner will watch a video, maybe attend a seminar and train whenever they feel like it. This way of training does no good, no matter how many forum posts you make or videos you watch. At the end of it all, technique has little to do with it. Your willingness to commit to consistent training and to subject yourself to Spartan style methods is what makes the difference. This goes for ANY martial artist or combat sport athlete. A Kendo practitioner who commits to doing 1,000 strikes a day with a shinai (bamboo training sword) is going to be a tough customer no matter what. The athlete who runs 5 miles in the morning and spends another 2 to 3 hours in the gym is going to give you a serious run for your money. Attitude and the will to sacrifice your body for what you believe in goes a long way. What if you trained your self defense like MMA? Imagine training reality self defense like a competitive athlete, running, weight training and drilling on your training dummy and heavy bag regularly. Imagine if you approached your training in this manner. I'm not talking about finding a school or anything like that- heck a pair of sneakers and a something to hit would do the trick. If you actually trained and kept yourself in shape, you would be one tough customer and you would have to look far and wide to find someone to give you a run for your money. Knowledge is nothing without skill. Skill is nothing without attitude and commitment. Article Provided Courtesy of Damian Ross and http://www.theselfdefenseco.com/ ©2008 all rights reserved. .