 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
SEEKING TRUTH IN COMBAT
The motto of the Realistic Martial Arts Training Association is “Seeking truth in combat”. It’s on our logos, its
on our shirts, it’s on our website. What exactly does it mean though? Well I’ll tell you, it’s more than just a
motto… it’s a principle that guides our training.
For purposes of operationally defining our motto I define “truth in combat” as: “The techniques, training
methods, and concepts that prove to be effective in all ranges of combat against opponents who are fighting
back 100%. By “effective” I mean actually achieving your goals in combat, whether they are striking, throwing,
submitting, incapacitating, maiming, restraining or disarming your opponent.
So if were seeking truth in combat… what exactly are we doing? Were trying every technique against a fully
resisting opponent. It doesn't matter what martial style, system, or person the technique came from. We learn
it and test it. We see how it stands up to the purifying fires of sparring and grappling. If it has merit; if it has a
high rate of success, if it really works; then we absorb it and make it our own. If it fails far more often than it
succeeds or requires a complacent opponent then we sit it aside and continue seeking better ways of
achieving combative success.
This idea of testing martial techniques against a fully resisting opponent is not accepted by everyone in the
martial arts community. After much discussion with martial artists from a wide variety of backgrounds, I have
come to the conclusion that this is because goals differ not only amongst different martial styles, but also
among each martial artist. For a long time I took it for granted that people studied and trained in the martial arts
to learn how to fight well in all ranges of combat. Well, that is simply not the case. There are a wide variety of
reasons that different people study different martial styles. Some want to participate in a fun activity that they
enjoy, that gives them good exercise. Others enroll their kids in an after school martial arts class which serves
the purpose of a babysitting service. Others study a particular martial art to try and achieve some deeper
understanding of life. Others find a particular style interested and just want to learn more about it.
There is nothing wrong with any of those reasons. However, there is one specific goal that the members of the
Realistic Martial Arts Training Association share; and that is to be a good fighter in all ranges of combat.
Whether someone is swinging a bat at us, holding us up with a knife, kicking, punching, clinching, of fighting
with us on the ground, we want to be able to fight in the most effective, efficient way possible. This simply
requires us to fight in our training. To bring our training to as close a situation to reality as possible, without
actually permanently injuring and maiming each other. This is done by working up to a level where we are
actually attacking with weapons, kicking, punching, kneeing, elbowing, throwing, and applying chokes and
joint locks to each other. This type of training cuts a surprisingly high percentage of the techniques professed
by different martial styles out, as they simply do not stand up to our test of trying them against full resistance.
This type of training methods cuts the mystery and the mysticism out of the martial arts, and only leaves what
really works… what really is the truth in combat.
Vincent Fields
October 4th, 2004
The motto of the Realistic Martial Arts Training Association is “Seeking truth in combat”. It’s on our logos, its
on our shirts, it’s on our website. What exactly does it mean though? Well I’ll tell you, it’s more than just a
motto… it’s a principle that guides our training.
For purposes of operationally defining our motto I define “truth in combat” as: “The techniques, training
methods, and concepts that prove to be effective in all ranges of combat against opponents who are fighting
back 100%. By “effective” I mean actually achieving your goals in combat, whether they are striking, throwing,
submitting, incapacitating, maiming, restraining or disarming your opponent.
So if were seeking truth in combat… what exactly are we doing? Were trying every technique against a fully
resisting opponent. It doesn't matter what martial style, system, or person the technique came from. We learn
it and test it. We see how it stands up to the purifying fires of sparring and grappling. If it has merit; if it has a
high rate of success, if it really works; then we absorb it and make it our own. If it fails far more often than it
succeeds or requires a complacent opponent then we sit it aside and continue seeking better ways of
achieving combative success.
This idea of testing martial techniques against a fully resisting opponent is not accepted by everyone in the
martial arts community. After much discussion with martial artists from a wide variety of backgrounds, I have
come to the conclusion that this is because goals differ not only amongst different martial styles, but also
among each martial artist. For a long time I took it for granted that people studied and trained in the martial arts
to learn how to fight well in all ranges of combat. Well, that is simply not the case. There are a wide variety of
reasons that different people study different martial styles. Some want to participate in a fun activity that they
enjoy, that gives them good exercise. Others enroll their kids in an after school martial arts class which serves
the purpose of a babysitting service. Others study a particular martial art to try and achieve some deeper
understanding of life. Others find a particular style interested and just want to learn more about it.
There is nothing wrong with any of those reasons. However, there is one specific goal that the members of the
Realistic Martial Arts Training Association share; and that is to be a good fighter in all ranges of combat.
Whether someone is swinging a bat at us, holding us up with a knife, kicking, punching, clinching, of fighting
with us on the ground, we want to be able to fight in the most effective, efficient way possible. This simply
requires us to fight in our training. To bring our training to as close a situation to reality as possible, without
actually permanently injuring and maiming each other. This is done by working up to a level where we are
actually attacking with weapons, kicking, punching, kneeing, elbowing, throwing, and applying chokes and
joint locks to each other. This type of training cuts a surprisingly high percentage of the techniques professed
by different martial styles out, as they simply do not stand up to our test of trying them against full resistance.
This type of training methods cuts the mystery and the mysticism out of the martial arts, and only leaves what
really works… what really is the truth in combat.
Vincent Fields
October 4th, 2004