Self-defence vs Combat Sports: The Great Debate (and a few well-placed slaps in the face)
Self-defence VS Combat sports. This formula alone is already causing teeth to gnash on both sides of the room.
Since the emergence of MMA, the debate has intensified, the exchanges have heated up, and it almost makes you want to get out a popcorn (unless you're the one being heated up).
So where do we place the cursor between the fearsome effectiveness of self-defence and the technical rigour of combat sports? Let's take a moment to put down the gloves, analyse the arguments and perhaps, who knows, reconcile these two worlds... or not.
Self-defence: the reality of the street, without gloves or rules
In self-defence, you're often sold a brutal dream: genital strikes, headbutts, and why not a finger in the eye as a bonus.
These techniques, which would make a referee jump to his feet in any combat sport, are regarded here as indispensable tools.
The idea is simple: if your life is at stake, there is no fair play. But let's be honest, it's also fertile ground for myths and illusions.
Forbidden moves": real assets, but not magic ones
Yes, a well-placed knee strike in sensitive areas can make all the difference.
And a headbutt in the nose calms even the most relentless. But here's the rub know how to place them. Self-defence practitioners don't always train with the regularity and intensity of combat sports.
As a result, many don't know how to line up a left-right correctly. Without a solid foundation, even the best street technique can become useless.
Gross motor skills: your best ally
In a situation of intense stress, your brain forgets complex movements. Convoluted techniques? Forget it! In the real world, you'll be relying on reflexes and simple movements.
If you've practised some basic but effective moves in training, you'll have a much better chance of defending yourself effectively.
Self-defence often advocates this, but how many people actually practise it?
Combat Sports: Discipline and Techniques
Combat sports such as boxing and MMA focus on precision, power and stamina. But their rules are often criticised by self-defence advocates.
Combat Sambo, MMA, Kudo, Sanda: a balance between technique and realism
They have all proved that effectiveness lies in overall technical mastery: punches, wrestling, ground and pound, etc. MMA practitioners are used to real adversity and know how to adapt to a variety of situations.
Rules: a catalyst for skills
While the rules restrict certain movements (such as prohibited shots), they optimise safe training. Managing distance, finding the right timing and learning how to take a punch are crucial skills, even on the street.
Self-defence VS combat sports: Common ground
Martial arts and combat sports share a number of points in common, although they may differ in terms of purpose, philosophy and practice. Here are the main aspects they have in common:
Self-defence VS combat sports: The differences
The martial arts and combat sports share some similarities, but they also have fundamental differences in terms of objectives, philosophy and practice. Here's a comparison to help you understand their differences:
1. Aims and objectives :
- Martial arts :
- Often rooted in ancient traditions and philosophies (e.g. Buddhism, Taoism, Bushido).
- Aims for self-development, mental balance and mastery of body and mind.
- These can include spiritual, cultural and ritual aspects.
- Examples: Kung-fu, Karate, Taekwondo, Aikido.
- Combat sports :
- Focused primarily on competition and athletic performance.
- Main objective: to defeat an opponent within a framework defined by rules.
- Often stripped of their spiritual or philosophical dimensions.
- Examples: Boxing, Judo, MMA, Kickboxing.
2. Rules and practice :
- Martial arts :
- Techniques can include strikes, throws, keys, traditional weapons, or even non-competitive practices (kata, forms).
- Real or simulated confrontations (kumite, randori) are not always the priority.
- Discipline often focuses on safety, etiquette and respect.
- Combat sports :
- They are governed by strict rules to ensure the safety of participants.
- Includes regular fights or competitions to measure skills.
- Focused on the effectiveness of techniques in a real duel situation.
3. Origin and history :
- Martial arts :
- The result of ancient traditions, often linked to a country's history and culture.
- Sometimes developed for military or self-defence purposes.
- Combat sports :
- They have evolved from martial arts or popular wrestling to become modern sporting disciplines.
- Have often been adapted to include spectators and attract an audience.
4. Philosophy and mindset :
- Martial arts :
- Aims to cultivate virtues such as patience, humility, respect and discipline.
- Often taught as a way of life or a path to personal development.
- Combat sports :
- More competition-oriented, with the aim of winning.
- The emphasis is on physical performance, strategy and endurance.
5. Use of techniques :
- Martial arts :
- Techniques that are sometimes complex and symbolic, and not always adapted to modern situations.
- Some movements are designed for survival or self-defence situations.
- Combat sports :
- Techniques generally simplified and optimised to be effective in real combat or competition.
- The martial arts are part of a more global and spiritual approach, often focused on tradition and personal harmony.
- Combat sports, on the other hand, focus on the sporting, competitive aspect and the quest for victory within a structured framework.
Although the two may overlap (for example, Judo is both a martial art and a combat sport), their essence remains distinct.
How to choose between self-defence and combat sports: Advice for beginners
When you start out, you often have to make do with what you have. We don't all live in Paris or any other major city where there's a gym on every corner.
Often, the combat sport or self-defence that suits you best is simply the one practised in your own country. the club near you. If you're young, it'll also be the one your parents can take you to. And that's a great place to start!
Don't put too much pressure on yourself to find "the best" style or discipline from the outset.
The important thing is to get moving, learn the basics and develop your physical fitness.
Once you've got the hang of it, you'll have the chance to take part in courses and events that bring together people from all disciplines. These experiences will allow you to explore other approaches, meet people who are passionate about what they do and, why not, find the discipline that really suits you.
So don't worry if your first choice isn't perfect. The most important thing is to get started, enjoy yourself and learn along the way. After all, every move you learn, every mistake you make, brings you closer to your goal: knowing how to defend yourself and feeling good about yourself.
Effective self-defence
Truly effective self-defence involves more than just teaching you a few spectacular techniques. It must help you to understand the whole dynamic of an attack: before, during and after.
Before: prevention first and foremost
The best way to defend yourself is to avoid conflict. Effective self-defence teaches you to :
- Paying attention to your environment to read the warning signs of a potentially dangerous situation.
- Defusing tensions through communicationwhile protecting yourself with a passive guard posture.
- Know the regulations on self-defence in your country: knowing what is legal, how to interpret it and knowing the case law.
During: fast, effective action
When conflict is unavoidable, you need to know how to react quickly and effectively. Effective self-defence is based on :
- Simple, natural movementsrepeated until they become reflexes.
- Neutralising the threat while looking for a way out.
- Prioritise survival, not victory. Put your ego aside, stay out of trouble if possible. Yes, it's frustrating, but it's the smarter choice 😉
If you work in law enforcement, security or as a bouncer in a nightclub, your role is different: you have to deal directly with aggression.
Afterwards: managing the consequences
Once the attack is over, it doesn't stop there. Comprehensive self-defence training should include :
- Managing emotional shock to overcome stress and trauma.
- Post-attack procedures contacting the authorities, dealing with the legal consequences (which are rarely discussed) and protecting your rights.
- Protecting yourself afterwards Taking care of yourself physically and psychologically to regain your balance.
In a nutshell
Good self-defence training goes far beyond spectacular blows and techniques. It prepares you to deal with all aspects of an attack to maximise your chances of escaping unharmed.
The Best Self-Defence Disciplines VS Combat Sports
My opinion on the matter: I'm sticking my neck out
The big question: what would I practise? Or, for that matter, what's the best martial art for self-defence? Let's be honest, my answer will be subjective and not exhaustive, but here's what I think.
Here are my personal recommendations :
- English boxing Simple, direct and effective fist control.
- Thai boxing Low-kicks, knees and fearsome elbows.
- Combat sambo,Sanda,Kajukenbo,Yoseikan budo or MMA A balance between footwork and ground techniques.
- Krav Maga Designed for realistic and varied scenarios.
- KAPAP (Amit Himelstein) : Very good complement to Krav and I took there many very useful elements to the professionals for my trainings when I became instructor with him. here for an overview
- Combatives Military approach, simple and effective.Here a short video of Lee Morisson in action
- ACDS Quick course in self-defence and weapons.
Why not ju-jitsu? of course you can add it, but it's not in my best-of list because I think it's too technically advanced and that's fine if that's all you do, but it's limited for selfies because, in my opinion, people go to the ground even in the street and I think that's dangerous if there are other people involved or weapons).
No blows, limited projections and even courses that focus solely on the floor.
Don't put words in my mouth! If there's only one ju-jitsu club near you, go for it, but as for me, I'm going to see my ju-jitsu teacher pals and ask them how to make anti ju-jitsu 😉
In short, there is no single answer. The choice depends on you, your environment and your preferences. But one thing is certain: whatever you do, the most important thing is to train seriously and regularly.
For my part, I've chosen to train with mates from the security or armed forces, with a good fist-fighting base and pragmatic self-defence between us (I hope to introduce you to them soon).
Then I do training or courses on the side to get specific elements to teach something specific (Krav; KAPAP, Filipino martial arts etc. ...).
If only one discipline is available near you, start there and adapt along the way.
The Importance of the Teacher
Your choice of teacher is just as crucial as your choice of subject. A good teacher can transform your experience and teach you things that no video or book can replace.
My personal experience
When I wanted to learn krav-maga, I went to a club near my home.
But I soon realised that this wasn't for me. Why didn't you? Because I already had a black belt in combat sambo and a solid foundation.
I wanted something pragmatic and adapted to my needs, but starting from scratch was too much of a waste of time...
While searching the Internet, I came across Lior Offenbach.
His style and way of teaching spoke to me immediately.
So I decided to do a week's intensive training with him to become an instructor. (Oh yes, I'm going to do an article on that too).
Context and pragmatism
A short but intensive course can be extremely useful if it is well structured and delivered by an expert.
The most important thing is that the teacher imparts skills that are adapted to your objectives and your level.
A good teacher also knows how to adapt to each student.
It's not just a question of techniques, but also of the way in which they are transmitted.
An excellent trainer will give you a solid foundation and help you to make rapid progress while respecting your previous knowledge.
If you have a choice at first and you're not sure about the man or woman teaching, why not try another club?
So who's winning between self-defence and combat sports?
The answer depends on you. If you want to feel prepared to deal with an emergency situation, self-defence can be a good basis but go boxing when you can to get a good left-right in line damn it!!!!
But be careful not to fall into the illusion of invincibility! Add to that regular, technical training inspired by combat sports, and you'll be ready to take on any challenge... or avoid it, which is often the better decision.
Where do you stand in this great debate? Tell us about your experiences and don't hesitate to get out your gloves... or your keyboard to respond in the comments. After all, it's always more fun to debate than to get hit in the balls... isn't it?
For other articles on self-defence or combat, click here. here
I'd like to thank my friend Mika who helped me complete the article after proofreading it by providing you with more links and emphasising that in our boxing, we favour boxing with grabs, clinches, throws and follow-ups on the ground if necessary.
Finally, I've just come across an article by Lior Offenbach which describes the current problems and explains how we got here:
" Krav Maga in general has long since been lost
Most schools teach absurd techniques, most students will get bitten by any one-year student of muay thai, boxing or wrestling, not to mention the reality check they'll get if, God forbid, they have to fight in the street.
Clever promoters have brought krav maga to the middle and upper classes, whose chances of finding themselves in a tricky situation in real life are close to zero, and they come twice a week to sweat it out, wear the T-shirt and enjoy the training (which is fine as long as you know your limits).
I had a very interesting discussion with a high-level bjj black belt who told me that if you want a large number of followers in your gym, you have to separate the real fighters from the others, because people who train twice a week for years would be eaten up by those who train for a year but who really put themselves into it.
I totally agree that the objectives of training should be different, as long as the limits are clear and explicit.
people have started to see krav maga as bulshido and we're losing the respect of many people around the world.
To tell you the truth, I agree with them.
Videos of little-used techniques, students flailing their arms and legs for no reason in what looks like an untrained toddler fight, static strikers and, overall, it looks like crap.
The leaders of the scene don't train, teach bullshit and rely on a dead teacher who hasn't been around for decades.
As someone who truly believes in krav maga, my only suggestion is as follows
Teachers - go and train and put your pupils first."
Lior Offenbach
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