| To be clear, the definitions of reality based martial | | | | you develop physically and mentally are wonderful |
| arts are fighting styles that were developed to be | | | | and will serve you well for years. On the flip side, |
| useful in an everyday event. A fight that is happening | | | | they also take years to learn well enough to be |
| in the "real world". Pretty cut and dry right? So why | | | | effective in a street fight. The art may not teach |
| are there still so many questions as to what is a true | | | | how to deal with modern weapons, such as a |
| reality based martial art? We all live in our own reality. | | | | handgun or micro explosive. Usually traditional arts |
| That being said, when we talk about a reality based | | | | don't cover the laws and legal ramifications of a self |
| martial art, we are need to break down what the | | | | defense act. A good reality based system instructor |
| general consensus is on the reality backing a martial | | | | should teach all of these aspects. |
| art. | | | | As a rule, most current reality based systems are a |
| If you look at any fighting style they all have a reality | | | | combination of many different traditional techniques, |
| component. At the time they were conceived, the | | | | blended together and taught in a way that deals with |
| fighting art had relevance. Most traditional martial arts | | | | today's common street encounters. Some systems, |
| used techniques that are based on training for the | | | | such as Krav Maga were developed out of the |
| age that they were created. I've heard a lot of | | | | necessity of dealing with a war-like, very violent |
| stories of the applications of techniques in warfare. | | | | urban social environment. Others were developed as |
| Everything from a jump spin kick used to startle a | | | | combat systems to teach law enforcement and |
| horse there by throwing a rider, to a hip pivot neck | | | | military units effective hand to hand fighting. Still |
| twist to snap an opponent's neck that you have | | | | others were developed as watered down combat |
| knocked to the ground. While in their time these | | | | systems for the usually non-violent general public to |
| techniques may have had merit, in the modern day | | | | learn to make them feel like they could protect |
| there aren't many horse riding attackers. Now there | | | | themselves in some fashion. |
| are law enforcement divisions that use horses, but if | | | | Protecting yourself and others is what any martial art |
| you attack or startle one of those that's battery on | | | | is about. Now whether you want to call it a traditional |
| a peace officer. Also, using a neck twist on a | | | | art, reality based system or fighting style, you may |
| downed opponent is, you guessed it, a Class A | | | | get a good workout from training, but at its core |
| felony attempted murder. Both techniques fine in | | | | learning to fight is the idea that drives the training. |
| war, but not in today's society. | | | | Which reality you live in and chose to apply the |
| Does this mean traditional martial arts have no use in | | | | system to is your choice. To quote the knight |
| the modern day? NO! As a long time practitioner of | | | | guarding the Holy Grail, "Choose wisely. |
| Kung Fu and Tae Kwon Do, I can tell you the skills | | | | |