11/3/2016

HowtobeataMixedMartialArtistontheStreetBurtonRichardson'sJKDUnlimited/ForStreetSelfDefense

HowtobeataMixedMartialArtistontheStreet
Thereisaquestionthatisonthemindsofmartialartistseverywhere:WhatwouldyoudoifyouhadtogoupagainstanMMAfighter?
Notinthecage,butinastreetattack.Ihavespokentomanymartialartistsaboutthis,andIoftengetanswerslikekickhiminthe
groin,orfingerjabtotheeyes.Whilethereisvaliditytotheseresponses,thenextquestionshouldbe,Wouldyoubeableto
actuallyapplythosetechniqueswhenanMMAfighteriscomingatyouwillallgunsblazing?Mytrainingforthelasttwelveyearshas
beengearedtowardsolvingthatriddle,andIwouldliketosharesomeofmyconclusionswithyou.Ihadtheexceedinglygoodfortune
tobeginmyformalmartialartstrainingwithlegendarySifuDanInosantoandSifuRichardBustilloattheoriginalJunFan/Kali
Academybackin1980.UndertheguidanceofSifuInosanto,IexpandedmytrainingbeyondJunFanGungFu(JKD)andtheFilipino
martialartstoincludeMuayThai,Indonesiansilat,andFrenchsavate,alongwithasmallerdoseofmanyothertraditionalarts.Inthe
lateeighties,afterfightinginseveraleskrimatournaments,Ibeganstickfightingwithagroupofguysinamuchmoreextreme
manner.WelaterbecameknownastheoriginalDogBrothers.Theseintensefightingexperiencesstartedtoopenmyeyestothe
realityofactualcombat.
IstartedBJJintheearlynineties,butitwasntuntil1994thatmyentiretrainingworldwasturnedupsidedown.ThatistheyearthatI
metandstartedtrainingwithEganInoueinHawaii.Sinceourinitialmeeting,EganhasbecomeaworldchampioninBJJandMMA.
WithEgan,everythingwasaboutcombativedrillingandsparring.Asanathlete,Eganknewthatwecannotgointoacompetition
withoutthoroughlytestingthetechniquesthatweplantouse.Thisisevenmoreimportantforstreetselfdefensewherethereisno
refereetosaveyou.Ieventuallyrealizedthatthiswasjustthescientificmethodappliedtomartialarts.Anaviationscientistcannot
justcomeupwithatheoryandincorporateitintohisaircraftdesign,hemustfirsttestthetheoryunderrealworldconditions,check
thedata,andmakeadjustmentstothetechnologyuntilhegetsconsistent,favorableresults.Itisthesameforfighting.Youmusttest
thetechniquesinthefightingenvironmentifyouwanttobeabletorelyuponthosemoves.Justbecauseamaneuverworksagainsta
compliantpartnerdoesnotmeanthatitwillworkagainstanaggressiveattacker.Overthenextfourteenyears,IdovedeepintoBJJ
andMMA,traininghardwithEganandotherworldchampionsofthefightingsports.Ihaveenjoyedtheprivilegeofextensivetraining
withtheMachadobrothers,CarlsonGracieSeniorandhisteam,RandyCouture,DennisAlexio,BaretYoshida,CharutoVerissimo,
MarceloGarcia,andwithmanygreatcoaches.ButasmuchasIloveandrespectthesporttraining,Ialwayshadstreetselfdefense
onmymind.MygoalinJKDUnlimitedisnottotakeexceptionalathletesandturnthemintochampions,buttohelpnormalpeople
whowanttodevelopfunctionalstreetselfdefenseskills.Ialsonoticedthattherearemanyunsavoryindividualsfightingandtraining
inMMAtoday,whichmeansthatamoderndayattackermaybeawellroundedfighter.Thispromptedmetoprioritizetrainingand
teachingforselfdefense,butinamannerthathasnotbeenexploitedbefore.Mydiversebackgroundhasallowedmetodevelopa
uniquemethodtohelpthegoodguymartialartistbeatarogueMMAfighterinastreetaltercation.Hereareafewoftheprinciples.
First,youhavetotraininarealisticmanner.Ifyouwanttodevelopfunctional,realitybasedfightingskills,thenrememberthis:80%of
yourskilldevelopmentisduetoHOWyoutrain,andonly20%isduetoWHATyoutrain.Itisnottechniqueaccumulationthatcounts
most,butskilldevelopment.Ifyoudontgetusedtothefightingenvironment,youwillbelostwhenitisthrustuponyou.Justasa
personwhoonlyhitstheheavybagwontbeabletoholdyourownagainstaprofessionalkickboxer,onlydoingtechniquesintheair
orwithacooperativepartnerwillnotprepareyoutohandleanMMAfighter.Icoinedaphrasemanyyearsagothatstillholdstrue:If
youwanttolearnhowtofight,youhavetopracticefightingagainstsomeonewhoisfightingback!Noamountofstatictrainingwill
prepareyouforthedynamicsofanaggressiveattacker.AsBJJluminaryJohnMachadosaidsowell,Nosparring,nomiracles.This
isthefirsthurdletoovercomeifyouwanttohandleanMMAfighter.Thefighteractuallypracticesfightingineverytrainingsession.
Hemayalsohitpads,skiprope,andworkontechnique,butthemajorityoftrainingtimeisspentinsparring.Thisgiveshim(orher)
thetimingandsensitivitynecessarytoapplyfightendingtechniquesagainstaresistingopponent.ToquoteAristotle,Whatwemust
learn,welearnbydoing.Practicingtechniquesinastaticenvironmentwillgiveyouskillinthestaticenvironment.Onlysafefree
sparringagainstaresistingpartnerwilldevelopskillsnecessarytoprevailinthedynamicenvironmentofarealfight.
Second,youneedtotraininacompletemannersimilartoMMAfighters.Ifyoudonttrainthekickboxing,clinch,andgroundranges,
youwillhaveseveredeficienciesinyourdefense.Youmusthavetheabilitytokickbox,avoidtakedowns,dotakedowns,andgrapple
fromthetoporbottompositions.HowmanytimeshaveyouseenanMMAfightwhereonepersonisagreatstrikerandtheotherisa
greatgrappler?Ifthestrikercannotgrapplewell,hewillbetentativeinhisstrikingforfearofbeingtakendown.Agrapplerwhocannot
strikewellwillbedestroyedbythestrikerwhocanavoidthetakedown.IfyouwanttobeabletobeatanMMAfighter,youneedto
developskillinalloftheranges.Yoursparringshouldspanalldistances,makingtransitionsfromyourfeet,totheground,andbackto
yourfeetagain.Thisgivesyouthebenefitofbeingacompletefighter,onewhoisexperiencedineveryposition.Rememberthata
blackbeltstrikerwithnograpplingexperienceisquicklydemotedtowhitebeltwhenhisbackhitstheground.Dontletthatbeyou!
Thenextstepistoaddyourstreetorientedselfdefensetechniquesintoyoursparring.YoudontjustwanttodoMMAsparring,you
wanttotraintohaveadistinctadvantageinarealfight.Isntthatwhatourtrainingisfor,togiveourselvesanadvantageagainstthe
badguys?Thendontplaybytherules!Doyourdrillingandsparringwithallofthefoultacticsandtechniquesfromyourselfdefense
system.Thisrequirescontrol,goodprotectiveequipment,andgreattrainingpartners.Addinggroinstrikes,throatgrabs,bites,hair
grabs,andevencollarchokeswillgiveyouagreatadvantageoverthesporttrainedfighter.ThetruthisthatMMAfightersdonttrain
todealwiththefoultactics,sotheyarentbepreparedtodefendagainstthem.Infact,theyactuallytrainthemselvestoavoidthose
attacks,andthismakesthemvulnerable.Ifyouplaywithyourfavoriteselfdefensetechniquesinsparring,youwilldeveloptheability
tousethoseportionsofyourarsenalwhicharenotallowedinthecagesport.Andthatiswhereyouwillgainagreatadvantage.
Aftersparringlikethis,youwillfindthatyouneedtomakeimportantchangestoacrucialelementoffightingyourposture.Inthe
kickboxingrange,IhavefounditbesttostickwiththeposturethatBruceLeehimselfhandeddown.Keeptheleadlegclosetobeing
inlinewithyourrearleg,withyourkneepointedslightlyinward.Thismakesitmuchharderforyouropponenttoscoreagroinkick.
Oneswiftkickinthegroinandyouforgetallofyourtechnique,soprotectyourself!TheMMAfightergenerallykeepsawiderstance
thatissuitableforstrikingandfordefendingtakedowns,butthisleavesthegroinopentoattack.Thatisgoodforyou!
Intheclinch,thepostureissueisevenmoreapparent.Whathappenswhenafighterispushedupagainstthecage?Bothfighters
adoptaverywidestanceinordertoprovidegreaterstabilityandtopreparefortakedowndefense.But,theyarebothsusceptibleto
beingkneedinthegroin,anditoftenhappensaccidentallyduringbouts.Withstreetorientedclinchtraining,theselfdefensefighter
mustadoptaclinchposturethatnotonlyprotectsagainsttheknee,butalsocontrolsbothoftheopponentshands.OfteninMMA,the
fighterswillbeintheclinch,bodytobody,withonearmcontrolledandonearmfree.Often,bothfightersthrowshortpunchestothe
sideoftheheadorbody.Notdamaginginthecage,butimaginethatyouropponentsfreehandwasstrikingorgrabbingyourgroin.
Verybadindeed!His(andyour)handsarealsofreetogougetheeyes.Intheclinch,wecannotleavethehandsfree.Butwecanuse
theMMAfighterssportspecifictrainingagainsthim.Hewillusuallyleaveatleastoneofyourarmsfreeashecontrolsyourhead.
Thisallowsyourfreehandtoattackthegroin.Bytrainingthisinsparring,attackinganddefendingthegroinshotswillbecomesecond
http://jkdunlimited.com/articles/byburtonrichardson/howtobeatamixedmartialartistonthestreet/

1/2

11/3/2016

HowtobeataMixedMartialArtistontheStreetBurtonRichardson'sJKDUnlimited/ForStreetSelfDefense

natureandyouposturewillchangeinordertodefendtheseattacks.Youmayfindusesforsomeofyourtraditionalstanceswhenyou
startsparringwiththestreettactics.Oneofmytrainingpartners,SifuDavidGiomi,isalsoakungfuexpertandlovesthetraditional
arts.Healwaysgetsakickoutofhowmyposturehasevolvedtoresemblekungfustances.OnepostureinparticularthatIhave
developedintheclinchlooksamazingsimilartoaclassicalmantiskungfuposture.(SeeChokephotos)
Ontheground,yourposturemustchangetoaccountfortheeyestrikes,groingrabs,andheadbuttswhichareoftenavailablefrom
thetopposition.Withpropertraining,youwillbeabletogetgoodpostureandsetupthesemovesfromadominantposition.Ifyou
useamoresportorientedpostureyoumayleaveyourselfopen.Asimplethinglikekeepingyourkneestogetherwhenworkingyour
guardcanhelpdefendagainstapunchtothegroin.SinceBJJandMMAfightersdonthavetoworryaboutthat,thelegsareoften
spreadwide,especiallywhendefendingtheguardpass.Ifyoutraincorrectly,youcanusethistoyouradvantage.Awordofwarning
aboutrelyingonfoultacticsbecarefulaboutgoingfortheeyesandgroinifyouareonthebottominabadposition.Manymartial
artistswithoutgrapplingexperiencethinkthattheywilljustgofortheeyesorgroiniftakentotheground.Whenyousparwithskilled
partners,youwillrealizethattryingforagroinstrikefromabadpositionmayactuallymakethingsevenworseforyou.
Letssaythatyouhavenottrainedingrappling,yougetintoafightagainstarogueMMAfighter,andsuddenlyfindyourselfonthe
groundwithhimsittingonyourchest.Ifyoutrytogougehiseyes,hewillinstinctivelymoveawayfromyourattemptwhilekeeping
themountposition.Icanguaranteethathewillnotjustmagicallyfalloffofyouandrunaway,evenifyoudogethimintheeyes.
Thereistoomuchadrenalineflowing,andfightersareusedtopain.Theresultofattackingfromaninferiorpositionwithoutknowinga
technicalescapeisthatyounowhavegivenhimagreatidea.Nowhewillstartattackingevenmoreviciouslyfromhissuperior
position,andmayevenstartgougingyoureyes!ThisactuallyhappenedhereinHonoluluinastreetfight.Onefightertriedtobiteand
clawhiswayoutofabadposition,butthejiujitsufighterkeptthetoppositionandstartedgougingback.Itwasntpretty.Usethe
groinandeyestrikesfromgoodpositions,ortocreateanopeningforyoutoescapefromabadposition.Ifyoudonthavefunctional
groundtraininginthefirstplace,thefoultacticsarenotgoingtohelpmuch,andmayevenescalatetheviolenceagainstyou.
Hereismytheoreminanutshell:ifanMMAfightergoesagainstaselfdefensetrainedpersonwithsimilartrainingandskilllevel,the
streetorientedmartialartistwillusuallycomeoutontop.Heusestacticsandtechniquesthatthesportfighterisnotpreparedto
defend.Butthetraininghastoberealinordertodeveloprealfightingskill.LetmerepeatmybeliefthatRealityBasedis80%how
youtrain,andonly20%whatyoutrain.Youmusttrainlikeafightertobeatafighter.Ifyousafelyincludethestreettacticsinyour
sparring,youwilldevelopfunctional,streetspecificskillsthatcanbeusedundergreatstress.Ifyouareoutonenightmindingyour
ownbusinessandabelligerentpunkwithMMAtrainingdecidestopickyouashistarget,itwillbeyourstreetspecific,sparringbased
trainingthatwillensureyourvictory.

http://jkdunlimited.com/articles/byburtonrichardson/howtobeatamixedmartialartistonthestreet/

2/2