I’ve been considering whether martial arts should evolve with the times or remain in its “pure form.”

Let me elaborate. I think of martial arts as a vehicle to defend oneself—Self-defence, in other words.

From that perspective, should it not make sense for martial arts to evolve to counter any fighting strategies one might encounter today? I think it’s safe to say that the scene is different today than in the 1950s. Back then, there were no BJJ or MMA fighting systems.

In contrast, we must consider primary defences against those who train in an MMA style. MMA and BJJ have become hugely popular and crossed into the mainstream. More specifically, one can assume that MMA styles have become quite popular among young people aged 18 to 35. While most are in it for fun and competition, one cannot rule out someone from this age demographic using MMA techniques during the commission of a crime. In light of this, I think it behooves one to learn basic counters to common MMA techniques.

In contrast, those who insist on teaching a style dogmatically fool themselves if they think they would survive an encounter on the street.

If they peddle themselves as teaching self-defence while evolving the style to suit today’s environment, they are doing their students a disservice. They need not make any radical changes to teach practical self-defence.

For example, a few weeks ago, Master Ken Smith showed how a traditional karate move could be used to devastating effect against a common MMA takedown technique. It was an eye-opener as I had wondered, over the years, how realistic the technique in question was.

If you are not able to view this video, click here.

See 0:54 of the video, where a palm strike is practiced to the groin area. See the screenshot below.

A depiction of a palm strike to the groin.
Palm strike to the groin.

The major difference is that while the right-hand palm strike is being executed, you would be in a left-front stance, which is the opposite of the stance depicted in the screenshot.

Imagine if the person on the right was attempting a single-leg takedown. You would step back with the right leg and simultaneously palm strike the opponent’s exposed face.

When Master Ken showed me this application, it was an “aha!!” moment. Now, I’m more curious than ever about the applications of traditional karate moves in a street self-defence situation. One need not abandon whatever you are studying to develop good defences against potential MMAish perpetrators.

Of course, if one is looking for perfection in one’s character or desires to compete in tournaments, that’s a different story. Plenty of schools excel in tournament training. However, they may not be the place to look for practical, realistic street self-defence.

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