At what range do you fight best?
It is clear to me that if two unarmed opponents face each other, they may fight in any or all of four possible combat ranges. As I see it todays martial artists are sometimes not trained to fight effectively at all four ranges. The four ranges I am speaking about allow for all possible types of techniques regardless of what type of fighting methods used.
These fighting ranges are:
1) Kicking range
2) punching range
3) Trapping range
4) Grappling Range
These are the only possible ranges within which two combatants can effectively fight. These ranges at times overlap each other.
The problem sometimes is not weather you are well trained. Sometimes it is are you well trained to fight effectively at all four ranges of combat.
Some examples of what I mean by this are:
1) A boxer is very well trained to fight at punching range. He can also fight with some effectiveness at closer ranges. However his most effective techniques are at or close to punching range.
2) Korean styles like the many Tae-Kwon-Do styles (more than 75 known forms of this art) tends to use kicks most often. Although many Tae-Kwon-Do practitioners can fight at closer ranges, their biggest ability is close to Kicking range.
I could give more examples of other arts to illustrate what range or ranges that they us most effectively. My comments are not to say that one type of fighting is better than another. My point is to show that if forced to fight at ranges that you are not well trained to defend yourself at you are at a disadvantage.
Today everyone is really hyped up about the ultimate fighting championships. What is becoming clear is that to be a well rounder martial artist, it is necessary to be able to fight well at all four ranges.
The common practice is to train in several different martial arts in order to be skilled in all areas. While works. The problem is not with any individual traditional martial art. Long ago in the early days of the martial arts, the arts were much different. Traditional martial arts at that time taught students to fight (real combat not competition) at all four ranges. Several things have happened since then. The changes are to numerous for me to list. It is plain that a few things are clearly responsible for todays martial arts not being as well rounded.
1) Martial arts instructors are less knowledgeable about all of their art, thus they do not teach what they don't know.
2) Martial arts students many years ago spent much more time training and could be taught more.
3) Today the requirements to become an instructor do not require as much knowledge or ability as was common in old times. Under the old masters, it was not uncommon to train 20 to 30 years before being allowed to open your own dojo. Today it is possible to get a black belt in as little as 18 months and open a dojo. Surely those black belts can't compare to the students of 50 or more years ago.
There are a few traditional styles of martial arts that still teach all of the original style. To learn the whole system and be effective fighting at all four ranges can take many, many years. So the problem is not that there are weaknesses with traditional martial arts. The problem is in the availability of traditional dojo that teach the whole art. Along with that many lack the patience and dedication to stick out the time required to learn all that an art has to offer. Sometimes this is because the school does not teach the whole system. Other times it is because the student leaves before learning all that there is to offer. In their minds they have learned all that the dojo has to offer. What they fail to realize is the traditionally it is customary to keep the more advanced training secret until the student has proven themselves worthy of it. The advanced training is done by a few of the highest ranked students in private. No one else is allowed to see these techniques. Commonly most students do not even know of the existence of these techniques. They are neither seen or talked about in the regular classes. It is because of the lack of wel rounded martial arts teaching that many martial artists must study several different arts in order to learn haw to fight effectively at all four ranges.
These fighting ranges are:
1) Kicking range
2) punching range
3) Trapping range
4) Grappling Range
These are the only possible ranges within which two combatants can effectively fight. These ranges at times overlap each other.
The problem sometimes is not weather you are well trained. Sometimes it is are you well trained to fight effectively at all four ranges of combat.
Some examples of what I mean by this are:
1) A boxer is very well trained to fight at punching range. He can also fight with some effectiveness at closer ranges. However his most effective techniques are at or close to punching range.
2) Korean styles like the many Tae-Kwon-Do styles (more than 75 known forms of this art) tends to use kicks most often. Although many Tae-Kwon-Do practitioners can fight at closer ranges, their biggest ability is close to Kicking range.
I could give more examples of other arts to illustrate what range or ranges that they us most effectively. My comments are not to say that one type of fighting is better than another. My point is to show that if forced to fight at ranges that you are not well trained to defend yourself at you are at a disadvantage.
Today everyone is really hyped up about the ultimate fighting championships. What is becoming clear is that to be a well rounder martial artist, it is necessary to be able to fight well at all four ranges.
The common practice is to train in several different martial arts in order to be skilled in all areas. While works. The problem is not with any individual traditional martial art. Long ago in the early days of the martial arts, the arts were much different. Traditional martial arts at that time taught students to fight (real combat not competition) at all four ranges. Several things have happened since then. The changes are to numerous for me to list. It is plain that a few things are clearly responsible for todays martial arts not being as well rounded.
1) Martial arts instructors are less knowledgeable about all of their art, thus they do not teach what they don't know.
2) Martial arts students many years ago spent much more time training and could be taught more.
3) Today the requirements to become an instructor do not require as much knowledge or ability as was common in old times. Under the old masters, it was not uncommon to train 20 to 30 years before being allowed to open your own dojo. Today it is possible to get a black belt in as little as 18 months and open a dojo. Surely those black belts can't compare to the students of 50 or more years ago.
There are a few traditional styles of martial arts that still teach all of the original style. To learn the whole system and be effective fighting at all four ranges can take many, many years. So the problem is not that there are weaknesses with traditional martial arts. The problem is in the availability of traditional dojo that teach the whole art. Along with that many lack the patience and dedication to stick out the time required to learn all that an art has to offer. Sometimes this is because the school does not teach the whole system. Other times it is because the student leaves before learning all that there is to offer. In their minds they have learned all that the dojo has to offer. What they fail to realize is the traditionally it is customary to keep the more advanced training secret until the student has proven themselves worthy of it. The advanced training is done by a few of the highest ranked students in private. No one else is allowed to see these techniques. Commonly most students do not even know of the existence of these techniques. They are neither seen or talked about in the regular classes. It is because of the lack of wel rounded martial arts teaching that many martial artists must study several different arts in order to learn haw to fight effectively at all four ranges.
posted by Charles B. Stanley at 8:41 AM
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