In this article, I wish to address the dangers of false confidence. Martial arts and weightlifting share 3 amazing benefits: Discipline, strength of character and self-confidence.
People who engage in these activities are also known for their perseverance and overall strength (physical, mental etc.). This is because these activities are known for boosting testosterone levels and instilling self-confidence that would make one unstoppable.
But here is where the trouble begins. This feeling of invincibility comes at a huge price: at times it is responsible for people losing their own lives.
One might ask: so you are saying that martial artists and bodybuilders find themselves in trouble and end up getting killed?
Yes, you read that right.
Table of Contents
The problem with traditional martial arts
The fact that someone has been practicing choreographed moves that were created centuries ago and are only valid under certain circumstances does not make one the ultimate fighting machine. Even MMA fighters who have competed in tournaments are not impervious to pain, injury or death, especially when they find themselves fighting someone who does not follow MMA rules.
Before I get misunderstood, I am not ditching any of the benefits that martial arts or combat sports have to offer, quite the opposite. I have always been the one to encourage people to pick up martial arts at any age, young or old, and I have been a martial artist and a teacher for many years myself.
However, martial artists often think that their martial art will help them prevail in a real street fight or against someone with a gun or a knife. You will find articles in the news about MMA fighters stopping robberies or knife attacks against 1 or many assailants.
But on the flip side, many martial artists have lost their lives in the same effort but their stories don’t get the same attention from the media. No one talks about this as it might have an effect on the appeal of this certain martial art by hinting at its effectiveness. (There have been some stories about martial artists who lost their lives in fights or street attacks).
I already mentioned what is to blame for this but let us take a more detailed look into why some martial artists lose their lives:
False self-confidence
Most martial arts and combat sports instill a certain self-confidence in people and they think they can dodge bullets just like Steven Seagal in the 90s.
An example of false confidence
Credit: CarltonDry
People fail to understand that whether inside the dojo or inside a ring/tatami, you are fighting in a protected environment with rules and referees and people to interfere or help if things go south.
No one will ever tell you about this.
Bodybuilders, powerlifters or anyone who has achieved an impressive physique through lifting have a certain amount of false invincibility instilled in them. People who lift, often think that, because they can lift 2 or 3 times their bodyweight, they can just pick up people and throw them around like dummies.
I’m sorry to ruin your fantasy amigo but unless you have trained under Alexander Karelin for a minimum of a decade(and have his talent and physique), I do not care how much you can bench or deadlift! Picking up and throwing a person around is not as easy as it sounds (unless you are fighting a 5 year old) and it involves years and years of training!
Karelin: King of Manhandling!
Credit: https://twitter.com/WrestlingMindset
Lack of information and improper teaching
This is a general problem in the martial arts community. I believe that not enough teachers and coaches protect their fighters by informing them accurately about the dangers of fighting outside the dojo/ring. Don’t forget that when you are full of testosterone with your confidence over the top, this is often something you forget so it becomes utterly important that we, as teachers, install this warning inside our students.
This is part of the coaches and teachers’ responsibility to teach not only the martial art but also a moral code and safety tips that apply in the outside world in order to protect their students.
Peer pressure
This is a not-so-common factor but it can still become a problem. If you tell someone that you engage in martial arts, there is a certain sense of adoration and often pressure associated as people look up to you as the protector and savior.
Sometimes one might find him or herself fighting a fight just for saving face. You are not always in a condition to fight and you should never fight others because someone else expects you to. Be your own person.
The media (cinema in this case)
Many movies have been made about martial artists who take on hordes of drug dealers and crime kingpins, destroy entire drug empires and get the girl in the end with only a couple of scratches.
As cool as that may sound, it is so far from the truth that it’s not even funny.
Here’s 2 of the most common scenarios:
Scenario A:
Ex-soldier comes back from his tour of duty and finds his town overrun by criminals and his high school sweetheart under the wing of a drug dealer. When he tries to interfere, he is sent home with a message usually carved on his face or body.
Our hero recovers and comes up with a plan, usually based on his tactical skills and takes down everyone, usually with the help of a goofy friend.
Scenario B:
A person with a dark past moves into town and turns out to be a martial arts expert who works in a pet shop in the morning and fights in tournaments at night. He meets a young woman who is the sister of a troubled youth and takes him under his wing and teaches the secret of martial arts. The troubled youth gets in trouble as expected, hero bails him out but gets injured and has to fight through the tournament in bad shape. All works out in the end, hero gets his prize, scores with the hot chick and the troubled youth goes to university with the money earned from the tournament.
Now don’t get me wrong, I love these movies just as much as the next guy as I grew up watching them, but as my martial arts experience grew and I found myself in real street fights against opponents who did not care about choreographed moves taught in a dojo, I understood how stupid and misleading these movies can be in real life.
In the modern world, 60% of all males have had some sort of martial arts training or have lifted weights. That does not mean they can fight crime or stop bullets with the power of their mind.
Which brings us to the last cause:
Martial arts are not the same as Tactical training
Tactical training is not to be confused with traditional martial arts. The goal of tactical training is not to demo cool moves in front of a crowd. Tactical experts train people with only one goal in mind: survival and perseverance.
You are trained to use a knife, stick, gun to disarm, injure or kill your opponents. This type of training has nothing to do with martial arts, this is military training at its best and often has a result that could be considered illegal in a normal society.
These skills are intended for use in the ‘field’, in combat situations where taking a life is the usual order or it becomes a must for your survival. The order of the day is usually ‘kill or be killed’ and it is not something you would be taught in a martial art school.
There is however, a middle ground. There are fighting styles that focus on Combatives training or Real Life scenarios training where you are actually taught how to respond in certain times of emergency when being attacked in the street by one or many assailants. Lee Morisson and Geoff Thompson are 2 of my favorites from the old school guard of Combatives.
While this is not a martial art, it is usually taught by people with a specific background (tactical or combat). The goal here is not to kill but rather do what is necessary in order to survive. These schools use different settings and protective gear in order to simulate such situations.
Of course there are also martial arts schools that focus strictly on the effectiveness of traditional martial arts. These are usually led by masters who have actually been in the cross-fire themselves. Doug Marcaida and Fred Mastro are 2 prime examples of this and the best in Kali and Silat respectively. In the video below Fred Mastro show a few basic ways to control a drunk person with just a few basic moves. No fancy katas required!
And still, people in such systems will train you and always ask you to remember that there is no guarantee that you will make it out alive by using their techniques. This is something that is often missing from traditional martial arts. There are so many factors, conditions and situations that even if you train all of them, there will always be a few left out. But at least, you as a student/ practitioner, are informed sufficiently and educated in how to do things and what may happen to you if something goes terribly wrong.
The element of luck
Don’t forget that when it comes to such situations, there will always be a small element of luck that needs to be taken into account. It is the same factor that will determine if you get to keep your championship belt in a tournament or if you get to go home alive or not if you get mugged in the street.
Closing thoughts
Bottom line is, that you understand:
- There are not guarantees when it comes to fighting – ever!
- There is often a responsibility linked with the practitioner or martial artist
- Martial arts are not a game or a movie, they can get people killed
- False confidence is one of the biggest problems in the martial arts world
- The difference between a traditional martial art and a combative system
Last but not least, whatever you choose to train in, it is also your responsibility to protect yourself from getting hurt. There are also legal implications with fighting people so always be aware before getting yourself in a situation that can land you in a world of trouble. And above all, remain respectful and humble as those are also parts of practicing a martial art.
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Also if you have any comments or questions, feel free to leave a comment and I will get back to you as soon as possible. Thanks!
by Nick Sigma
CWC, EH, E-YRT200
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