A recurring conversation in martial arts, particularly in weapon and fencing-based disciplines, revolves around the concept of realism in sport and sparring. Practitioners aim to employ effective techniques applicable to their goals.
However, discussions can become intense when addressing rule sets designed for individuals with diverse fighting backgrounds. This exploration will focus on rules specifically for sport and competition, acknowledging that training and sparring rules can be adjusted to target specific skill development.
Sport provides a structured environment for such discussions, characterized by well-defined and shared goals among participants. These goals are frequently reflected in the rule sets governing these activities.
In martial arts, there's often an assumption that the objective is to simulate a genuine fight. A competitive sword fight, or any weapon-based fight, is essentially a simulated duel. The term "simulated" is used because the intention is not to inflict fatal or debilitating injuries on the opponent. In fact, sports prioritize the prevention of injuries.
But what role does realism play in sport? When we talk about "realism," we must accept that the term can have different meanings for different people. What benchmark defines something as realistic? Is realism truly crucial in sport?
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Most discussions center on the potential damage inflicted by a hit and its consequences on a human being. Could it lead to death or dismemberment? Will it cause bleeding, head trauma, or broken bones? Essentially, will it prevent them from making their next move? We must address this question because we take precautions to avoid these outcomes during competition.
Protective equipment, rules, and officiation are in place to ensure the safety of participants. This contrasts with "real-world martial arts," where the battlefield has no rules or referees. Even in a bar fight, environmental factors like chairs and bystanders can influence the outcome.
The physical damage caused by melee weapons is a complex topic deserving separate discussion. Protective gear has become essential for weapon fighters, enabling practice with full speed and contact. This gear provides the first layer of realism, reducing the fear of injury.
Most fighters agree that hitting an opponent at real-life speed is only possible with gear. However, some criticize the use of "too much" gear in competitive scenarios, arguing that it eliminates the fear of being hit, leading to unrealistic actions. They also cite hampered mobility and a false sense of confidence as reasons why gear is unrealistic.
They claim that gear gives one a false sense of confidence and therefore makes things unrealistic. They cite people barreling in without any concern for getting hit, just so they can. They also say that using control and requiring that for competition is enough for safety. Often one who doesn’t defend thinks they are doing better than they are. A novice who ignores defense can land a good deal of hits even on an expert opponent.
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Since gear protects one from the actual injury of a hit, some claim that gear is the reason. The problem that arises often in sparring and sport these days is a “double hit , this is simply when both fighters make a hit at the same time, or an “after blow”, which is a hit from the opponent directly after the first hit.
For those of us in the weapon arts for any amount of time, these double hits are the bane of one’s existence. In a “real life” scenario, meaning where injury and death are the goal, a double hit would incur injury to both players. At that point the relative severity the injuries would determine the winner of the encounter.
In order to incorporate this part of swordplay, it is necessary to find an analog or way to account for that. In a competitive setting, this must be done without disrupting match play so that it provides a modicum of entertainment for the spectators. The general martial arts community falls along a two major differences; one that deals with double hits and after blows with “right of way” or “Priority” rules that dictate that priority to the first attack [Edit}, as in foil fencing. The other is one with no rules of right of way but a “first come first serve” style analogous to epee fencing. Each way has it’s benefits and draw backs, but both are complimentary to each other when it comes to skill building and training value.
There are of course other methods, but those are generally not as common and/or particular to the groups they are used by. In a nut shell, these rules limit when a fighter can attack and when they must defend. One of the main issues with double hits is that one or both of the fighters are not defending.
Rules of priority are used in many cases and rule sets. The other end of the spectrum is the “first hit” method. This is probably the most intuitive style of sparring and thus, is often the method people choose for their competitive events as well. It is very much as it sounds, the first one to strike a target successfully, gets the point.
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This approach is similar to epee fencing, to continue the comparison. But it is a widely held and practiced method. There is an intuitive feeling of objectivity, if I hit you before you hit me, thats a good thing. Although the method is simple to practice independently, the need for refs in a competitive setting should be emphasized. Many of the calls in this style of fencing are judgments based on the referee.
So, which of these methods is more realistic? This is where the conversation will get contentious. Both approaches evolved some sort of realism in their application. But the result one gets from the two can be very different. The type of reality and the way one interprets the concept is also a large factor here. Are we looking for reality of outcome? Or reality of exchange and match play?
For most, the rules of priority seem artificial and intrusive. It makes critics think that they are giving up freedom of action. To an extent they are correct. But that limitation of technique is one that would be omnipresent in a real duel with weapons that can kill. One would more than likely be more concerned with defense if they had been used to the need to read the opponent at all times. This rule set uses incentives to create an analog for the fear of being hit.
The first hit method exchanges that point of realism for freedom of action. Here, the possibility of counter-striking, directly striking for the opponents opening without worrying about parrying and riposting, is introduced into play. One does not have to think about if they have the right to attack or what type of attack can be done. On the outset, this seems like the more realistic method. It seems like what we would naturally find when people decide to fight with these things.
But, is this really an important consideration when thinking of combat sport? Is it even acceptable in sport in general? First off, competitive combat sports need an audience. The sudden and blindingly fast Kendo strike is also a representation of the Samurai ethic of direct action. The bravado of an MMA fighter or Boxer represents the standing up to daily struggles with adversity. Duan Bing attempts to recreate the soldiering practice of short weapons in China.
The fact of the matter, is that no sport is realistic in the strictest sense of the word. Once a combat sport moves out of the realm of scoring points and instead is focused on causing harm, it is not a sport any longer.
But, many people today hold very strict views on what rule set is “good for the sport” or not. This stems directly from the idea that playing a rule set will have effects on behavior and response. To an extent. this is true. However, it is not much of an effort to change rule sets for a sufficiently experienced person.
Often things that are crowd pleasing are seen as merely that, and thoughts of the athleticism, timing and control it takes to accomplish those feats is completely ignored. This leads to the complaint that certain things “are bad for the sport”. On the other hand, rule sets that are just about the first hit can be difficult to watch or get excited about.
In rule sets that do not incentivize defense, many players will not defend at all and if the rules do not have things in place to keep the game play moving, it can easily turn into “wack-a-mole” where it becomes a series of single move encounters with many double hits slowing down the play. In the end, reality is something that can only be introduced into sport by analogy.
So each method has its purpose. Sword/lightsaber enthusiasts would benefit from both methods. The priority method brings you in to the fight more and teaches you to stay there rather than in your own head. It also incentivizes defense and forces longer exchanges. The first hit method teaches countering and being able to move and attack with all the freedom your opponent affords you.
For my part, I think beginners and novices would benefit more from learning a priority based rule set before trying out the first hit method. The skills you can build in the priority method will transfer nicely to the first hit method with minimal effort. Where as, those unfamiliar with weapon combat can have some difficultly in the beginning trying to find the balance between attack and defense, and then the dreaded doubling may well occur.
But this is not a zero sum proposition. Under proper guidance either system will produce good competitors and martial artists. And that is something that should never be lost. These are games that we are playing. They test our skill, give us perspective on our progress, and allow us to have fun with others of our same interest.
But behind all of this is our training. Whether it be in a combat sport like fencing, kendo, or Canne Du Combat or a traditional or historical martial art like German Longsword, Kali Escrima, or Chinese Swordsmanship these skills are universal and it is through training them that we learn how to apply them. We can get good at a game by playing the game.
Below is a combat sports list of some of the most commonly practiced martial arts from around the world.
Judo
Judo was founded in Japan in 1882 by Kanō Jigorō. It is designed so smaller people are able to get a larger opponent to the ground. The objective in judo is to score points via takedowns using trips or hip throws and pinning them or submitting them with choke holds or joint locks. Using an opponent’s own weight and momentum against them is the essence of judo.
There is no striking in judo; punches and kicks to an opponent are against the rules. Judo is an Olympic sport and tournaments are held year round in many countries around the world. A few major health benefits of judo are that it improves a person’s balance, quickness, and reaction time.
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu
Brazilian jiu jitsu, a derivative of judo, is a martial art that focuses on grappling, or ground fighting. The objective is to administer joint locks and chokes so that an opponent submits, or “taps out,” to the pain.
The sport was popularized in 1993 after Royce Gracie, who weighed 180 pounds, used Brazilian jiu jitsu to submit his opponents in the inaugural martial arts sports combat tournament, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), all of whom were much bigger and more athletic than he was. Since then, it has grown and evolved exponentially to become one of the most popular sports in the world.
Brazilian jiu jitsu is a major component of competitive mixed martial arts (MMA), but there are no punches or kicks that are thrown. It is designed so that a smaller person is able to defend themselves against a larger opponent using leverage and their own momentum against them and administering a seemingly innumerable combination of chokes and joint locks.
One major reason for Brazilian jiu jitsu’s popularity is that it provides a person with invaluable health benefits. One of those benefits is an increase in a person’s endurance. Another one is a reduction of mental health problems. Stress, anxiety, depression, and many more can affect anyone at any time.
A third benefit of practicing Brazilian jiu jitsu is that people experience weight loss and an increase in their metabolism because they are burning so many calories and toning their bodies by continually moving around their opponent’s body weight. A fourth benefit is an improvement in a person’s critical thinking skills. Brazilian jiu jitsu is called human chess because both people are working to solve a puzzle by taking advantage of a defensive vulnerability in their game.
Karate
The classical martial art of karate originated in the Ryukyu Islands which lie off the southern coast of Japan during the 15th century. Karate uses strikes involving punches, kicks, knees, and elbows. It is tangential to Muay Thai but differs because it uses quick in-and-out strikes that involve linear movements and focuses on different targets of an opponent.
Full contact is not allowed in most competitions and each strike to specific areas is worth a certain amount of points. Tournaments are regulated by the World Karate Federation. The goal is to strike quickly to score points instead of using full force to knock out an opponent.
Practicing karate carries several health benefits. Training and warmups consist of a lot of stretching, calisthenics, and weight lifting. These types of exercises improve a person’s endurance, circulation, and coordination.
Kickboxing
Kickboxing is a full-contact martial art that uses fast and heavy strikes using fists and legs. Boxing gloves are worn and usually weigh between 8 and 14 ounces, depending on the fighter’s preferences.
It has become one of three major components of MMA along with jiu jitsu and wrestling. A typical non-championship professional kickboxing match lasts for 3 three-minute rounds. Mouthpieces are required and the fighters are not allowed to strike with elbows or knees or when their opponent gets knocked to the ground. The winner of a fight is determined by three judges if there is no knockout (KO) or technical knockout (TKO) victory.
There are many different kickboxing promotions all over the world with fights being held all year long. There are immense health benefits that come with consistent kickboxing training. People’s mental health has been shown to improve due to the feel-good endorphins released during aerobic and anaerobic exercise. Balance and coordination are improved due to the constant drilling. Weight loss comes from burning so many calories per training session, and confidence arises from sparring.
Kung Fu
Kung fu is an ancient Chinese martial art dating back to the Zhou dynasty (1111-255 BC). Sport kung fu is known as Wushu, and was developed in 1959 as a way of standardizing the martial art for competitive purposes. The International Wushu Federation (IWUF) was later developed in 1990 and is responsible for recognizing the results of all Wushu tournaments around the world.
The IWUF categorized kung fu into two different styles. The first is Taolu, which is a solo, pre-choreographed movement demonstration in front of judges. There is often music being played as the performers showcase their techniques of speed, power, and flexibility. The second categorization is Sanda, which is a form of full-contact, one-on-one, hand-to-hand combat competition. Boxing gloves and mouthpieces are worn.
Practicing kung fu has many health benefits associated with it. Physical exercise is a great way for a person to strengthen their cardiovascular system and the fast movements associated with kung fu do wonders in improving speed and coordination. It requires a lot of discipline which inevitably leads to a healthier way of living.
Mixed Martial Arts
UFC - ИСТОРИЯ КРУПНЕЙШЕГО ММА ПРОМОУШЕНА
Mixed martial arts, or MMA, is a sport that combines a multitude of martial arts disciplines, with kickboxing, wrestling, and jiu jitsu being the most commonly practiced among its participants. Competitions take place either in a cage or a ring. Fighters are allowed to punch, elbow, kick, and knee their opponents, hold them against the cage, and take them to the ground using judo and wrestling techniques.
The violent yet popular sport of MMA first came to prominence on November 12, 1993, in Denver, Colorado, when the first UFC no-holds-barred tournament was held to determine which martial art was superior to all others. The one-night event featured eight martial artists from different backgrounds.
UFC events at the time were still considered taboo and the sport was facing an almost insurmountable hurdle for acceptance. Events were banned in most states and were even banned on pay-per-view (PPV). Senator John McCain, after taking money from certain boxing commissions, referred to the sport as a form of “human cockfighting.”
The sport of MMA was almost dead until the UFC placated the state athletic commissions by adding a few rules and weight classes to make the sport safer, more competitive, and more palatable to its niche audience members. This led to other organizations emerging across Europe and Asia, such as RINGS, DREAM, and PRIDE Fighting Championship.
MMA training has been shown to have innumerable health benefits, but it also carries some major risks as well. Despite the violent nature of competition, the MMA community largely comprises kind and humble people, creating a positive environment and promoting a healthy lifestyle.
Many fighters have credited their love for MMA or one of its component disciplines as the reason why they were able to turn their lives around. It also teaches people how to remain calm during intense situations so they are able to more easily figure out how to make moves that give them tactical advantages. Along with the intense workouts that build up a person’s speed, power, and coordination comes weight loss and muscle gain.