Fighting and Fighting Schools

by CP

“You go to the gym every week and deliberately hit each other. You are nuts!” Martial arts students are battered with this stereotyped view more savagely than by their peers, and probably more often. Once it’s known that you practice MA, some friends and co-workers will forever think of you as someone willing to pummel them over an insult, a minor argument, or miscounted change. Leaving aside these affronts to the discipline that is taught in MA, not all MA students are competitive fighters and some avoid combative training altogether. The instruction, school traditions, and the style of the art being taught all contribute to the amount of ‘hands-on’ training that a student gets. So, if you’re new to MA and not sure you want to feel a world-class right cross, or have your head driven into the mat like a fallen meteor, how do you figure the fighting part out?

When it comes to fighting, the dojo itself is the easier piece of the student/school combo. While the ‘martial’ in MA applies to all the arts, some disciplines are more dedicated combat training and competition. If you bring your gloves to a boxing gym, you know what to expect. Unless you’re the janitor, you’re gonna end up scrapping in the ring. Similarly, Judo, Jiu-Jitsu , Kick-Boxing or Muay Thai dojos are considered ‘Fighting Schools’. They are built on a tradition of full-contact competition, and so require students to train combatively. Dojos of other MA disciplines - including the broadly named “Mixed Martial Arts” - have different combat expectations, and can be identified by reputation and observation. In general, you should ask around and visit any MA school before committing yourself, but pay particular attention to how hard and how often they spar or compete (affectionately called ‘banging’ thumping’ ‘rolling’ ‘rumbling’, etc…). If it happens in more than 1 out of 3 classes, you’re courting a bonafide fighting school.

The secret to selecting a so-called ‘fighting school’ lies in your reasons for training in MA. If the thoughts that dominate your brain sound like “It only takes 20 lbs. of pressure to break my collarbone,” you may not be suited for frequent rough-and-tumble practice sessions. Conversely, if your inner muse shouts “I caught a good shot to the head, but once I got my eye back in the socket, it was on!” you’re ready for serious ring combat (and maybe a little less caffeine). Thankfully, most people fall somewhere in-between. Below are some of the more common MA student personalities and the reasons they may or may not want to rumble on a regular basis:

The Socialite

War Cry: “What a sweet hobby!”
Some MA students are forged out of nothing but a vague notion of boredom or a desire to get a life. A socialite may pick out a dojo in order to stay active, meet people, or just for bragging rights. They are not looking for combat, just a healthier way to spend time than in a biker bar. For an S, a fighting school is unnecessarily intense and risky. The same street cred can be had for the price of a Tae-Bo trial membership. Luckily, after the holiday parties, many S personalities get hooked on MA and evolve into focused practitioners.

The Fitness Project

War Cry: “6 months to get buff!”
Countless souls arrive at the dojo armed only with a New Year’s resolution or an ideal dress size. Ripped abs on the beach trumps a ripped hamstring from a grappling bout every time. MA is a great way to get in shape, but a fighting school should raise a yellow flag for an FP. If you’re looking at the scale or in the mirror when the bell rings, you’re gonna get KTFOd.

The Aficionado

War Cry: “Knowledge is power.”
At the onset of their training, aficionados may not agree with the fighting school philosophy. To them, MA is there to provide safety, confidence and/or a sense of tradition. “Why should I get beat up when I train to avoid getting beaten up?” is a reasonable question. The As can usually be eased into more contact as they begin to ‘round out’ their training, but some stay on a more academic path and become ‘technicians’ and leave fighting ‘For Emergency Use Only’.

The Alpha-Dog

War Cry: “Just win, baby!”
A-Dogs live to compete, so a fighting school is ideal for them right from the start. Victory is king, or a bloody nose earned in the attempt. Anything less would be like having an itchy butt and 2 broken arms. You have to keep a leash on the dojo’s dogs though. Big doses of honor and respect are required to keep them in balance. Over-hyped competitors can alienate the other personalities in the school, inflict senseless injuries, or spiral into depression when they discover that you can’t win ‘em all.

The Zealot

War Cry: “Hit first. Hit hard. Hit often!”
Some students carry an intensity and seriousness about MA that goes above and beyond. For them, each fight is not a contest, but a life-and-death struggle normally found in the animal kingdom. This uber-gusto can be born of traumatic events or an extremist personality in general. While the fighting school is well-suited for the Z type, Zs require even more watching than A-Dogs, as they can be surprisingly brutal. The most extreme, undisciplined cases have to be turned away from the dojo because hugs and I-love-me time will help them more than violent expression.

Real people are made with complex parts, so the appeal of an amped-up combat school will vary according to a combination of the profiles above. [For more on MA student personality, see ‘What’s Your Fighting Style?’ by Meredith below.] Marines say that nobody likes to fight, but somebody has to know how. There is plenty of proof that ‘hands-on’ training adds a practical side to your MA skills, but that doesn’t mean that you have to glove up and challenge pro fighters to a live bout every time you hit the dojo. Your own goals and needs should determine whether you belong in a school that invites you ‘turn it up’ once in a while, or blast away like a rabid gunslinger.