Technical Aspects of the Martial Arts
Unarmed fighting has become more of a civilian sport, and the techniques
practiced are less lethal. Many practitioners study only a limited number of
fighting techniques within a single system.
In the past Japanese samurai, Mongolian horsemen, Manchu bannermen, and
European knights spent a lifetime learning the highly complex art of fighting.
It took many years of discipline to master the techniques of unarmed fighting
and fighting with weapons, and training was honed by close-quarters combat that
resulted in real fatalities. Although soldiers continue to be trained in these
arts today, given the advanced technology of modern warfare they are less likely
to engage in unarmed fighting. Unarmed fighting has become more of a civilian
sport, and the techniques practiced are less lethal. Many practitioners study
only a limited number of fighting techniques within a single system. Others like
to gain diverse skills, and most martial arts schools include the study of
techniques from different systems. In some systems, advanced study is not
offered until a practitioner has been studying and training for many years and
gained a certain level of skill.
Types and features of fighting include: long- and short-range unarmed fighting,
armed fighting, grappling, the use of pressure points, self-cultivation, single-
and multiple-opponent fighting, fighting without injuring the opponent, and
avoidance of fighting.
In long-range unarmed fighting, participants have time to react to visual
stimuli, which allows the execution of both powerful strikes as well as subtle
feints. In short-range unarmed fighting, practitioners must react quickly to
tactile stimuli. Feints are difficult to do, as speed and reflex assume
importance.
When using grappling techniques, leverage and physical strength are important.
Participants wrestle each other to gain submission of the other or find a weak
spot for striking. At this range, pinching, biting, and spitting may also be
used if not forbidden by the rules.
In armed fighting, the reach of the practitioner is increased and strikes are
more destructive. Each weapon and range has its own techniques, and several
weapons are generally studied. For efficiency and simplification, a
well-designed teaching system will emphasize similarities in technique.
Incorporating the knowledge of pressure points can increase the effective use of
traditional techniques and add a new range of options. When striking the body,
for example, the target point can be chosen to bring about a specific effect.
Self-cultivation techniques enhance moral, emotional, and physical development.
Some martial arts schools have character development as a main goal. Acquiring
skill in a martial art form takes patience, dedication, and persistence, all of
which benefit the practitioner in developing strength of character. A school
focusing on self-cultivation emphasizes techniques and training that encourage
and support this development.
Traditional duels and modern sparring matches consist of single-opponent
fighting. Expert fighters are pitted against each other and must follow a
definite set of rules in fighting until one is declared the victor. In this type
of fighting, footwork can be simplified, as quick turns are rarely needed. In
such matches, opponents tend to be equals in skill.
In fighting multiple opponents, tight footwork is needed to allow quick turns.
Some martial arts systems specialize in teaching techniques for handling
multiple opponents simultaneously. Opponents are assumed to be at a lower level
of skill than the practitioner.
Police and security work focus on techniques of fighting without injuring the
opponent. Methods and procedures are taught that minimize the possibility of
physical damage to the opponent. Techniques include disarming, locking, and
immobilizing or restraining the opponent. Various types of holds and controlling
techniques are taught. Striking techniques that can disable or kill an opponent
are not taught.
Some martial arts systems, especially those that focus on basic self-defense,
teach avoidance of fighting altogether. Techniques include instruction on how to
become aware of potentially violent confrontations and situations, defuse them
before they arise, and de-escalate them if they occur. In these systems,
fighting would be engaged in as a last resort when it is unavoidable.
