Speed/Agility vs. Strength/Mass for combat?
03-18-2016, 02:04 PM
First, you need to define what you mean by 'combat'. I don't think you are sure in your own mind, because the options you list are Muai Thai and Krav, one of which is a sport fighting set of rules, the other ranges all the way from SF viable techniques to something taught to overweight mothers to help them pass the time and fight off the non-existant threat of rape (their doughyness being by far the most telling deterrent).
Second, you say 'you can either be strong/tough/big OR be fast/agile'. This is not really true for sporting applications or real world violence. For sports, these qualities exist for all of us on a sliding scale, and you can build your game (and it is a game, which makes it decidedly not combat) around various strengths and weaknesses. For real world violence it is much simpler in many respects - fundamentally you either have a predator's mindset or a victim's mindset. At 135lbs in an unarmed tussle, you're probably going to take a beating in most situations. People like to talk about little guys beating big guys through superior skill, but it's almost always a little guy telling you about 'this one time...'.
The only way this isn't true is if you have the right mind-state, which is that you're the meanest motherfucker on the face of the earth. For real world violence this is how the little guy (or any guy) wins consistently. You have to be prepared to bite a man's eyelids off, squeeze his balls till they burst in your hand, brain him with an ash tray, etc,etc,etc. The point is, you win real violence by being the one most willing to do brutal/lethal damage. You know how a 135lb guy beats a 225lb guy who is making trouble? You shut down the circulatory, respiratory, or nervous system, causing death or serious injury, and you use a knife or blunt object, a 'force multiplier' if you will, to achieve the desired outcome.
This is why I preach the importance of being polite to everyone, and not letting your ego get you into trouble. That way if someone really won't let it go, you are in a position where your choices are simple. People get into trouble because they let themselves get into a reactive cycle, whereby the behaviour of the guy in front of them dictates how they conduct themselves. You unwittingly become the supplicant. Smile, be polite, hold their gaze and say nothing, it doesn't really matter so long as you maintain your frame. Do not allow yourself to be forced into acting out or being stupid.
If you are talking about 'real-world' violence, then my very basic checklist would look a bit like this:
- Take up a combat sport with full contact striking which you can spar regularly in. This will toughen you up, give you some confidence, teach you to take a punch, not freak out like it's the end of the world, and throw something back, and how to handle adrenaline - all good things for real-world conflict.
- The main point of combatives is that you learn techniques for all stages of the fight. A viable sport fighting combination that would give you much the same effect would be boxing/muai thai + catch wrestling/judo/BJJ. I don't actually like 'MMA' gyms for this generally, as they tend to underemphasise standup work (as evidenced by the frankly horrendous striking ability of 90% of MMA fighters).
- Try to visualise scenarios, and how you will respond, when you are sitting at home or walking the dog. The point of this is twofold - it prepares you for handling that confrontation, but it also, perhaps more importantly, allows you to develop common principles for how you will handle aggression, and where your point of action will be.
- Related to the last point, every man must decide for himself where is point of action will be. Know that there are legal consequences for many actions you may reasonably want to take, and decide which consequences you can make peace with. (Example: I will not personally accept anyone getting in my face. Noone has any reason to be within 2 feet of me. I may step back or push them away, or I may lay them out, depending on the circumstances - but the important point is that once that 2ft barrier is breached, I am taking appropriate action).
- Again related to the above, you may wish to carry a weapon on you, legal or otherwise. You may prefer one risk (getting caught) to another (getting beaten/killed)
- Grow up. This applies to all of us to varying degrees. Don't let your ego get you hurt, or force you to make life altering decisions. Be polite, be kind, but be firm. If you can tread this line you will not find yourself faced with violence very often, and when you are it will make things that much simpler. It is much easier to defend yourself in court when any witnesses will tell the jury that you were polite, reasonable and tried to diffuse the situation. It plays much better with self-defense.
- Equally, have principles - know what you are willing to get hurt for. There is a difference between a guy acting up in a bar who has had a few too many drinks, and someone being deliberately aggressive and disrespectful. I'll walk away from the first guy, but the second guy is going to learn some manners in a hurry.
- Finally, accept that if you aren't willing to do whatever it takes to be the meanest dude in the fight, you're probably going to lose. All the skill in the world won't save you if you lack the resolve. There are guys who are great fighters in a ring who'd get their limbs pulled off them like the wings off flies by guys with very little sport fighting experience, but who have the capacity and determination to do extraordinary harm.