Are You A Grappler Or A Hitter? — And Ought You Consider Transitioning?

© COPYRIGHT 2010 BY BRADLEY J. STEINER - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Sword and Pen – November 2010 Issue

[Reprinted With Permission]

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JUST as there are individuals who, intellectually, are more
“scientific/mathematical” and other individuals who are more “verbal/artistic”, so it is the case in combative inclinations that some people tend to be more inclined to favor a grappling/throwing type of combatives, and others who prefer a striking/kicking type of combatives.

If you are involved in the martial arts for competition and sport, fitness, esthetic satisfaction, cultural fascination, or any combination of those reasons, then it makes not the slightest bit of difference which type of martial orientation you elect to pursue. All are excellent, all offer enormous benefits, and each one is as “real” and as “authentic” as the other. Let no commercial goof ball who is after your money tell you any different! Follow and train hard in that which you enjoy the most.

However, if your purpose in training is to acquire the ability to defeat an enemy in hand-to-hand combat and/or to defend yourself and your family against determined and dangerous physical attackers, it DOES make a difference — a big difference — what approach you decide to pursue in acquiring the skills, tactics, and knowledge that you will need to satisfy your objective. That which works in real combat is known, and has long been objectively established and proven. War, and the application of various approaches to self-defense in various “urban
jungles” throughout the world for over 100 years has taught us without doubt and beyond question what is required to meet the requirements of actual man-to-man close-in armed and unarmed combat.

Primarily, it is a “hitting” (or, to use a more substantial term, “percussionary”) approach that close combat and self-defense requires. Fully 90-95% of effective close combat is striking, kicking, butting, biting, kneeing, gouging, jabbing, and clawing. The rest is simple throwing and strangulation/choking skills. These lastmentioned techniques are not the same as the throwing skills commonly taught and advocated in judo and wrestling.

That blows and not throws comprise the last of combative work is an uncontested and axiomatic truth in professional circles. Even in Kodokan Judo — an Art that is largely to be classified as a grappling/throwing type of art — the advanced and most trusted senior students are made privy to atemiwaza (“body smashing”) techniques, so that they will be able to defend themselves under deadly, extreme conditions and in circumstances where their contest-oriented methods are insufficient.

We are not suggesting that “hitting is better than grappling”. We are insisting that, in real combat, it is largely striking and kicking and gouging and related actions that need to be emphasized.

So what is to be said about those whose orientation and inclination is toward grappling/throwing, if there are any in that camp who seek to train for practical purposes? Simple: Insofar as they perceive their need to be self-defense and actual hand-to-hand combat, these individuals need to reorient their training so that they work at and on more combatively-functional skills.

There is no reason why any martial art study cannot be drastically modified — if self-defense is what the participant is now seeking — so that combative effectiveness and practical realism is achieved. Transitioning from whichever art form one has been training in (i.e. classical/traditional or sporting/competitive) to
combat can be accomplished — normally within a period of only two to three months training time. The same thing applies insofar as the more specialized transitioning from grappling to hitting, is concerned.

It is not desirable to attempt to do both one’s former mode of training and a combatively-oriented form of training. Attempting to depart in two directions at the same time is never a good idea. Make up your mind what you want.

“Hitters” who hail from sporting/competitive venues (i.e. competition karate, kick boxing, Western ring boxing, or bare knuckle type boxing) may have a slightly easier time transitioning to combat training, since they are already “hitters”; but make no mistake about there being a real need for drastic alteration in the curriculum! One neither utilizes the clenched fists for punching as a primary “natural weapon” in hand-to-hand combat, nor does one limit oneself to the kind and style of match hitting (i.e. sparring) that typifies all percussionary sporting methods. Blows and related impact actions that comprise the repertoire of the hand-to-hand fighter are considerably more dangerous, brutal, ruthless, and underhandedly foul than are even the most “aggressive” sporting approaches. However, having learned how to properly generate speed, power, and accuracy, while at the same time having mastered balance during the delivery of strikes and the ability to follow up and keep on hitting does give a “hitter” some degree of advantage when he transitions to hand-to-hand combat.

One advantage that a grappler often has is his familiarity with close-in contact and body-holding; in addition to having some familiarization with how the human body moves when in violent close combat contact. A grappler has a “feel” for body movement up close, when grabbing and holding contact has been secured by either or both parties in the encounter.

One thing that all— hitters, grapplers, and “in-betweeners” — who are involved in a competitive/sporting venue MUST begin afresh to acquire, is a proper degree of COMBAT MINDSET. No competitive sport involves this mental conditioning (nor should it), and until the trainee gets his psyche around the mental aspect of the matter, he will not be an optimally effective all-in hand-to-hand combatant. In this regard, at least, hitters and grapplers have the same task when training for hand-to-hand combat.

So . . . if you’re hitter or a grappler you have a job ahead of you if you wish to transition to close combat and self-defense. You’re already far along the way to possessing the physical fitness and agility, and understanding of body mechanics if you’re good at the hitting or grappling art you’ve had training in; but you do need a new repertoire of skills and a deep revision of your attitude and mental set, so that you’re prepared for combat, instead of a “combat sport”.