Credit: This was taken from the September 2007 issue of Black Belt Magazine. The article is “COMPETITION vs. DESTRUCTION” by Tim Larkin and Chris Ranck-Buhr. It’s a pretty good article and there are some other good articles in the magazine, including a good one from Bas Rutten.
“LAS VEGAS-Two thugs ambush a well-known jujutsu competitor in a casino parking lot. Without a second thought, he lunges and deftly executes a double-leg takedown on the first guy. The man is knocked unconscious when his head strikes a car door on the way down.
The second assailant comes at the jujutsu competitor with a knife. He parries the blade and immobilizes the limb with an armbar. The man shrieks in agony and begins slapping his thigh with his free to hand to signal his submission. The jujutsu practitioner lets him go, and without missing a beat, the thug recovers and drives his blade hilt-deep into the martial artist’s torso again and again.
The jujutsu expert survives the attack, but he’s not unscathed. His injuries force him to retire from competition, and to this day, he still suffers from digestive problems.”
The article goes on to say “the difference was the ultimate goal each man had in mind.”
“One was thinking competition while the other was bent on destruction.”
I posted this for a couple of reasons. Since we have lots of people who train in different martial arts, I was wondering if any of my UG friends know who this jujutsu competitor was.
I also wanted to make a point about the street being far different from a sport fight.
I believe there is some truth to the fact that you will fight the way you train. I look forward to your comments and hope this will lead to some interesting discussion.
Some people train for the sporting aspect, which is fine. However, some people train for sport and don't realize there is a big difference between sport and combat. Do you train for combat, sport or both?
I remember several years ago there a Highway Patrol Officer was shot. They found him with empty shell casings in his hands, which indicated he didn't let the casings fall to the ground, he caught them like they did at the range.
An interesting anecdote, but how many muggers are educated about submission fighting enough to know to tap out?
I agree that if you're going to lock a joint in reality, you should either use it for positional control or break it, because tapouts are meaningless unless it's agreed they have a meaning (i.e. this is a sporting event or a training exercise, which is not reality).
Good point jellyman, but lots of people would try to verbally submit. Of course, there should be no tapping in the street, especially when a weapon is involved. It sounds like he learned a lesson the hard way.
"Learn from the mistakes of others, it's much less painful." Gary Hughes
"lol, anyone who watched pro wrestling as a kid knows you tap out from a debilitating move."
Now the mugger is banking on his victim being part of pro-wrestling culture at some point in his life though.
"Hey, Hulk Hogan would have let me up man, what gives?"
If this is a true story, well, I think it may be a bit unusual.
That said, not unfeasible though. Culturally we are more comfortable with throwing someone down and/or hitting and kicking them than we are with actually breaking arms and legs.
I have another true story - this guy had a flat and got out to change the tire. This mugger comes up to get him, and the guy throws him down, gets mount and starts to beat the shit out of him. Then the muggers buddy sneaks up and hits him over the head with a club. The guy survived but can no longer see properly because of brain damage.
So competition is not the mentality, but destruction might not be right either. Survival, ie ditch the attacker and then get the hell out, is probably a good idea. Unless you know this is a legit pissing contest and you like that sort of thing.
jellyman...I can't verify the story, that's one reason I was wondering if anyone knew who the guy was.
Escape should always be your #1 priority and tunnel vision can kill you. I always recommend that you anticipate another attacker joining in.
In Downey, CA, 1990, there was a well organized robbery at Pace Warehouse. When the employees came to work, the robbers were inside waiting. One of the workers was able to call 911. The Downey PD contained the store, but didn't check the other vehicles in the parking lot. The robbers had back up and started shooting from behind, wounding a few officers and allowing them to escape. This is an example of tunnel vision and is also a police training video.
I also think this story sounds totally fabricated. But let me give a couple tries at its potential counterparts:
Traditional deadly martial artist gets attacked and brutally beaten to death. He couldn't even score the first takedown, let alone the second arm bar.
Tremendously overweight martial artist (could be RBSD, Kenpo, FMA, you name it) takes out first attacker, but dies of massive coronary due to over exertion when facing the second.
Somewhat proficient deadly martial artist (could also be RBSD, Kenpo, FMA, or any other art that advocates gouging out eyes or stabbing people multiply times in the anus) is hassled by two guys in parking lot and kills them both. It turns out they were just drunk frat boys and the martial artist will be spending alot of time in jail.
All in all I think the sport guy--despite being imagined by a self-serving, paranoid non-sport guy-- did pretty well.
LEMon...again, I can't verify the story, but it's possible. The Highway Patrol Officer catching his empty shell casings is hard to believe too, but it happened. I was working in Law Enforcement at the time and we changed our way of training at the range because of it.
fokket...I am also an advocate of improvised weapons. I carry and train with knives for multiple opponents or weapon attacks.