In this video, I will explain and describe the differences between a “sport” fight and a “street” fight, also known as an assault, an attack, or an aggression.
Table of Contents
The major differences
Usually, we make the difference between two types of fights: competitive “sport” fights that last, and survival fights, i.e. an aggression that requires the use of self defense. It is very important to understand and assimilate the main differences between the two.
Different goals
Competitive fights aim at gaining points and wining a fight to get a reward, whether it be a medals, a cup, or whatever.
Self defense has the opposite objective since it aims at surviving to go home safe. This is logical. When it comes to the reward, if you are lucky, it is a “simple” trauma, otherwise a stay in hospital. Basically, no material reward.
Tell the difference
It is necessary to make a distinction between sport and self defense fights.
In sports fighting, there is a kind of “equality” and therefore a balance of forces:
- The fights are usually 1 VS 1
- The opponents have the same weapons (bare hands, similar weapons, etc.)
- The opponents have the same weight since there is a weight check before each sport competition. It is a world apart that teaches you how to manage stress, how to deal with the public, timing, precision. You learn very interesting things, but it is not to be confused with what happens outside.
- You fight against someone who has the same level: yellow/orange belt against yellow/orange belt; it is very scarce to see a world champion versus a beginner since the go it to let everyone a chance. In other words, you fight in an equal footing.
On the contrary, in self defense :
- The number of aggressors can vary: 1 VS 1, 2 VS 1, 3 VS 1, a whole group VS 1, etc.
- You can use weapons: stick, knife, tear gas canister, etc. because that’s how it often happens in the street.
- The aggressor can be taller than you, heavier, experienced: if he is a “street fighter” who annoys everyone every day, you, as a simple beginner, will always be less experienced than the aggressor, so there is no equality.
Also:
In sports fighting, there is mutual consent and vigilance, which means that competitors are informed, willing, and mentally and physically prepared for the D-Day. They train to prepare for a competition, and most importantly, they can withdraw if they don’t feel up to fighting.
On the contrary, in self defense, the context is only in the aggressor’s favor since he determines where, when, how the aggression will take place and you are left to suffer and try to react accordingly. “Wait, I give up, come back tomorrow, I’m not in shape”, that doesn’t exist in such a situation so you have to be able to adapt and improvise.
It may seem simple, but these points are necessary to understand what is a self VS a sport fight.
Moreover:
In competition, you are confronted to an opponent who has learned the same techniques as you. Hence, if you practice Shotokan style karate, your competition partner will most likely be a Shotokan karate practitioner. Hence, you are on home soil, you are facing the same pattern, you use precise techniques, so there is a kind of “mirror effect”.
On the contrary, in self defense, anything can happen. You can run into a boxer, a small street fighter who doesn’t know anything about it but who can make moves that you don’t know, in short, it’s totally random!
In competition, some rules and techniques are forbidden, mostly lethal techniques (fingers in the eyes, hitting the throat, genitals etc…).
Even in MMA, in the free-fight cages where it can be very violent, they are not allowed to bite, hit in the eyes, throat and genitals.
“A single rule: there are no rules.”
This is the self defense motto: there are no rules.
In general, lethal techniques are favored during an aggression.
In competition, there are no surprises, because you know when it starts and when it ends. In self defense, it’s the opposite, the aggression comes to you, the surprise effect is enormous.
In competition, we use codified techniques and strategies. Of course, there is a form of improvisation, but we have time to think about using techniques that score the most points.
Competition is not my specialty anymore, I gave it up a long time ago. So, it may have changed since then, but at the time, when we did a kick behind the head “Ura Mawashi Geri”, we got 3 points. Thus, in order to win, some people preferred to do 2 or 3 Ura Mawashi Geri, so they only did that. However, in the street, such a kick is very complicated to realize, and especially very risky!
We’re not playing the same “game”
In karate, if you throw a punch without drawing your fist properly at the hip, you don’t win the point. This is the rule. Try to transpose this technique to the street, it’ll be a sure-fire BOOM.
What about mentalities?
During a sport fight, people play fair.
In the street, there is no fair play, it’s all bout vice and no holds barred.
There is a huge gap between the two
Usually, in competition, practitioners start at a good distance, greet each other and start on guard. In the street, all distances are mixed and one does not often stand in guard.
The sport competition is a framed and secure place, a bit like a cocoon.
As for timing, fights last a certain amount of time, for several rounds like in boxing.
In the street, it’s completely random, and you don’t want it to last.
In a fight, you don’t risk your neck every time you step on the tatami. You are going to get hit, but you are not there to kill each other.
On the contrary, in the street, you have to finish as fast as possible, while staying alive and with all the distances mixed: short distance, long distance, etc…
In self defense, uncertainty prevails, you don’t have time to develop a strategy like in combat. Boxers call this “the observation round”, which means that they start the round but do not attack immediately. They analyze: is the opponent aggressive? is he using his front leg more? is he right-handed/left-handed?’ In the street, you improvise, you don’t have the time to organize.
In competition, you can have outside help thank to the referee helps you who can penalize your opponent if he hits you with too much pressure. Likewise, if you get your nose broken, a doctor comes immediately.
In the street, there is no doctor, and there is very little chance that someone will come to help you. We see this every day in the news. However, we should not over-generalize. Let us keep faith in human beings, it is possible that someone will come to your aid. However, it is very rare, mostly because people are afraid.
The surroundings
In competition, you are in a safe environment, in a heated room, you warm up, you stretch, you are in loose clothing to be more comfortable, etc.
Outside, you do with what you have at hand. Whether you’re wearing jeans or something that’s a little too tight, or ladies, if you’re in a short skirt or whatever, you have no choice but to deal with it.
Also, in competition, the floor is flat, and there is no external danger, because nobody is going to climb on the tatami and stab you (or else you are really unlucky!).
In the street, the ground is not necessarily flat, there are sidewalks, cars, nothing is clear.
The weather conditions
In a competition, you are sheltered and the room is often well lit so you can see what is going on.
in the street, it can rain, it can be foggy, the ground can be slippery, etc. In short, nothing is conducive.
In competition, you are on equal footing, and everything is done to make sure that everything goes well.
The fight distances
This is specific to each competition, but each martial art has defined distances and rules. There are competitions on the ground, like Pancrace, where practitioners can hit very hard and throw the opponent to the ground. In Brazilian Jujitsu, there is only one distance, the contact distance, on the ground. In karate, it is either mid-distance or long-distance, and it is very rare that one enters into contact and stays there; or one enters into contact to throw, but immediately regains one’s distance and makes long strikes.
Outside, all distances are mixed up and unfortunately, it often ends on the ground.
Also, even if it seems logical, in competition, the practitioners wear protections (cup, gloves, mouth guard and sometimes helmets). Even if this doesn’t prevent you from getting hit, it protects you!
In the street, you are not protected, so you should not take protection for granted.
Unless you are walking around with a cup in the street…
Here’s a little anecdote. When I first came to the region, I met a student who always kept his cup on, even when he wasn’t training. He told me one day, “You never know if I’ll run into any chicks”.
What about the law?
In competition, when you fight and knock out, you are not subject to French law. The environment is safe and you have insurance in case of damage.
As soon as you step outside, you are subject to the Self Defense Law, as well as to the Duty to Rescue, and that changes everything!
Self defense VS Duty to Rescue
This does not mean that you can brutalize your aggressor as you could do in a competition “for the show”.
In the street, your counterattack must be proportional to the attack! Also, if you see a woman being attacked by a big guy, you have 2 solutions:
- You can either pretend you didn’t see her, in which case it’s called Failure to Assist in Danger. Then, if there are cameras and the victim stays there, you may be accused of having witnessed and not reacting. Be aware, it happens!
- Or – and this may surprise you – if you knock out your attacker, leave him on the ground to die and run away, if there is a video surveillance camera(s) and/or witnesses, you may be prosecuted for Failure to Assist in Danger. This means that you are obliged to react. You don’t have to give him mouth-to-mouth, but at least to call for help and to tell what happened. You’ll never be blamed for reporting the incident and calling for help.
To sum up
You need to understand all the nuances and differences between a fight in a competition and an aggression in the street. It is not the same at all.
