this whole "real fight" stuff everyone yaps about online is bullshit.
any form of combat sport is just as much as a real fight if not more. Yes there are rules, but the fights go the distance where as most "real fights" are typically a few seconds before someone stops, runs away, or breaks it up, or calls the cops. What all you guys consider "real fights" are usually something along the line of bar fights or since most of you are kids, meeting at the flag pole at 3 o clock. Most people in society are not dangerous criminals willing to kill you over an altercation. Those people exist but the majority of them are in prison. (i work in a jail) and the way most jail/prison fights go are either quick brawls that get stopped by the guards fairly quick, or some type of sneaky dirty unfair planned out number attack or stabbing. the point im trying to make is that level of intensity and willingness to kill or inflict damage or harm are different in every situation, yet they could all be classified as "real fights" since there are no rules. A gladiator fight in the coliseum had no rules, thats a "real fight", a bar fight has no rules, thats a "real fight", a fight in the walmart parking lot is a "real fight" with no rules. Those are all "real fight" but the level of intensity and willingness are different across for each situation. Most people are not thinking or willing to do a coliseum death match in the parking lot. However for the physical act of fighting, whats used in MMA, which is the act of fighting, is whats most successful, its simply human fighting. At the bar i could say something like please dont hurt me, let me buy you drink, and slip some poison in the drink i buy you. is that MMA no. is it fighting, no. but its something that could be done in a no rules "real fight". In the walmart parking lot I could decide to run you over rather than get out and fight. thats not fighting, but its something that can be done in a no rules "real fight". the possibilities, scenarios, and examples are endless. But as far as actually engaging in physical confrontation and the act of fighting, MMA is it. All this real fight bullshit I see all over sherdog is usually posted by keyboard warriors that dont know wtf they are talking about. such as punches to the body in a "real fight" yes they work in "real fights" and "fake fights".
While there is some truth to what you say you are buying too much into the myth that mma is necessarily close to real fighting.
Prison fights are really not representative since they are usually over so quick and in a controlled environment.
Aside from keyboard warriors or people who dont train and watch deadly kungfu movies lets look at some facts.
While MMA
training prepares you very well for real altercations and the fights itself are as real as sport encounters go it is true only to say that 'it is as close to a real fight as possible in a sports environment'.
I agree with you the scenario and level of intensity of attack is what counts and how far people ae willing to go. Problem is this can change things so much so that the mma comparison becomes very dubious.
So we are taking about most common on average scenarios
The clearest example is BJJ and wrestling, the two most popular bases in US mma, and neither would be recommended at all in most situations in a real fight.
BJJ and wrestling
- both almost useless against more than one opponent
- even in 1 on 1, others guys friends or even bystanders who think you are beating him up might decide to kick or stamp on your head if you are on the ground, with shoes resulting in you possibly getting permanant damage. To go the the ground in most real recounters whether street or bar is not advisable and can be suicidal.
- both very limited or useless against someone with a knife or other weapon, or if they pick up a makeshift weapon. Many tma techniques would actually be preferable here and will usually be striking based although it is true any barehanded style will struggle here.
Even an idylic 1 on 1 with no other variables
- any shoes make kicks more dangerous.What if even he is wearing steel toe boots?
- the groin shot, Bas Ruttens go to real fight move. Look at Alessio Sakkara vs Ron Faircloth, a several tiers lower level mma fighter. After the deliberate groin shot 10 seconds into rd 2, Sakara was literally rolling around on the floor for 10 minutes. And this was wearing a protector cup and without shoes. Even an average joe with intent could potentially do this as an equalazer against a highly trained fighter and it could have a reasonable chance to work effectively.
- other dirty tactics or illegal strikes. Trouble is, it works in real fights as seen even many times in mma with ' accidental' eye pokes like Liddel was expert and finished or disrupted fights with. Would completely change the nature of the game.
Yes a guy who trains mma could use these tactics also but if both are using dirty tactics it really evens the odds much more in a real fight and the result wont look like mma a whole lot anymore.
We can conclude that generally standup is far preferable in a real fight situation and to get off the ground asap if it goes three, even if you are on top in many situations. Very different from mma fighting and training where grappling tends to predominate alot.
So for self defence and real fighting, sonething like Boxing is generally far greater than BJJ in most situations whereas we know in an mma environment a pure BJJ guy would usually win.
So again, not that someone who spars live in a good system wouldn't beat most untrained guys or many tma guys who dont spar in a real fight, but he would have to adapt what he does so it will look very different, and the other variables to consider mean what is done in the ring environment may not be applicable or may even be dangerous to try.
Something like Bas Ruttens self defence tactics would be recommended for most real fight situations. Far more close to Krav Maga than BJJ (Bas actually did some collaboration with the Krav guys also)