I spend too much time on social media. One of my most onerous wastes of time is arguing on Wing Chun Kung Fu forums.
Wing Chun is a style of Kung Fu, which I have practised pretty diligently since 1988. Following my Wing Chun instructor, Rick Spain’s, example, I also started practising Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in 1998, the majority of which has been at a gym which also trains successful MMA fighters, Lange’s MMA in Sydney.
Many of the early adopters of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and MMA, outside of Brazil itself, were already experienced instructors of traditional martial arts before they encountered BJJ and MMA.
I believe that with the right attitudes and training methodologies, nearly all martial arts styles can increase your chances of surviving a self defence situation.
Less enlightened practitioners of both traditional and sports style martial arts seem to find it necessary to drag the other side down.
In particular, for this article at least, some Wing Chun guys insist that they train solely for life and death self defence situations, and that those who practice sports martial arts, participate in ring fights, compete in Jiu Jitsu, etc. etc. are doomed to fail in such situations because they will unconsciously adapt to the rules of their sport while defending themselves. Supposedly, the mental straitjacket the combat sport rules impose will prevent them from defending attacks with illegal and supposedly far more effective and damaging techniques like eye, throat, groin attacks, kicks that shatter the knee, etc.
I’m not out to argue about this. Merely to provide examples of MMA, BJJ and other sport fighters who prevailed, and did so quite well, in self-defence situations. The evidence is in.
But first, to give the Devil his due, an example of what happens when you bring Jiu Jitsu to a gunfight. Viewer discretion advised.
That out of the way. Here’s UFC Hall of Famer Matt Serra dealing with a drunk in a restaurant, who was making threats of violence towards him.
Triangles, chokes, and armbars are suicide in “da street”? Woman foils potential rapist with triangle choke – Gracie Breakdown
Jiu Jitsu champ and MMA fighter Ryan Hall subdues belligerent guy in pizza joint
MMA techniques defeat 2 attackers, one armed with a baseball bat
70 (I think actually 72) year old BJJ coral belt subdues a would-be robber.
UFC fighter Polyana Viana beats up man who tried robbing her
Gracie Breakdown: A woman is attacked by a man wielding a knife. The fight goes to the ground a couple of times, but she is able to use the guard effectively to keep the knife controlled, and escape.
This is a live document, with more examples to be added as they come to my attention.