Mats are for Martial Arts, not Self-Defense
I often talk about the bad habits that modern martial arts training can unintentionally create, and mats are perhaps creating more bad habits than anything else. That’s right, those semi-soft things you train on at pretty much every martial arts school. Full disclosure: yes, we train on mats as well.
Obviously, we all train on mats for safety. No one wants to get injured in their martial arts class, and just training on mats alone significantly mitigates the risk of injury. What has happened over time, however, is that mats have actually changed how martial arts are trained. With the rise in competition training, mats have become an official part of the game. With mats you can safely shoot, roll, or dive into positions. You can slide your knees, elbows, or head on the ground to secure a technique without consequence. There is no worry about the shattering of bones or abrasions from ‘cheese grating’ yourself on a rough, hard surface. This literal layer of protection has led to some very innovative techniques and strategies, which in turn has greatly increased the artistry of Jiu-Jitsu and MMA. It has also made for more entertaining competitions. The downside, unfortunately, is that somewhere along the way, many teachers have forgotten that the outside world isn’t matted like the gym, and continue to teach and accept these mat-safe techniques for the purposes of self-defense.
When a self-defense situation does occur, you are virtually guaranteed to be fighting on a hard or semi-hard surface. Whether it be a sidewalk, parking lot, rocks, dirt, or grass, none of them are going to be pleasant to fall on. You may have heard the saying,
It’s not the punch you have to worry about, but the fall that comes after.
That saying is largely true, at least in the classic ‘street fight’ context. Concussions and traumatic brain injuries are far more likely to occur from your head bouncing off the ground from a height of several feet than from absorbing a single punch. Imagine standing on concrete and free-falling backward onto your head. Now imagine standing on concrete and free-falling backward onto your head with the additional force from a punch. This potentially lethal scenario is one of many reasons why I strongly advocate moving away from a punching and kicking-based self-defense strategy.
If you are training for self-defense, then you must take into account the surfaces on which you are statistically most likely to be utilizing your training. If you have been training techniques which require a matted surface to avoid injury to yourself, you are doing yourself a disservice, as those same techniques will be working against you on the street. It can be extremely difficult to change your go-to defensive responses, which is why it’s best to not to create bad habits in the first place. As this guy said,
You can only fight the way you practice.
You might say, “OK, I get wanting to avoid shattering bones, but what’s a little abrasion if I win the fight?” In most cases, probably nothing. But just for fun, let’s say you’ve opened up wounds on your knuckles or elbows and you are using them to strike your bleeding attacker. Do you really want to mix blood with the homeless drug-addict who is trying to rob you? Yes, you smashed him into next Tuesday, but you ultimately lose if you test positive for hepatitis. Unlike competition, your attackers do not get physicals before the fight. Self-defense is all about risk mitigation, and mixing blood with a stranger on the street is a risk worthy of consideration.
I try not to teach anything that couldn’t be done out in the parking lot to some degree of safety, and if I do, I discuss the risks involved. Not damaging yourself while trying to damage your aggressor shouldn’t be something you have to think about or adapt to on-the-fly. Your go-to techniques should not work against you. Train on mats, but don’t let mats train you.
To learn more about my strategies for fighting on a hard surface, schedule a time to stop in for a private training session.
