Jul 12
13
Craig “The Professor” Pumphrey
For a moment I want you to imagine that people no longer go to Martial Arts schools to learn how to fight or learn the Martial Way. I want you to imagine for a moment people learning only from videos that they can watch for free, any time they want, from anywhere in the world. They will then practice these techniques in their garages, yards, and houses to the point that while some will capture world titles, some will only injure & even kill people. Now, if I made this statement 20 years ago you would laugh at me and tell me I was crazy, but the truth is, I find it more common to run into “YouTube Black Belts” than I do traditional Black Belts. This is good & bad, it’s good because there is a wealth of knowledge on the internet that we can all learn from. There are some really neat techniques and shortcuts, but there are just as many dangerous techniques that only few should know. I see it all the time, guys/girls showing some technique he/she learned on the internet and there he/she is trying to apply it during a sparring session. The bad thing about learning something “new” from the web is the missing knowledge. For example: the dangers, the pros & cons, the dos & don’ts with that new technique are often lost in a short on-line video clip.
What many people may not know is that whatever Martial Art they train or dabble in there is something they must understand. The techniques they are practicing are derived from a military fighting art. In fact most martial arts are just that, they were invented to defend their country, families, and way of life. These styles were designed to hurt, injure, maim, and kill. What this newer generation needs to understand, about this new style of learning, is before you started training in your “Sport” it was NOT a sport when it was created. When one learns this you will understand how dangerous these styles are and how deadly these techniques and can be. In the month of April of this year a 14 year old was horse playing and “wrestling around” with his 24 year old cousin. The 14 year old was able to apply what is known as a (Rear Naked Choke) and without him knowing it his older cousin passed out due to the technique used. The 14 year old did not realize what happened, and he didn’t release the hold off his unconscious cousin. Unfortunately by the time someone noticed the older cousin’s face was purple, and told the younger kid to let him go, it was too late. The 24 year old was pronounced dead at the scene when EMS arrived.
Since this unfortunate incident many people are asking a lot of questions about this tragedy such as; did the 14 year old have any Martial Arts background or training? Where did he learn this technique? Let’s examine this and try to find an answer to these questions. I don’t believe this was intentional and I do not know if this kid had any formal Martial Arts training. The fact is this poor kid will have to live with this the rest of his life, and the effects of this will be seen in many ways, in his life in the future. Many young kids are learning techniques such as the Rear Naked Choke on social media sites, YouTube, and from watching MMA fights. The Rear Naked Choke (RNC) is a very popular and devastating technique we often see used in MMA shows like the UFC. The RNC technique to this day still wins fights in & outside the ring and is used in Military & Law Enforcement applications. Millions have seen this technique and thousands know how to apply it, but few know how to read a person’s body, and know when to let go during a scuffle. This is where the lack of experience & knowledge comes in. Even in the ring where professional fighters are engaged in competition there is a referee! The referee looks for the signs of someone passing out so he/she can stop the fight and protect the fighter. I have seen lots of people “Choked Out” and no one died. That’s mainly because the fighters knew when to let go from their experience, or the referee stopped the fight because he/she saw the signs.
So please remember these techniques (All of them) are designed & created from a battlefield before they ever became a “Sport”. The knowledge of the techniques & how the human body responds is very important to learn and know. It’s sad to say that even though we live in a technologically advance society, there will always be a lot of lost knowledge. So to all my YouTube Black Belt friends out there, please spend some time learning the dangers, the pros & cons, the dos & don’ts with those new techniques. Learn the anatomy of the human body, so you can understand why some techniques shouldn’t be shared on the internet, but learned under the guidance of a professional. Be safe.
