Rules In Combat Sports

There are many different kinds of combat sports. Along with these sports come rules. Many people will look at these sports and judge them based on what they thing will be effective in real fighting. Some styles of kickboxing don't allow leg kicks and knees. Some grappling sports require you to wear a uniform (GI). In boxing there is no kicking. In Olympic style Tae Kwon Do, punching to the face is not allowed. Greco Roman wrestling doesn't allow grabbing the legs. Do these limitations mean that principles from these combat sports are not applicable to real self defense? Absolutely not. If someone has dedicated enough time to developing a certain skill set, that individual will be able to apply there skills against most adversaries. This doesn't mean they are invincible, but they are more prepared than the average person who doesn't train. Rules are put in place to make sport exciting and so that a winner can be determined. Imagine if holding and clinching was allowed in boxing. You would get less action, which means less knockouts. In Judo and Wrestling, athletes could get ahead and stall their way to victory. Even in MMA, if athletes lay on the fence or ground too long with out anyone gaining a real advantage, the ref will separate and stand them up. Fights have rounds the are judged to create a winner. It's not like fighters fight until someone gives up. If there were no time limits, everybody would fight at a slower pace. So, the structure of sport is to provide entertainment and sportsmanship. But don't be fooled into thinking any combat sport is easy or impractical. Keep in mind these are athletes who train many years to develop skills that most can only dream about.