The use of medieval martial art's today

[Benjamin Parker]

Can anyone tell me how much use and effective medieval martial art's would be today in real street fight? would they be as effective as the martial arts that are used today?

[Gene Tausk]

Can anyone tell me how much use and effective medieval martial art's would be today in real street fight? would they be as effective as the martial arts that are used today?

I dunno. What martial arts are used in a real street fight today?

[s_taillebois]

They were obviously effective in their original context. But fighting in harness, horseback or massed archery has gone by the wayside.

European or RMA was effective and could be effective with revisions for modern conditions but given the terms of the initial question that would seem injudicious to answer directly.

[Stacy Clifford]

There are way too many variables in that scenario to answer that question as is, but many of the masters wrote about defending yourself from robbery and assault as well as on the battlefield, so obviously they felt that their teachings addressed that issue effectively in their day (and I doubt the basic nature of thuggery has changed all that much since then). Keep in mind though that they taught for a different political, legal and social environment in which it wasn't only the bad guys who were packing weapons all the time. The assumed average starting conditions you prepare for ("My attacker will probably have a sword/rondel dagger/switchblade/brass knuckles...") can make a big difference in the outcome.

[CalebChow]

A lot depends on where one lives, but I'd say dagger combat and wrestling would be among the more useful ones.

Wrestling is self-explanator...

A knife is easy for anyone to conceal, and if someone pulls one on you and attempts to kill you, I'm *pretty* sure it's legal in the states to pull out your own and defend yourself.
A Brazilian friend of mine said that in his area knives are part of their culture; for eating, hunting, working, etc, and in bar fights the knives are often drawn.

Of course, never appear to be the aggressor; if he drops the knife or runs, let him/her go lest YOU become the criminal...

When I lived in Taiwan there were a lot of reports of gangsters with machetes and/or cheap katanas, but I didn't hear much about actual big gang fights or any violent crimes. Taipei had a surprisingly low crime rate the time I was there. I *guess* if you ran into such a situation messer/longsword might come in handy??

But yeah...I'd say dagger is probably the most modernly-useful WMA weapon one can learn.

[John Farthing]

While I don't have a clearly defined answer to your question as originally posed (I agree with Stacey's assessment of factoring multiple variables), I think it is worth mentioning/considering the socio-psychological dichotomy within these parameters. Ones cerebral 'investment' in the idea of taking a life is likely not nearly as prominent in the martial arts of today as those which might have been instilled in the martial artists living and practicing in a feudalistic society.

[Tony_Klabunde]

Can anyone tell me how much use and effective medieval martial art's would be today in real street fight? would they be as effective as the martial arts that are used today?

Allow me to inject my personal view to answer the question.

Highly effective.

If anyone has ever been in a real fight, you know the real level of skill out there. Now were talking a people where testing your mettle and violence was a every day reality.

the only way you can be sure is find a skilled fighter who has a good working skill in WMA and fight him or her. See for yourself if its useful.

I have heard this question form MA snice the dawn of my 1st training. If I wrestled a world gold medal greekco roman wrestler, hes smoking me, if I fight mike tyson, I'm picking up teeth. If you could conjure a 15th century "master' and pit me against him, I'm probably being handed my sword.

My point is effective combat is just that. effective, Aaron P. said it correctly you have to take Luck, skill, endurance, timing, training, intent and heart, all that wrap it up and do your best. If any one MA was ultimately Superior to another everyone would be BJJ, TWD, NINJA, or boxing but The ucf proved, its not, it had to be mixed up.

RMA is effective because a hundred nations throughout Europe, fought to live, kill and conquer, on foot, on horse, by arrow, sword, spear and axe. Each designed to do the deed it was created for.

A fighter did what he had to do to survive the battlefield and hoped like hell an arrow or stray sword or spear didn't sneak thru.

this is not a dis on anyone or any MA, but like many of us say out here, "we train as we fight".

I once had the privileged to talk to General Blanley; while in OCS, He said it like this.

" War is messed up, our side is screwed up, their side is screwed up, and all plans go out the window once the bullets start flying. The side that "usually" wins, is the side that is the least messed up. That only comes through training."


We do what were trained to do. We train with intent and with what works.

I would have to speculate that a fighter trained and battle harden in any WMA would be a force to be reckoned with.

[Benjamin Parker]

I'm talking about unarmed combat, as opposed to modern martial arts lkie kenpo and jujitsu

[Stewart Sackett]

Well the basic stylistic elements of unarmed Renaissance combat were stand-up grappling (similar to freestyle wrestling or judo) with: dynamic joint destruction, weapon defense (& disarming strategies) & blows to off-balance opponents to create openings for grappling attacks.

Stand-up grappling (or clinch work) has proven very effective in self-defense/street fighting & trained grapplers typically demolish untrained people in fights.

I tend to think of Ringen as Wrestling +

So, assuming someone was a capable Ringen practitioner, I'd guess that it would be highly effective.

[Sal Bertucci]

either way, if they're armed and you're not, the best tactic is to run very very fast. Here's another way that the old "wall walking" training they used to do would have been useful, then if they keep following you you can at least set up an ambush one on one.

[Brent Lambell]

I agree with the point that too many scenarios exist to make anything but a limp generalization. But speaking from my personal experience in ARMA over the last two years, the training has improved my fighting attributes like strength, speed, timing, balance and so on. I would argue that ringen is realistic for self defense in a general manner, if limited. But all in all, I would take some ringen training over nothing at all.

[Sal Bertucci]

I'll give you that.

[Vance Osterhout]

From what Ive seen, the encouragement of aggressiveness and giving you an idea of how to counter things would probably be very useful.

[Will Adamson]

The fighter is more important than the style. As long as certain principles are followed, style matters little.

I'd still carry a gun though.

[Benjamin Parker]

Good point, however I am curious to know if medieval martial arts still have any practcial use today.