The Dragster, The Stock Car and Your Grandma's Oldsmobile

What do cars have to do with self defense, martial arts and your average person?

This is one of the best analogies to describe the difference and the purpose between martial arts, self defense and your average joe (or josephine).

The stock car represents martial arts and combat sports, the dragster is self defense and your grandmother's Oldsmobile is your average person. All are cars, with engines, wheels and basic qualities that make them cars. You can steer them, they have brakes, motors and all function in the same way but that's where the similarities end.

The drag strip is a street fight.
The dragster, like self defense, needs to be fast, powerful and to the point. It happens in the blink of an eye. Once you decide to go, you go. The way you drive a dragster is VERY similar to how you approach self defense. Get off the line first, move forward, take ground and steer very little. Speed and power are king, focus and intent on beating your opponent as fast a possible is a must. Any attempt to deviate from your initial launch and you're done like dinner.

NASCAR is the combat sport arena
Stock car racing is much like martial arts or combat sports. The goal is the same- you still want to beat the guys your racing. The difference is it's over a longer time period in a much more controlled environment. It takes more skill and training. It's more complicated, there are passing and drafting strategies and a lot more rules to follow. The stock car in the NASCAR environment is king.

Now let's look at Grandma's olds. This represents you average person. Little or no training, with average fitness. Around your block you may win some or lose some, but if you go to the drag strip or the NASCAR circuit you would get crushed. Sure, you may get lucky and your competitor makes a mistake, a missed shift or a mechanical failure. But make no mistake: that is the ONLY way grandma's sunday driver can win. Even if the average person met the MMA expert at the drag strip: it's still bad for the Oldsmobile.

What if we took the dragster to the NASCAR circuit? We put that self defense expert in the Octagon. He would get crushed. This is why self defense NEVER works in the sport arena. It is completely out of context. The intent and design have no place in this venue. Yes, he may get a lucky shot, but that's all it would be.

How about the stock car at the drag strip? The stock car would get hammered 99.99% of the time. While in the street, the MMA fighter would wait for an opening, the self defense expert would be doing what ever it took to end the fight by what ever means needed.

Even though things look similar, they are not. Intent and purpose are everything. You need the right tool for the right job.
Oh, and grandma's olds kick your butt? Maybe your riding a bicycle, you better get to training.