Mike Tyson: The Angry Martial Artist

Take a lifetime of abuse, add in a quart of pent-up aggression, and a half gallon of early success and you get Mike Tyson, the angriest boxer in the world.

Don't get me wrong, I love Mike Tyson. I think he is a phenominal fighter. But let's face it: the secret of his power is all of that hostility he carries around inside of him. And now that he's gone BACK to jail after having been locked up before, and taken a chunk out of Evander Hollifield's ear (as if he were McGruff taking a bite outta crime) the legend of Mike Tyson is here to stay.

Tyson's problem is that he learned how to fight, but never learned anything about using good judgement or exercising control. This lesson is supposed to be imparted in the Martial Arts, but I've seen quite a few instances where it has been sorely neglected.

He isn't the only one out there

Ever seen the Karate Kid movies, particularly the first one? Remember the Evil Sensei from the Bad Dojo who taught that raw aggression is the only way to be a good fighter? Well, Evil Sensei does have a point. Cruelty does have it's benefits in a real fight. If you're cruel, you will do whatever it takes to survive, and most likely, will survive.

Having bounced around to a few different schools for one reason or another, I know that there are teachers out there who are either explicitly or tacitly telling their students that if they are ever in a confrontation, they should try to rip their enemy's head off as soon as possible. However, there is one thing that being a vicious, pit bull fighter doesn't teach you. It doesn't teach the concept of an appropriate level of force.

The difference between a "fight" and "combat"

Mark Animal MacYoung, in his book "Cheap Shots, Ambushes and Other Lessons....", talks about the difference between a fight, and combat. Combat is when someone mugs you, is trying to kill or rape you, or is trying to do you grave bodily harm. A fight, on the other hand, occurs when someone may want to throw a few punches at you, but is really not bent on putting you in the hospital. He or she just wants to let off some steam. He argues that you have to learn enough about people so that you can decide whether some is posturing, merely wants to throw some dukes for fun, or if they really mean to put you in a wheel chair. He also says that you need to be aware that sometimes what starts out as a fight can end up turning into combat (like when the guy pulls a knife, or his twin 6'2" 300LB "baby" brother decides to join in the fun.)

Sound crazy? Yes it does, but believe me, it's true. I'm sure that there are women reading this (and some men too) who cannot understand why someone would want to be in an altercation strictly for recreation. I can't either (other than the fact it must just be a man thing--besides, I can't get with the female obsession with jewelry, but I got my wife the engagement ring anyway), but I can tell you I have seen two instances a where a group of guys will woof at each other, go outside, throw a few punches, then come back inside and have a drink like it was nothing. Weird, but true.

I may be going out on a limb here, but I'd venture to say that the Mike Tysons of the world doesn't know the difference between a fight and combat. Whenever someone confronts one, he is ready to put the person in the ground. In a ring, a Mike Tyson has those padded gloves, referrees, and an arena full of fans that tend to keep him from murdering somebody. But I bet if he caught you alone in a dark alley he'd probably do more to you than just bite off your ear!!!

Appropriate Force.

Some people may think that I am being a bit idealistic, that when the poo-poo hits the whirly-cool-you-off-thingy, it's time to throw down. There should be no holds barred, if someone starts something YOU should end it, and so on. I agree with you to a point. However, there are times when it is appropriate to just use enough force to defend yourself, particularly if you are a martial artist, such as:

• you are attacked by a relative. Unless Uncle Rufus is gonna shoot or cut you, breaking his arm is probably a bad idea
• you are attacked in front of a large group of people. If the witnesses see you stomping someone you've taken to the ground, it may count against you in court, unless your attorney can come up with eleven jurors who are ghetto
• you get into it with a close friend. A broken nose can be a real damper on a friendship.
• you are attacked by someone you KNOW you can beat. If you can beat him, why beat him brutally?? Know for a fact you can knock the crap out of someone and choosing not to is not being cocky, it's exercising good JUDGEMENT.
• you are attacked by a spouse or lover because you startled them. Ladies, it's hard for a man to feel like a man if you've busted his lip, flipped him, or put him in a joint lock. Fellas, if you roundhouse kick your wife because you thought she was an intruder, do yourself a favor, and don't go to sleep.
• someone gets too flirty. In this instance, a poke, slap, push or even firm "No" should do it, unless he is really trying to assault you. No, I don't think a woman should break a man's face if he ONLY puts his arm around you unwanted. Unless, of course, that woman is my wife.

The courts do not like for someone, particularly a martial artist to use a level of force they deem inappropriate for a situation. If you go bonkers and kill someone, unless you can prove 100% that your life was in danger, particularly as a martial artist, you are in for some jail time. That is why Tyson was sent up the river. Because of his boxing skill, his hands are considered by the public to be a weapon. It doesn't matter that the fact is if I put an unarmed Tyson against a crackhead with a metal bat or tire iron, the crackhead would win. It doesn't matter that there were TWO people and only one Tyson in that traffic incident (if those two guys couldn't beat him, or at least protect themselves, man, they must REALLY be weak. They had the odds. Even the Gracies don't claim they can take on more than one person at a time.) The public, and the law, do not see it that way. People with combat skills are held to a different standard than loud mouth drunks or road raged motorists with no training.

Conclusion

Mike Tyson (and other angry martial artists) need to learn how to resolve conflicts without fighting. Not because I think that violence is NEVER necessary, but because there are situations (as is MOST) that do not require fisticuffs. Besides, if not, they are going to spending a lot of time in the cell next to Ben Dover, Ayn L. Reimer and the other members of the Sadistic Prisoner's Union.