And going with what Ghost has written, these techniques need to be practiced in a live environment to make them work. Whether you are focusing on gauging, ripping, bitting, stomps etc - need to be done against resisting opponents in as spontaneous environment as can be done - without maiming your training partner - hence the reason and need for sport-like training methods.
Tigerclaw, there are full padded suits, with thick masks and groin protection that martial art schools can purchase that allow practitioners interested in Self-defense to do full contact head butting, eye gouges, knife-hand style strikes to vital parts, groin strikes/control, stomps.
The difference between any TMAist that makes his style work and any MMAist is that the MMAist can learn simple techniques delivered from simple/direct footwork and put them to use right away in the environment they are intended for.
The TMAist has to take alot longer time to adjust to a completely new way of moving that seems foreign to them; he or she may not be used to and "figure out" how to make their body work for them while changing stances. Once they have this completely new style of moving, and striking, they then have to find a way to practice this (which is not readily available unless they buy said equipment). The outcome is the same - an individual who understands how to use their footwork, changes in center of gravity, how to use their hips, legs, evasive head movement to kick, strike, infight, grapple.
MMA quickly mass produces hardened, tough ring fighters with some techniques they can use for self-defense.
TMA (assuming quality instruction and indiv. experience) produces more well-rounded individuals, who might do so-so in sparring/grappling but whom have more tools at their disposal outside of the ring - that their opponents may not expect or have seen.
That's why sometimes you see a Tae kwon do guy find an opening, throw a high, hard, fast hook kick and knock out some dude who was expecting a slug fest or a shaolin stylist jam his fingers on a nerve bundle on the base of the neck (looking like he's just touching him) and put the guy off balance. |