This article is part of an ongoing effort by MixedMartialArts.com to understand what really works. The focus is not on what happens in the arena, but rather what happens on the street, or in this case, in the gym. You’re invited to check out more stories on:
1. Martial Arts on The Street
2. Dojo Storms
3. Chinese Martial Arts
Drunken Kung-Fu is an ancient and deceptive style. What appears to be the movements of a drunk person is in fact a sophisticated method of combat, employing striking, grappling, joint locking, evasion, feinting, and ground and aerial fighting. And then there is being drunk in a Kung-Fu kwoon; that’s another matter entirely.
In this video, a drunk has wandered into a Sanda gym, and challenged the instructor. This is, technically, a dojo storm.
What Is A Dojo Storm?
Called Dojoyaburi in Japanese, the practice of dojo storming has a history in the land of the rising sun extending back to ancient times, and is considered by some to be part of the samurai lifestyle. The Kodokan school of judo was intently involved with Dojoyaburi during its early years, and there were karate practitioners who engaged in it as well.
When the Kodokan sent out representatives globally, one of them, Mitsuyo Maeda, carried that spirit to Brazil, where it was widely practiced by the Gracie family. When Rorion Gracie came to the United States, it didn’t stop, and the practice was the inspiration for the founding of the UFC.
What Happened
What follows is wrong. The drunk is helpless, and mounts zero offense. Any sane martial artist or combat sports expert would usher him to the door. Instead, the two fight with bare knuckles.
The drunk is small, shirtless, hapless, and wearing grey sweat pants. A coach or fighter wearing competition shorts is bladed (sideways) in a typical Sanda stance.
Sanda, for the record, is a woefully underappreciated sport. It’s the official Chinese full-contact combat sport, and combines kickboxing with takedowns. Well-known MMA fighters with a Sanda base include Zhang Weili and Cung Le.
The Sanda exponent feints and measures his opponent, who wobbles, with hands low. Then the Sanda man lands a big right, bare knuckle, to zero effect. The drunk appears to be too drunk to know what is happening. Then a low kick lands, again, to zero effect.
Then the Sanda man lands a straight and a jab, and the drunks shakes his hand, indicating he wanted a break. He has apparently noticed he’s getting hit. That earns him a body kick. He appears game to continue, and as the pair circle, with the expert practicing distance management, the drunk yells. The fighter lands a hard straight and left high kick, and again, the drunk appears to indicate that he wants to stop.
He takes a little break, but unfortunately is coaxed back on the floor, in the manner of The Kid killing The Cowboy in McCabe and Mrs. Miller. The drunk is standing, hands all the way down, facing square at his opponent.
And then, basically, his head is kicked off.
The students at the gym cheer, and the coach kicks the air holding his leg out, repeating the technique that won him a glorious victory over a small and helpless drunk.
The Lesson
If a tiny drunk wants to fight, don’t fight him, offer him coffee. And if you are drunk, don’t step into a fight gym looking for a fight.
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