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AF came to the Learning Lab without any prior knowledge of Liberation Martial Arts (LMA) or martial arts in general. He couldn't tell you the difference between Brazilian jiu-jitsu and kickboxing. With chronic pain and no athletic background, his initial goal was simply to move without pain. Over time, however, he developed an interest in martial arts, particularly kickboxing.
Unlike people in commercial competition teams, AF doesn't see himself as a fighter and doesn't train to become one. He wasn't already watching kickboxing or MMA, and he still doesn't—it's not something he even thinks about outside of training. While competitors from commercial gyms immerse themselves in the world of combat sports, AF only develops his skills during the two times a week he trains. What people do in commercial gyms didn't matter until AF decided he wanted to compete, because he would be competing against them. He was the first to make that decision, and when we saw a technical Thai-boxing competition, it looked fun, and we all wanted in.
Given that AF's time dwelling in combat sports is limited, we had to make the most of it. Fortunately, LMA isn't just liberatory, care-informed, and trauma-informed; it's also more efficient at developing movement skills than commercial gyms.
Learning in LMA doesn't happen through top-down instruction, yet the approach is heavily structured. It's not rigid like a commercial gym, but it's also not laissez-faire like an old-school boxing gym.
The competition provided a target for organizing AF's training. Competitors in these events are often bigger for their weight class, and there's always a chance of facing someone in a different weight class. They'll almost always be younger and stronger, train more frequently and for longer, be more willing to brawl, eat shots to give shots, and save nothing for the trip back home. Competition means more to them than it does to us. For us, it's just another game.
In commercial gyms, you're conditioned to treat everything as high stakes. For us, since we're doing this for fun, we don't want to be injured or unable to function the next day. We also don't want to hurt anyone.
AF began training in the gear he'd wear in the competition. We designed games to acclimate him to the rules and scoring and to simulate brawling conditions. He competed, and he did great. I previously posted about it. He had no immediate plans to compete again, but when he became aware of a local event, with less than a week's notice and no special preparation, AF decided to compete again. He went in as he was and adapted on the fly.
AF, in the blue chest guard, has been training twice a week for a little over a year. He faced an opponent who has been training almost every day for several years, who is 17 years younger and 15 pounds heavier. Why he was matched with someone in a higher weight class despite an even number in his division was unclear. There were many unknowns—you didn't know when you'd compete, against whom, or why you might be matched outside your division. When your name was called, you just had to be ready.
We've noticed that if there are two competitors over 30, rather than being paired together, they'll be matched with younger competitors. There's no rhyme or reason; that's just how it works sometimes. We just have to be ready for any situation and voice our concerns when we have them.
Since AF had to adapt on the fly and maximize the training he'd done, the priority was to keep his executive functions online, manage his anxiety, and channel it into excitement. When we do that well, he can figure out the appropriate actions he needs to take.
In this technical Thai-boxing event, you're not supposed to look for knockouts or go hard, especially to the head. AF's younger, stronger, and bigger opponent was warned several times by the referee and eventually complied, but blocking those heavy shots had already sapped a lot of AF's energy. There's also less incentive to comply if there's little risk of being disqualified. Furthermore, AF didn't know whether his opponent would continue complying and had to stay on guard, which was also physically and mentally draining. Even when you block, if your opponent is bigger and stronger, it still pushes you back, and trying to resist that push is exhausting. Moving backward is exhausting. Even if you're better skilled, fighting someone bigger and stronger is tiring. However, AF trusted his ability to defend himself and was curious to see how he'd react under these conditions.
The match was intense, much more intense than we liked, but AF didn't feel in danger and wanted to continue. We trusted AF to meet the challenge. It's not a fight to the death or even a professional fight. Even if warnings are ignored, the referee will still break up dangerous exchanges. You can also always run off the mat to protect yourself or protest the intensity, and the corners can also intervene. There were safeguards beyond just trusting AF, and he knew that.
Despite some of us in the Learning Lab, including myself, being upset with his opponent's reckless intensity, AF was happy he got to challenge himself with what he believed to be his worst style match-up, and he had fun doing it. He held no hard feelings toward his opponent.
During the match, AF quickly realized that his opponent's aggressive forward pressure made his front leg heavy. He did not learn this from reading fight breakdowns or articles, listening to UFC commentary, or watching combat sports; he just picked it up in the moment. Then, he built on that observation. He did great.
When you're out there, you're ultimately self-directed. Even if you're from a commercial gym, it's hard to hear your corners or remember anything you worked on. The real questions are: Have you developed your perception, self-direction, and adaptability? We can't out-train our opponents in hours, endurance, or physicality, but we can problem-solve and move. We have a game called "protect the crown," and competition is a more intense and noisy version of the same game.
For LMAists, you don't have to make fighting your identity. You can be yourself, have fun, and still do well in competition.
Afterward, AF felt fine, and the next day, he went on a three-day backpacking trip. LMA is all about adapting on the fly and experiencing the world.
To access the Liberation Martial Arts curriculum and contribute to the sustainability of this project, consider upgrading your membership. Find other ways to support me here. – Sam
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(I write daily about martial arts and other topics from a liberatory perspective. If you like my work, upgrade your subscription. You can also support me on Patreon or make a one-time donation on Ko-fi. Find Southpaw at its website. Get the swag on Spring. Also check out Liberation Martial Arts Online.)
Radical Play: Not a Fighter, Just Having Fun