Mat World
Although the term “mat world” has its roots in the defensive tactics class of police motor skills training, it’s a good concept generally. It’s long been commonly accepted that you learn nothing in school that is required in the “real” world. It takes the school of hard knocks-experience-to learn how to deal with life
Mat World is school. We learn how to do techniques by the numbers. First, step here. Grasp there Take your opponent’s center. Pivot and bend. Take him down. We even mark the deck, as footwork isn’t easy to learn for everyone. “It’s more fun kissing when you know where the noses go.”
As trainees “get the Deal,” we push them to become more fluid, to flow, to do combinations. We want them to get comfortable. It’s still mat world. There’s the tap out rule-when the pain is too great, tap out on your partner, the mat, the wall.
There’s the (possibly apocryphal) story of the peace officer who exerted control on an arrestee. The arrestee “tapped” out, the officer released, resulting in an escape attempt! That’s taking mat world to the street.