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The Piper Challenge – The Idea
I wrote an article a week ago in which I mentioned how regrettable I found it to be that we could not have a “Piper Challenge” in line with the famous “Gracie Challenge”.
The very nature of fighting with the naked blade would prevent any such challenge from being do-able.
Well, girls are not the only ones who can change their mind.
My two inspirations for coming up with this concept are the Gracie Challenge and the Dog Brothers. At first, both these events would appear to be very similar, since they both involve real contact and the idea of “putting up or shutting up”. There are however some decisive differences which make them more different than they are similar.
The Gracie Challenge, as it was explained to me in Rio, existed in Brazil a long time before it was brought over to the USA. The Gracies believed that their system was the best, was basically unbeatable and issued a challenge to one and all, challenging them to prove them wrong.
Plus, it did not exactly hurt business to be known as the best. In other words, there was quite a bit of ego involved and the whole thing doubled up as a marketing (quick, the smelling salts, somebody, it’s that dreaded word again) ploy. Contested by fighters in a culture rife with machismo, the “Gracies in Action” tapes show that this was mostly about domination rather than about personal growth.
The Dog Brothers and their “gatherings” appear to be a very different kettle of fish. “Higher consciousness through harder contact” is not just a snappy motto, they are actually working towards transformation and growth. This comes across in many aspects. For instance, although there is no referee to pull fighters apart or prevent savagery, nobody does a “Vanderlei” (Vanderlei Silva kicking Mike van Arsdale in the head when Van Arsdale was on the ground and basically finished in a Vale Tudo event in Brazil). Within the adrenaline rush and intensity of the fight, the fighters are in control of themselves and do not cause unnecessary damage. There is a spirit of learning, of experimentation, of testing oneself in a rite of passage. All in all, I find it to be a pretty amazing phenomenon and a philosophy worth aspiring to.
Where then do I see the “Piper Challenge” going? If the “Gracie Challenge” is at one end of a spectrum and the “Dog Brothers” at the other end of this spectrum (and yes, I do realise that this is more than a little oversimplified), where would we like to place ourselves?
As comes across often enough, I don’t like the little wise-asses who snipe from the safe cover of some forum or other. It would be nice to imagine that such creatures would actually have the guts to come to a full contact event and put their peanut-sized huevos on the line, but I think we all know that the chances of this happening are about the same as that of my upcoming night of passion with Charlize Theron actually materializing.
All that remains of that little fantasy is that we can at least close off all the “your stuff is crap” conversations pretty quickly in future. “If our stuff is crap, please come and show us”. Next!
All that aside, I believe that such an event will help us grow, both personally and organizationally. Thus far the sparring in Piper has been non-contact, using real Okapi knives. Inevitably, accidents happen and students have been nicked. Personally, I do not mind a little blood or pain, but sooner or later someone is going to loose an eye…or worse. Using fencing masks, groin guards and some type of MMA gloves and knife length rattan or wooden dowels, there can be contact and realism without any major risk. This will cause students and even moth eaten, toothless old dogs like myself to train harder so as to be able to step up to the plate. With the previous sparring method, no-one else wanted to come out and play with us. Using this format, it is possible that bridges could be built to other individuals and organizations
For those who prefer the old sparring format, which is pretty much as it was handed down from the criminal element, there is nothing to prevent them from going for it with like-minded fellow practitioners.
Is it less realistic than the “real-blade” version? In the sense that there is now a wooden dowel where previously there had been a knife, sure. The danger level comes down and the stress of real life-and-death combat is less present. In the sense that there is now real contact, this actually makes it more realistic. Being able to continue with the threat of possible death hanging over your head is one important combat attribute. In real knife scenarios you get cut and you bleed. As anyone who has been there knows, it’s wet and then its painful. The ability to continue in spite of pain is therefore an equally important attribute.
So, previously you had a high danger level and, usually, a stop when there was bleeding, i.e. pain. So that’s one out of two. Now there is less danger, but still significant danger, but there is the full need to continue in spite of pain. So I would count that as one-and-a-half. So, to my mind, that’s an improvement.
The first “Piper Challenge” will be held here in Cape Town in a years time, March 2008.
Cape Town, in spite of the so often mentioned crime problem, is a city of great and rare beauty, and if there were to be overseas visitors, they could have a lovely holiday here plus maybe even pick up a few Piper techniques!
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