Will there be fight-battles in hi-tech armor in the future?
It does looks as if the traditional methods of fighting are about to be dragged into the new century with the development of hi-tech armour.
When you talk about martial arts, many people will think of tradition, honour, and deep historical roots. The term ‘martial arts’ itself originates from Europe back in 1550, a Latin translation of ‘arts of Mars’, with reference to the Roman god of war. Fast forward to 2020, and the fundamentals of martial arts have remained the same in principle, based around self-defence, spiritual development, combat, and sport. However, it looks as if the traditional methods of fighting are about to be dragged into the new century with the development of some incredible hi-tech armour.
The hi-tech armor exists already
An Australian company by the name of Chiron Group, have created a new suit of armor designed to be worn for martial arts combat. However, they have not forgotten the roots of the combat itself, modelling the suit on the armor worn by Roman legions, perhaps a nod towards Mars. So, what is so special about this armor, apart from looking like something straight out of Tony Stark’s basement? The suit, dubbed Lorica, is made up of light-weight and flexible material to ensure that the combatant can still move freely during their routine, duel, or fight. Not only this, but Lorica comes with a point-of-view camera, which can help both with judging and with the televised spectacle of the sport, as well as a microphone. 52 separate pressure sensors are also fitted to the outside of the suit, with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, able to send data externally to a piece of computer software.
The goal of many martial arts is to be as close to reality as possible
In martial arts, the goal is to be as close to reality as possible, something that these suits now make a reality. Of course, in unprotected martial arts fighting, the use of weapons is extremely limited. We have already reached the limits of how far sports such as UFC can go, without the fighters getting consistently injured. However, this is still a long way off what we would deem realistic martial arts fighting, encompassing every element of the tradition, weapons included. A piece of wood or metal struck against a shin with significant force would likely result in a leg break and a rather short fight. These suits expand what is possible in the world of martial arts fighting, without compromising the safety of those involved.
Advantages of hi-tech armor?
Not only does the suit protect the fighter inside from the blow, whether it by from a body part or a weapon, but the sensors can also record where the fighter has been hit and how hard the strike was. This allows the System to transmit real-time data to a computer, stating what damage would have been done to an un-protected fighter. The scoring system would work like a video game, where each blow is scored based on damage and once the fighter’s health bar runs out it’s over.
This removes the guesswork in martial arts competitions, assisting in the scoring and judging process in order to avoid confusion or mistakes. The customised, intelligent armour and scoring system calculates the force and location of strikes to the fighters in real time enabling full-contact combat with extreme levels of protection.
So, what exactly does this mean for the future of martial arts?
Imagine a future in which we can see MMA Fight becoming even more exciting and without getting injured the fighters will engross more spectators than before in coming years. This modern equipment has the potential to change the way of Fighting forever. We could well see the introduction of weapons to mainstream competitions, more accurate scoring, more eye-catching fights, increased viewership, and more. In the modern age, people want to see the biggest, fastest, and best when it comes to sport. Spectators want to be as close to the action as possible! These suits of armour will unlock the shackles from the wide world of martial arts, finally offering people an uncensored and unrestricted glimpse into a true combat scenario. Not only that, but they could finally provide an alternative to UFC or robot fights, using every aspect of martial arts in competitive sport for the first time in modern history!
