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This post was originally published as an article in a dedicated KarateForums.com Articles section, which is no longer online. After the section was closed, this article was most to the most appropriate forum in our community. I’ve now read numerous posts regarding martial arts and the reasons for picking one or another and I always hear the argument about street fighting. “I want to pick the best martial art for street fighting” or “my martial art is the most practical in terms of self-defense and being able to win a fight on the street” or whatever. I know not everybody feels this way, but there seems to be a consistent mentality around martial arts and street fighting that leads many people to believe that the best martial art is the one that makes you into the best fighter. I’ve read discussions regarding full contact training and heard people say that full contact is the only way to go because it’s the only way to train for a real fight. I’ve heard beginner martial artists say that they only want to take a martial art that is the “truest” representation of real fighting. It’s like there’s an obsession with wanting to be able to kick anyone’s butt. But here’s my question: is that what martial arts training TODAY is really all about? Or has martial arts training evolved as we have? Let’s make no mistake here, though. Martial arts are fighting arts. We all understand that they have their origins in learning how to defeat an opponent and how to defend yourself against an attacker. Martial arts did not develop out of a need to learn something cool or to focus the mind through the use of a set of predetermined moves (kata). They originated out of a need to fight and win. And back then, they needed it. Do we really still need to know how to fight? Granted, knowing some degree of self-defense can be very helpful, primarily as a source of confidence. But, I wonder how many of us are actually at risk of getting attacked enough times in our lives to warrant knowing how to “street fight” effectively. Personally, I have never been in a serious fight. Certainly not one serious enough that I needed any martial arts training. But, I’m sure some people have. However, I don’t think the majority of us have. So, I’m speaking about the majority here. Does it make sense to train for 6-8 years in a martial art, 4-5 times a week, through rigorous physical endurance, just for the chance that you MIGHT one day get into a street fight? Is that pay-off worth it? Maybe it is for some people. Personally, if that’s the only reason I’m training, I think I’m wasting my time or perhaps training out of fear. Now I don’t think most people have this attitude, but I think there is an underlying (mis)understanding that taking martial arts is important because it will teach you how to fight. Yes, it will, but is that the most important aspect? Should the MAIN REASON for taking a martial art be so that you can beat someone else up or defend yourself in the rare case that you ever get seriously attacked? Or are the reasons for taking a martial art more complex than that? Perhaps martial art training is good for the mind, as well as the body. Perhaps martial art training is a great social activity. Perhaps the techniques, kata, philosophy, focus, strength, endurance and health aspects are more important than the ability to fight. Perhaps the ability fight is merely a byproduct of the martial arts training. I think most people would agree with this. If we DO agree on this, then why is there this pervasive mentality that the BEST martial art is the one that makes you into the best fighter? Especially in today’s society where we DON’T have to defend our lives on a daily basis. Sure, society is getting pretty bad, with gangs and drugs and violence and what not. But, that is really pretty limited to the way things were 2,000 years ago (or longer). Back then society and laws did not really protect a person the way they do today. Back then, you had to be ready to defend yourself or die. Today, your chances of getting seriously attacked are pretty slim (depending on where you live) and if you do, it’s more than likely that your attacker will have a gun; something martial arts doesn’t help a lot with since there were no guns back when the martial arts first originated. Now, having said all that, I’m sure I’m going to get an earful (eyeful?) of opinions to the contrary from people who train in ninjitsu or whatever martial arts focus primarily on fighting for the sake of fighting. The only point I’m trying to make and perhaps doing a terrible job of making it, is that perhaps the “fighting” aspect of martial arts should not be the first, most important aspect of what makes a martial art good or right for someone. I’ve always believed that the first question someone should ask themselves when they think about starting to take a martial art is “what do I want to get out of it?” You need to be able to answer that question confidently before you’ll ever know what martial art to take and long before anyone else can TELL you what martial art to take. And if your answer to that question is “because I want to be an awesome street fighter” then perhaps you need to re-evaluate a few things. If someone with that philosophy approached Gichin Funakoshi 80 years ago for karate training, he would probably tell them to go away and come back when they want to learn karate as a way of leading a non-violent lifestyle. “Refrain from violent behavior”. I know that is a Shotokan karate philosophy, but it’s an important one. Maybe it should say “refrain from violent intentions”. If your primary purpose for taking a martial art is so that YOU can be a violent person (when the opportunity presents itself), then maybe that says something. Anyway, I’ve rambled on far too long and I’m still not sure I’m getting my point across. I’m not saying that the martial arts are NOT about fighting. If you think that’s what I mean then I have failed miserably in getting my point across. What I’m trying to say is that the “fighting” aspect of martial arts is not the most important aspect anymore. In today’s society, we don’t really NEED to train our whole lives for the small chance that we might one day be attacked and need to defend ourselves with our hands and feet. Rather, train for the physical fitness, train for the focus, train for the technique, the fun, the people, the confidence, the strength, the endurance, the style, the grace, the balance, the speed, the power and the hundreds of other aspects of martial arts that are not about trying to kill or maim another human being. Do all that and yes, it will make you a better fighter. But that’s just a by-product; a bonus. The end result is not a killer fighter. The end result is someone with honor, respect, integrity and patience. Someone who knows how to avoid a fight. Someone who knows how to defuse a potentially violent situation. Someone who “knows when to walk away and knows when to run.” I hope we all agree with that. Perhaps I have been biased by my Shotokan training. Perhaps I am biased because I don’t feel like my life is in danger on a daily basis. I’m certainly biased for any number of reasons. However, the next time someone asks me what the best martial art for them is, I will ask them what they want to get out of it. And if they tell me that they want to be an awesome fighter, I’ll tell them to join the army. But if they want to talk about style, strength, integrity and philosophy, well then the choices are limitless.

Don't use SHAMpoo!!!! Demand the REAL poo!! Wap

No, that's a good point. I certainly ENJOY playing poker in person more than I do online. My online poker playing isn't so much for fun as it is to provides a means for me to get free poker supplies to use when I play in person. Did that make sense? I NEVER would have played online if it hadn't been for the free poker chip offer. And through that PSO website I've been able to do a number of promotions AND win money at the same time. It's not nearly as much fun as real, live poker, but it HAS provided me with really cool, profressional quality poker supplies (chips, cards, table tops, etc) for FREE. It's a big time commitment though. That's the biggest drag. Unless you like playing ANY kind of poker, like me, in which case it sort of feels like playing computer games and getting free gifts (and if you're good, getting paid) to play them. Once I've used up all the promotions, I will cash out and probably won't go back to online poker unless new promotions come along. In the mean time, I'll be having poker night every Thursday with my friends and we'll use the awesome free poker supplies. Even if you aren't interested, it's worth a look at the kind of things you can get for free. Check it out: http://www.pokersourceonline.com/member/store/browse~cat~Chipsets.asp For me, it's a hobby that is now paying for itself. All my other hobbies cost too much... Wap

Just thought I would mention that one of the promotions through PokerSourceOnline is called Instant Bankroll. You do not have to deposit ANY money for this promotion. No credit card numbers, no bank account information, nothing. You sign up through https://www.instantbankroll.com and PokerSourceOnline gives you $75 REAL money to play with at PartyPoker.com. You have to play 500 raked hands with that $75, after which they will credit your account with an additional $25. Any money you have left is yours to keep. So if you know how to play, you could walk away with anywhere from $25 to $100 or more FREE. I know it sounds crazy, but keep in mind that POKER sites do not make money from people who lose. They are not like a traditional casino. Casino games rely on players who lose money. Poker games don't. The Poker site just takes a rake (usually 25 cents) from each hand that is played. That's how they make their money. They don't care who wins or loses the pot. Anyway, just thought if there was anyone interested in actually trying out online poker, here's a way to do it for FREE (aside from the time commitment). Anything you win after 500 raked hands (and the $25 bonus) is yours to keep. You can check it out at https://www.instantbankroll.com. They are only accepting 25 new sign-ups per day so if you really want to play you would have to wait until midnight, when the server resets, and try to sign-up fast. Bit of a drag. You can also read about it at https://www.pokersourceonline.com. If you DO decide to check it out, please use WapCaplet (case sensitive) in the referral field. I get points to use at PSO if you do. If you have any questions, let me know. The beauty of this offer is that if you lose EVERYTHING, you lose nothing. And you are not obligated in ANY way to pay ANYTHING at ANY time. They don't even ask for any of your banking or credit card information. That's all for now... Wap

Ouch... My poker chips are supposed to arrive by Tuesday next week. Very cool. And I've managed to increase my winnings to over $100 now. Had a really good session last night. Wap

Anyone interested in Poker at all? I've just recently started playing online. Actually, I started with fake money first, and have just lately upgraded to real money (which is slightly terrifying, but oh well). Anyway, just thought I would post for those of you who might be interested in playing some online poker. If you are, you should sign up through a site called Poker Source Online. Basically, if you sign up with them, you can qualify for free poker chip sets and stuff, just for playing. Several of the sites only require you to play a certain number of hands, and since you can just fold 95% of them, you don't really end up having to pay any money. I've been playing for a couple weeks and I already have a 500pc Poker Chip set that I got free (free shipping too, via UPS) AND I'm up about $80. Not a bad deal. I wouldn't really recommend this to anyone who doesn't already know how to play poker quite well. The chances of losing money still exist, but if you play smart and patient, you will generally win (averaging about 1 big pot an hour), AND you will get free stuff through PokerSourceOnline. So, yeah, I'll shut up now. I realize this is sort of a plug, but it's just a really cool thing I've gotten into lately and wanted to share it with everyone. Esepcially those of you who really enjoy playing poker. The poker chips are the nice clay composite ones. Really cool to play with. If you're interested at all, just check out https://www.pokersourceonline.com and read up on it. Doesn't cost you a penny to read some of the posts on the forums and check out the offers. If you do sign up at PSO, just enter WapCaplet (case sensitive) in the referral field so they know who sent you. On a totally unrelated note, I graded for my 2nd Brown Belt last weekend and passed. AND I won the trophy for best performance in the kata competition! Sweet! My first competitive trophy. Very happy about that. Happy Karate-ing and Poker-ing! Wap

Our grading fees are actually $30 CDN per belt. That's for EVERY belt. Includes black. Our sensei is definitely NOT in it for the money... Wap

Canada's murder rate in 2003 dropped to the lowest is has been in 30 years, 1.73 victims per 100,000 people. Down 7% from last year. However, USA's murder rate is actually up 1.3 percent to 5.6 victims per 100,000 people. My source: http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20040929/wl_canada_nm/canada_crime_murder_col&e=5 Stats Canada web page only has stats up to 1997 for suicide rates, but the stats show a steady decline from 14.0 to 12.3 from 1981 to 1997. http://www.statcan.ca/english/Pgdb/health01.htm Looks like the States has had a similar decline during those years, and it appears the suicide rate for the US remains slightly lower than Canada, though only by a marginal amount (again, not "insane"): http://www.afsp.org/statistics/USA.htm Wap

At my club there are 158 belts you have to earn before you can test for black belt. But the nice thing is that you can test for each belt every hour. And they only charge you 1 cent for the first test. Each test after that costs double the previous test. So 2 cents, 4 cents, 8 cents, etc. Seemed like a pretty good deal until I got to my 27th test and the fee was $671,088.60 (do the math yourself). We also have the "foresight plan". Parents, with enough money, can purchase a black belt for their unborn child. There's a student in my class who has his 3rd degree black belt. He's due to be born next Thursday. But at least I'm not in a McDojo. Wap P.S. Wish me luck. I'm grading for my plaid, triple stripped, 7 star, polyester belt tonight!

umm dont you guys have insaine suicide rate though? Slightly higher suicide rate here, yes. I wouldn't say "insane", though. In 1996 the USA suicide rate was roughly 10.6, in Canada it was 12.5. I wouldn't call that insane. The fact that the murder rate is 400% higher in the US is insane. At any rate, I'll take a higher suicide rate over a higher murder rate, given the grim choice. I'm not afraid that I might kill myself. It's the other people who scare me. Wap

I study martial arts. Not "combat training". I'm not in the military. I don't plan on killing someone tomorrow. I don't get a knife pulled on me everytime I walk down the street. I train with regular people, not a crack black-ops infiltration team. If I study hard and make karate my lifestyle, then I should be able to avoid EVER getting in a situation where I absolutely HAVE to use physical violence. That is...if my martial art "works". I hate (yes, I know I'm using the word hate here), hate it when the only thing people equate martial arts with is its effectiveness in combat. "My martial art is the best because I can kill people with it!!" I hate crap like that. Anyway, that's my opinion. I'm entitled to it. You're entitled to yours. I just have to shake my head when the only thing people think martial arts is good for is fighting, and I shake it more when people assume that a martial is only good if its effective in a "real combat situation". I've never been in a "real combat situation" and I hope I never am. That's not why I train. Sigh....I bet Funikoshi would have a field day with this topic... Wap

Isn't karate a lifestyle? (I'm mostly just playing devil's advocate here Shorinryu, no offence intended at all) Wap

Oh my god!!! You have a GRADING?!?!?!?! RUN!!! RUN FOR YOUR LIFE!!!!!!! AAHHH!!! Oh man, it's not even MY grading and I'm starting to hyperventilate. Uh....uh.....make sure you....uh, make eye contact with the sensei! Yeah, no...wait, uh,....DON'T....don't make eye contact with....um...ANYONE!! AAAHHHHH!!! Breath...that's the key, must keep breathing. In, out, in, out, in, in, in, in, in..... But seriously folks, it's ok to be a little nervous. In fact, you probably SHOULD be at least a little bit nervous. Keeps you humble. Just be confident of your abilities and try to pretend you're demonstrating at a normal class, instead of a grading. Good luck! I'm sure you'll do great! Wap

Once again, I am so glad I live in Canada. Roughly 1/4 the murder rate of the U.S. You guys should stop staring at each other. Wap

I have never smoked, thank God. Like all cradle-non-smokers, I will never understand what it must be like to be addicted to cigarettes, so I won't even start with telling people they shouldn't smoke. But I am glad I never started. I think we all know the health consequences of smoking. As for drinking, I probably only have a few every couple of months. However, that being said, when I do drink, I usually drink enough to really start having a good time. Mild hangover the next morning... Does it affect my training? Nope. Will it? Maybe. I'll try to keep my eye on it. Wap