The Street-fighter excuse...

[WapCaplet]

This could be a long post, but please bear with me. I hope I can get my point across in a way that you understand, but sometimes my thoughts and ideas don’t come out right. At any rate, please don’t take offence to anything I write; this is merely my opinion.

 

I’ve now read numerous posts regarding martial arts and people’s 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-defence 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-defence 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 train 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 arts training is good for the mind, as well as the body. Perhaps martial arts 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 by-product of the martial arts training. I think most people would agree with this.

 

If we DO agree with 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 2000 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 behaviour”

 

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 martial arts is 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 honour, 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.

 

Anyway, to the 3 people who actually made it to the end of this rant, thanks for reading. Those are my thoughts, not necessarily yours.

 

Wap

Edited August 4, 2004 by WapCaplet

[Sunrunner]

Oh man. Great post. This should be in the article section. Despite your fear of possible backlash and of not getting your point across, I think you've added a great topic and some good food for thought. To be perfectly honest, even today I find myself slipping into that "I want to be a good fighter" mode when in all honesty, there isn't much need. Your post has forced me to ask myself a very good question...what do I really want out of my martial arts training? Again, great post. Thanks.

[shotochem]

Hi Wap,

 

I made it to the end!!!!

 

I can definately see where you're coming from.

 

I agree in todays modern society there is much less of a need to fight than back in the old days.

 

The reasons most of us crazy people train today(aside of enjoying pain ) are many.

 

For myself learning how to fight was the last thing I thought of when I first joined Shotokan. I started when my son wanted me to take class with him. He quit awhile ago but I just caught the bug and probably will never quit. I did not even think of it as self defense or fighting at first. Then one class when my first sensei started to demonstrate bunkai for all those

 

pretty athletic movements I was making across the floor......the thought just struck me .....wow thats gotta hurt!!! My eyes were then opened to what I was really doing. From that point on I truely respected what I was learning.

 

The things I find to be of the most value to me from my training are in no particular order of importance:

 

Fitness

 

learning balance & coordination

 

Stress relief

 

Self defense (yes it's in there though not my reason for training)

 

mental discipline

 

the challenge

 

the friends

 

the comraderie

 

the fun

 

Without the last 3 why bother? The rest wouldn't be important.

 

And of course the main reason for training is.........

 

The ability to make kindling with our bare hands!!!!!

[steveb]

Great post. My main purpose in taking martial arts is to improve myself, not to become the baddest guy on the block (as if it was even a possibility). There is no doubt that the training we do as martial artists improves our capability to do physical harm to others and that if attacked we would fare better than most people, but in todays society it seems a poor return on investment to spend many years training for a fight that most likely will never occur. If I was in fear of being attacked on a daily basis I'd just buy a gun and spend a couple days at a shooting range.

[delta1]

The great thing about KF (for me, any way) is the variety of opinions and the ability to state them respectfully, discuss them intelligently, and often agree to disagree with honor. You make some good points, and I won't say you are wrong in any of them. I've allways taken the position that we all choose and practice our arts for different reasons. What is right for one is not right for another. I'm also of the opinion that there is a lot in common with all arts, and often what we find in a particular system is more a matter of focus than exclusion. In fact, when we completely exclude any aspect of the martial arts, we tend to destroy a lot of what wewant to get out of the art.

 

Taijiquan is a good example. Those that do it for only health, and deny it's combative roots, not only destroyed the essence of the art but got less than half the health bennifits from it. In fact, without the combative foundation a lot of bad habbits creeped into their form and actually had negative effects healthwise. For example, done wrong Taiji is extremely hard on some joints, particularly the knees. Improper meditation can be both neurologically and psychologically dammaging. Do away with push hands, you don't get the sensitivity, sharper reactions, ballance or interaction skills. Even for self improvement and health, you'd probably be better off taking a modern dance class than a Taiji class with no martial awareness.

 

You talked about the bennifits to the mind in doing traditional arts. Philosophy, focus, concentration- these are undeniably great bennifits to be found in the martial arts. But I'd add things like critical thinking skills, quickness and sharpness of mind. These are things developed with the combative side of your art. Start combining your basics into techniques. Explore the types of defenses and offenses different moves are good for. Tear your forms down and realy study and understand them from an applications point of reference. Then use this knowlege in hard kumite. You will develope much more than the ability to fight.

 

The reverse is also true for the combatives stylists. Without developing your mind and character, you get less of the combative advantages. For one thing, you can develope a very unhealthy attitude. Not just getting into fights (itself a very unhealthy pastime), but parahnoia, anger, and insecurity. These are mentally and emotionally destructive.

 

My position is, focus on what aspects you want in the martial arts. But don't deny yourself the bennifits of what the other guy does.

[delta1]

If I was in fear of being attacked on a daily basis I'd just buy a gun and spend a couple days at a shooting range.

 

You're now wose off than the modern dancer as well. Combative or self defense firearms use is as much a martial art as anything you can name.

[Luckykboxer]

I also think this is a great post, well thought out, but i do have my differences with it, I posted in the other section in regards to it.

 

I will cut and paste to here, or soemthing, I seem to be reading alot fo double posts in different section lately it gets confusing hehe

[Kamiya]

Very nice "article." ^_^ I agree with you that in this day and age, one's primary reason for taking martial arts should not be for fighting (except perhaps the self defense case, which is important, especially for smaller, weak women such as myself. ^_^)

 

 

 

I can also see delta1's point that it may be an injustice to eliminate the combative aspects of an art. However I think there's a big difference between that and someone wanting to study a martial art ONLY for the sake of learning to fight. Such a person may first want to try either an anger managment or conflict resolution class. ^_^

[Shorinryu Sensei]

I began my early fascination with the arts before many of you were born. Let's call it "The Bruce Lee Era", where Mr. Lee was popular, making films, the Green Hornet was on TV, and then "Billy Jack" came out in the theaters. Man, how I wanted to learn that chopsoooie, kick-em-in-the-butt stuff! We're talking the late 60's, early 70's here people. (Yes, there are still people from that time alive! )

 

Unfortunately, where I lived, there was very limited opportunity to learn a martial art. Small-town Montana wasn't exactly a prime local for Masters to come and teach.

 

My primary purpose for eventually joining a martial art was just for that reason. To learn a martial art. Period. At my size, I didn't often have problems with people picking fights with me, and the ones that did had (to that point anyway) always lost.

 

Once into the arts, I found it incredibly fascinating (and still do) what the human body is capable of doing to another. Each and every class, I leave the dojo with a smile on my face, and am at peace with the world. Plus, it's just plain FUN!

 

An excellent article BTW WapCaplet.

[ramymensa]

Wow. Now that's Shotokan

 

I love the article and many things there are so true. I feel the need to train for all the reasons stated before, not just to become a fighter, though I know I've become a bit like that too. MA training is the best thing in my life regarding a certain activity and I'm still counting the benefits