The Street Fighter Excuse

[Cmon]

No what WapCaplet is saying is, people should not take up martial arts to start fighting, they should start it to be able to fight. Not to initiate fights.

 

Yes martial arts is primarily learning how to fight but not to start fights.

[pineapple]

Everyone trains in martial arts for different reasons and must train in the style that is suitable for them.

 

I started training in martial arts because I was picked on a lot when I was young. I wanted to learn how to fight. I am still interested in learning practical techniques. (techniques that work well in real fights). I do not want to fight anybody and I avoid areas of a high potential for trouble, however I want to be prepared if trouble comes my way. I believe that the majority of people who train in martial arts are interested in practical techniques or in other words, they want to learn how to fight.

 

Training in a fighting style does not mean that you don't learn character development. I always stress discipline and respect!.....and avoiding fights! I always tell my students that fighting is stupid because you must lose and get hurt, you might get killed, you might end up in jail, or you might get sued so it isn't worth it.

 

Although I try to teach my students how to fight, I tell them this...

 

If you train all your life just to fight and never get into a fight, all of your training was for nothing but if you train to fight yourself (discipline), you will use it everyday of your life.

[GojuRyu Shawn]

That was quite the good article. I think that a lot of martial artists first joined their dojo to learn how to defend themselves, but in the middle they started loving the art and forgot why they joined, and enjoy their training (as physical, or spiritual) very much.

[Kurazaki]

I would agree with the original post though. I learnt Chinese Boxing before I joined Karate, and sometimes it gets rather frustrating when you realise that you can actually defend yourself well enough with chinese boxing alone, but Karate is a totally different art and discipline, with dynamic movements hidden in rigid forms.

 

I just attended a tournament in Karate, and the results were quite apparent - even if you CAN win a Karate tournament by points, there is still a high possibility you'd get killed on the streets by a madly flailing thug, even worse if the thug happens to be armed.

 

It all boils down to the purpose of being in martial arts. For some people, being able to defend not only themselves, but the people they love, gives them the motivation and strength to carry on training for years. Even now, can anyone say with 100% certainty that in a street fight situation when 5 thugs threaten your loved one you'd be able to defend both yourself and your loved one without getting injuries of some kind?

 

I'd quote my first instructor in that "There is No Perfect Fight", but our training everyday will ensure, at least, that we can keep our loved ones safe - not just ourselves.

 

Also, training helps keep me more agile, more alert - the physical benefits alone give me reason to carry on!

[Kyle23]

I like the statement you made about the martial arts being for the mind and also for the body. I mean, the first martial art was made to help monks go for long periods of time meditating, the self defense part was secondary. Its the same for this day and age. Also, some martial artists train to compete in tournaments, like me. I know the chances of me being in a serious street fight aren't good but thats why i go to tournaments. To test myself and see how ive improved in sparring and kata. Martial arts also helps peoples self esteem. Think about it, if you walk around with the knowledge that if someone messes with you than you can defend yourself, thats gotta be good for your self esteem. Just random thoughts.

 

later

[Dragn]

I agree that there is alot more to MA than just fighting. And those who train for the fighting aspect alone are really missing out on the real value of what MA training has to offer.

But then again, I spent years training in arts that really weren't very realistic in the application and practise of the techniques. After years of training I still couldn't match the skills of fighters trained in full contact arts with half the experience I had. It was pretty exasperating.

Whats the point in putting your heart soul sweat and years into a fighting art that simply isn't very effective?

Now I try to keep a ballance of practical fighting skills and self development.

I also agree that the chances of me needing my skills to defend myself on the street are pretty slim. Especially here in Japan! So to focus only on street defence skills is pretty pointless.

Thats why I compete in kickboxing and mixed MA events.

Not only do they provide me with a chalenge and a medium to test my skills in a real fight, but I also see it as an essential part of my inner development.

Its relatively easy to be all zen and focused in solo training, but the real test of your

inner strenth and mental development comes when you face an opponent whos determined to knock you out!

[cathal]

A very good read, WapCaplet.

[Chaz]

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?

Gee, I don't know, you tell me when somone trys to: Break into your home, steal your wallet, kidnap your kids, rap your wife, the list can go much longer in the world we live in today. I'm sorry but I just can't find logic in this question. I think most will agree with me, life is not lollipops and kittens...

[cathal]

Well let's face it, there are places in the world where it isn't exactly safe to walk around, or live. Its fact of life and one we have to accept.

[Skeptic 2004]

I'll limit the scope of my response to karate, because that's all I can really speak on. Historically, karate was developed by the gentry class in Okinawa, and like other bored rich people throughout history (notice how most of the great European thinkers/inventors were bored rich people?) they came up with the enlightened concept of "bunbu ryodo" (sp?). This concept basically focused on study of tode (karate), mastery of calligraphy, and study of the Confucian classics. It was desirable for young sons of the gentry class to follow bunbu ryodo as the first ensured health and the latter two a sense of spirituality and mental enlightenment. As a result, rich families hired calligraphy teachers, Confucian scholars, and famed bushi to instruct their sons. This precdent established that spiritual and mental development took place outside of the dojo (note: it was not until Japan seized upon tode and rechristened it "karate" that spirituality and mental development were formally introduced as aspects of training). When a youngster went to learn tode, the fighting aspects were the focus. This is not to say that there was not some sort of spiritual and mental developing going on (one only need to read Itosu Ankoh's "10 Lessons of Tode"), but these were informal and not the focus of training. The main focus of training was the fighting aspects. I still believe that while there are other benefits to training, fighting must remain the paramount focus of training. Otherwise, what you're doing is not a martial art (as defined in my previous post).