Is Humility becoming a lost art in MA's?

[foreveryoung001]

When I started training in the 80's, I remember being taught humility in my MA. When we would go to tournaments, if we did anything, but respectfully bow to our opponents, we were taken to task by our instructor.

 

Now, I go to tournaments, and see competitors raise their hands in triumph with every point... I see victory dances while competitors are still in the ring... I even see the losing competitors refuse to shake hands with the winning competitors.

 

Is this a relatively new phenomenon or has it always been around and I just never noticed?

 

Where has the humility gone?

[TheDevilAside]

Humility hasn't only been lost in the martial arts..

[longarm25]

I think it depends where you look(if you look hard enough you might find them). but one things is for sure the ones that are not taught humility stand out like a sore thumb and they bring shame upon themselves

[Sasori_Te]

I remember seeing this same behavior in the first tournament that I went to in the early 90's.

 

It was in New Orleans at the USKA World Championships. A guy from The Blue Lions Karate Academy(a very flashy style) was fighting another guy from a more traditional school. The Blue Lion guy hit the other guy and knocked him out of the ring. He got called for excessive contact but by the way he was jumping around and the Blue Lion crowd was cheering for him you'd think he just one the match. The guy that got knocked down just shook it off, shook his head as if to say, "yeah, alright if that's the way you want to play.". He came back into the ring and the match continued. Immediately the guy that got knocked out of the ring faked and put a BIG hammerfist right on the Blue Lion guy's forehead. KO and the other guy was disqualified for excessive contact. He bowed politely to the judge and left the ring. I guess he wasn't one to stand for lack of humility either.

[ramymensa]

I don't know if it's humility (well, lack of it) when we are talking about what you've described. An henest shake and a restrain in showing ones happiness over winning a point has got more to do with etiquette and even education. I'm saying it from the POV of a person who really lacks humility I'm quite proud and very self-assured. I don't take crap from anyone, not even the greatest master of all time. I respect deeply my superiors and all coleagues and demand respect in return. So humility isn't the case for me (at least not the type when you let yourself trampled by anyone, just because they are superior in rank).

 

I still think etiquette should be respected. I bow to my coleagues and even praise them when a technique lands nicelly. In tourneys it's not necesarry to congratulate them for kicking you, but a bow or a hand shake are not to be forgotten. And we should controll our emotions too

[longarm25]

So humility isn't the case for me (at least not the type when you let yourself trampled by anyone, just because they are superior in rank).

 

being humble does not necessarily mean that you allow people to trample you

[longarm25]

So humility isn't the case for me (at least not the type when you let yourself trampled by anyone, just because they are superior in rank).

 

being humble does not necessarily mean that you allow people to trample you. Further more too much self assurance could end up being a negitive.

[Shorinryu Sensei]

I know exactly what youi mean. Some competitors are very polite and humble at tournaments, and respect their opponents and accept victory..or defeat..with grace. Others, like you say, are physically, and sometimes verbally, very un-humble about it.

 

In my experience, it seems to depend on the particular system, and sometimes the individual school in how they behave. I've noticed (and not slamming here, just an observation) that Ed parker Kempo people tend to be good sports and bow/shake hands, but when they get, or think they get, a point they are quick to raise their hands and "dance" a bit. I believe this is taught to them to try to "nudge" the judges into seeing their point as opposed to their opponents in the advent of a "clash" where it's possible either could have gotten a point.

 

I've given official warnings, and even disquaified competitors out of competition for bad attitudes (always warned at least twice before this happens), flagrant "I kicked your a$$!" attitudes, and general disrespect. Once, kid got disqualified because his parents were jerks in the audience...even after I stopped the ring action and went up into the stands to talk to them and give THEM the warning that if they didn't cease and dissist, I would diqualify their son. Well, they didn't..and I did disqualify their son. Boy, were they po'd!

 

People need to realize that tournaments are for fun...period! They shouldn't be taken very seriously, and you need to aproach them with a "Lets have some fun and enjoy the experience" attitude.

[Shorinryu Sensei]

I don't take crap from anyone, not even the greatest master of all time.

 

Not to get off the subject here (to late!), but I think I missed the news story on this one. Who are you talking about is "the greatest master of all time"?

[battousai16]

well, it's not even just in a tournament environment. my older sister goes to school with a second dan at my school. she always talks about how much he drives her nuts on account of the fact that he's always talking about how great he is, how humble he is (she often says "anyone who calls himself humble really isn't humble"), and how amazing it is that he's gotten so far so young. i've never really talked to him outside of the dojang, he could very well be expressing pride... though i guess he tries to pick up girls with it too at any rate, i don't think it's even a martial arts thing as much as a societal thing.