Should there be an element of Self-defence in all MA?

[SevenStar]

1. capoeira when done right is has ALOT of fighting.

 

2. fighting is art. Do you fight the same way your teacher does? I don't, nor do I fight the same way my friends fight, even though we know the same techniques. I was talking to a friend about this recently. We've known eachother for seven years and have been training the same thing the entire time, yet we fight VERY differently. That expression of fighting is art - it's your expression of what you've learned through your MA.

[White Warlock]

There is something that undermines much of this 'practitioner' over 'ma style' argument. Most people don't really think beyond what is handed to them. They don't question, they don't test. They simply learn and accept, and thus obtain a false sense of confidence, believing that what they are studying is, in fact, functional... effective.

 

Your approach to studies, not merely 'what' you study, or 'with whom' you study, is the definer. If you approach your studies in blind faith, you will invariably be... blindsided.

 

And so just about every person who enters into studying the martial arts, makes the assumption that what they are studying is effective in an actual confrontation. However, 'what' you are studying, 'how' it is being taught, 'who' is teaching it, and 'how' you approach these studies... all of these are factors.

 

Returning to the question, yes... of course. Self-defense doesn't mean 'being on the defense.' It means being able to prevent, or reduce, injury to your person. How this is accomplished, varies depending on the style and 'approach.'

[monkeygirl]

1. capoeira when done right is has ALOT of fighting.

 

2. fighting is art. Do you fight the same way your teacher does? I don't, nor do I fight the same way my friends fight, even though we know the same techniques. I was talking to a friend about this recently. We've known eachother for seven years and have been training the same thing the entire time, yet we fight VERY differently. That expression of fighting is art - it's your expression of what you've learned through your MA.

 

1. I'm sorry, I tried to make it clear in my original post that I understood this. What I was trying to say was that even if Capoeira did not have that fighting aspect to it, I would still want to learn it.

 

2. Yes, fighting can be an expression of yourself, I don't disagree with you on that. I have just always tended to look at fighting as the "martial" side (even though it has some art in it), and kata/forms as the "art" side (even though it has some martial in it). It's sort of a yin/yang thing: every black has some white, vice versa, etc.

 

Hopefully that clears some things up