Alcohol and martial arts

[peoplecallmemilk]

My Sensei (Takae) told me this story

He was entered in the All Okinawan Karate Championships under Seibukan & Sensei Zenryo. The way the fights were scheduled all of his bouts were towards the end of the competition. As the day wore on Sensei Zenryo could see that Sensei Takae was getting anxious and his tension was building. Knowing that it would be a while before Sensei Takaes first bout and knowing that he had to relax if he was going to do well, Sensei Zenryo (wise man that he was) took him across the street to a bar, ordered a pitcher of beer and told Sensei Takae to drink the whole thing. Well that relaxed him just fine and the end results were (as told by many) Sensei Takae sweeps the tournament and takes home the championship (no points were scored against him)

Edited October 5, 2005 by peoplecallmemilk

[ravenzoom]

Shotochick wrote:

Because non-drinkers who espouse on and on about the evils of drink are frigging BORING. I put them on par with people who try to convert you to their religion. If their advice about the demon drink was wanted it would be asked for.

Ha! This made me laugh!!

I love beer (maybe because I'm Canadian!), all sorts of beer, you could even say I'm somewhat of a beer connoiseur. I like drinking during the weekend while watching a movie or watching a hockey game. I rarely get drunk - I am pretty tolerent to alcohol, but I just love the taste and the feeling of relaxation and comfort you get after a few drinks. For example, tonight the NHL season begins, and I can't wait to take that first sip of beer on the first face-off. Remember, drinking doesn't always mean being drunk. Just taking a few during a hockey or football game can be very enjoyable. People seem to have this preconceived idea that if you take a drink you are automatically going to get drunk, this is not my case. Plus, sometimes at the end of a hard long day at work, it's also fun to take a small glass of whiskey on the rocks or some Southern Comfort just to relax a bit. You won't get liver cancer by taking a few drinks a week that's for sure - some drink heavily all their life without getting anything. That being said, I respect those who decide to not drink at all, but those same people should also respect those who like to drink.

[trustkid1]

Moderation is the key! I do like my beer from time to time but I usually drink beer with food. I just get hungry after two beers.

[White Warlock]

Okay, i have been struck by drunk drivers on the road many times. Eleven times, in fact. The worst situation was in 1983 while i was on motorbike riding in the bicycle lane just to be safe, as it was a two-way single lane road, and two drunk drivers took up both lanes as they raced their way to college. I was struck, dragged forty feet, and run over. The two drunkards got out of their cars and got into an argument about having bumped each other's cars and about the damage my body had done to the front of one of the cars. In the meantime, i lay on the floor bleeding and unconscious, possibly dead for all they cared.

I have little sympathy for the arguments presented that being inebriated is all in good fun. It isn't. It hampers judgement and causes people to do dumb things... repeatedly. If you drink, drink responsibly. If you can't do that, don't drink. And definitely do not drink and say you're responsible when you clearly are not. Stepping behind the wheel, starting a fight, insulting someone, using alcohol as an excuse to do and say things that you would normally not say.... all of this is inexcuseable.

I used to drink, and have gotten drunk on many an occasion in the past. But one thing i never did was behave in ways that i would not normally behave as. Alcohol was never an excuse for me to say or do things, it was merely an intoxicating drink. It was fun, i enjoyed it, but i also recognized what others did and how they just didn't have the 'honesty' to present their true selves without getting blasted and blaming their inappropriateness on the bottle.

Okay, that said... i don't have an issue with people drinking. I have an issue with people.

[lgm]

I'm wondering what peoples thoughts are with alcohol and martial arts.

Trying to keep close to what I think is the main thrust of this thread which is the relationship between alcohol and martial arts, I see two kinds of people according to why they drink alcohol: Those who drink alcohol to do martial arts and those who do martial arts to drink alcohol.

The group that drinks alcohol to do martial arts may depend on alcohol to feel competent and become competent in what they do. The second group uses alcohol as reward or incentive for doing martial arts to relax themselves after, or considers alcohol drinking, usually the socialized form or one that will make them enjoy the company of friends as the end with martial arts practice as means to achieve it. The second group is more common in my experience and observation of martial artists.

[Sauzin]

In Okinawa drinking plays an interesting cultural roll for men and especially for martial artists. You see it is completely socially unacceptable to loose your cool and/or get into a scuttle in Okinawa. Unless...you're drunk. Then, for some crazy reason, it's understandable and forgiven. It is actually not unheard of for someone who is extremely frustrated with a specific person or life in general to go to a bar in Okinawa and get completely plastered for the sole purpose of getting into a fight or going off on someone. Afterwards when the effects ware off, apologies are expected, and everyone gets back into their suits and ties and goes to work like nothing happened.

Another interesting practice is drinking after working out. It is very common, especially for guests to go out and treat the sensei and senior students to several rounds of drinks. Not only does this work as an expression of gratitude, but it also loosens the lips of the instructor giving the guest the opportunity or ask questions and get details that he would not normally get responses to. An enormous amount of karate trade secrets and ideas have been passed over a bar table in this manner.

Now these are just cultural phenomenon that I observed while on the island. As far as drinking in general goes I'll reserve most of my opinion, but I would like to say that excess in many things in life bring woe. I would also like to say that I've seen the effects of those who become dependent on alcohol, and it's not pretty. For example there was a man a few months ago who actually came to my sensie's class inebriated. He spoke with him and sat him down, but had it been my class I would have asked him to leave. I have personally chosen not to drink much if at all. I don't have a problem going out with my friends while they drink and I don't feel uncomfortable. Maybe that's just because I've got great friends but I usually have a pretty good time.

[Makoto]

Another interesting practice is drinking after working out. It is very common, especially for guests to go out and treat the sensei and senior students to several rounds of drinks. Not only does this work as an expression of gratitude, but it also loosens the lips of the instructor giving the guest the opportunity or ask questions and get details that he would not normally get responses to. An enormous amount of karate trade secrets and ideas have been passed over a bar table in this manner.

Maybe different in Okinawa, but it has been my experience here in Japan that the Sensei pays a nice part of the bill, followed by the senior students. A guest to the dojo would hardly ever be asked to pay.

[Shotochick]

Maybe different in Okinawa, but it has been my experience here in Japan that the Sensei pays a nice part of the bill, followed by the senior students. A guest to the dojo would hardly ever be asked to pay.

Kewl Makoto - so when I come over and play with my Rats next year you guys are all going to take me out and buy me drinks (or is that just so you can see the 5 pint trick?)

[Sauzin]

Maybe different in Okinawa, but it has been my experience here in Japan that the Sensei pays a nice part of the bill, followed by the senior students. A guest to the dojo would hardly ever be asked to pay.

Asked no, but accepting an offer yes. It usually goes something like, "Hey sensei, would you like to go out to such and such bar at the corner of such and such after we finish class?" Then once you get there, "Let me buy everyone their first round of drinks, no I insist it's the least I can do." After all the more he drinks the more you learn.

Of course in the instance I personally experianced we skipped the bar all together and just made sure to bring a couple of six packs with us to the dojo when we visited.

[scottnshelly]

This is quite an interesting topic. I don’t have anything to say that hasn’t already been said, but I’ll go ahead and throw my opinion out there. Nothing is bad for you in moderation; everything is bad for you in excess. Alcohol is one of those things that is easy to exceed the moderation limit, and easy to get addicted to.

The only way that I think alcohol is bad for a Martial Artist is that we should always be aware of our surroundings, like a Ninja! Alcohol impairs one’s awareness. The only time I drink is when I’m at home and I don’t feel the need to be on the alert to protect my family from a burglar or something, like if they are out of town.