People who don't know what to do...

[Angus]

Have any of u noticed that there are a lot of people out there who train for years and years in the martial arts and just don't have a clue what to do when it comes time for them to front up and fight!?!?!?!? I find it annoying that these people waste their time and don't gain any self defense out of it... I actually saw a dude go back into kumite stance one time and think he was gonna do okay, and then get the snot beaten outter him... I find it pathetic.

 

I'm by no means the best fighter in the world but i CAN handle myself in a biff!

 

Angus

 

 

[Tim Greer]

I find that most (and I mean, the highest percentage) of people that study martial arts, don't have a clue what they are doing, outside of kata and practicing forms and techniques. Most people are simply not incline to do it. Everyone has something they are better suited for, and very few people are really good at things that require such skill. It's difficult to find someone that's really that good at things, such as music, martial arts, painting, drawing, programming, whatever. Most people know just enough to get by.

 

However, in a situation where you need to fight and can't just 'get by' and get around having to have skill, you are either going to have a good chance or not. Such people that simply lack the comprehension for fighting, will never be a good fighter -- I don't care what style they take or for how long. Certainly, the better the style for them and the more they dedicate themselves to it, the better their chances are... but in reality, they just weren't that good anyway.

 

Also, I'm talking about skill and comprehension. Then we have the people that can't do the physical aspects or are too weak, slow and/or out of shape. Then, you have to remember how many, many people are intimidated and freeze up, hesitate or whatever. I've seen many black belts, more than 1/2 not have any indication they could hold their own in a fight. In fact, most people are like that. There's not that many good fighters, there just isn't. Look at how they (some people) give black belts to 6 and 8 year olds. How in the world can an 8 year old possibly retain the skill level to truly be a black belt? Answer; they can't!

 

There's no way that any 8 year old will excel in a martial art well enough, to truly earn a black belt. They can't possibly have the years invested to know all the techniques or the steady coordination to pull it off. And, I'm talking about any 8 year old -- no one is that special or skilled at that age. Still, look how many get black belts at such a young age.

 

There's so many reasons why people can train for years and not be able to fight. So many arts and teachers are teaching people these techniques they are unusable, don't understand them and their students don't either, or they simply give the belts based on the fact that the student can do the moves. And, really, that's what a lot of the reasons a lot of schools give belts -- to show what you know -- the moves, not necessarily know how to use them in a fight or even how to fight. I don't know, I've just seen so many people that have spent so many years, obtained high ranking belts and just have no chance of winning a real fight. It's rare, it really is.

 

Anyone that's a good fighter and has that talent, most don't need to attend a martial arts school to develop it. Some do, some don't -- and it certainly helps all of them become better, assuming it's not a joke of a school -- but the simple fact is, anyone that has skill with no training that is fairly strong, fast and intelligent at fighting, will pretty much always win against a person with many years of training in martial arts that doesn't retain one of more of those skills. That's the blunt and straight up truth and facts about fighting abilities.

 

Luckily for the rest of the people that do have that skill and ability and comprehension for fighting and body mechanics, they can still learn from an instructor that might not be able to fight his way out of a paper bag, because they instructor might know all the techniques and theory behind them -- and still not know how to use them, or have the talent to -- so they are still worth something to the people that haven't trained years, even if they can't fight. However, in an altercation, I'd prefer to have some big, strong brawler friend with me that's never had training, over the experienced martial artist that will only get in the way and get hurt.

 

 

[Tim Greer]

Damn my typing sucks tonight! Anyway, I was not saying that a martial arts instructor that can't fight is okay to take courses from, just that it might not matter, as long as they know enough to still teach you what you need to know, for you to use -- since you're doing it for you and not them. However, it's a good indication you might want to choose another instructor too.

 

 

[Goose]

I agree, wholeheartedly. I heard that most Martial Arts Associations won't let you reach black belt until you reach a certain age. Though I may have heard wrong.

 

_________________

 

Warmest Regards

 

Darryl Garrick

 

(aka Goose)

 

This Message was edited by: Goose on Jul 26, 2001 11:27am

[Karateka]

In my style you have age limitations on your rank. 12-14 Shodan Ho, 15-17 Junior Black belt, 18-over Shodan.

 

 

[taezee]

it is my opinion that schools today just want to make money..they dont care wheter you can stop someone from cleaning the floor with your face..its buisness..in order to keep that buisness going the student (or customer) has to have something to show for the monthly fees they are paying at the dojang...can you tell me the last time you saw a school where the only emphasis was real self defense and not all the other distractions such as forms practice...or rank testing for the next belt ..not worrying about hmm can i really handle myself? I dont know but this new color looks good on me...americans (the majority)dont have the patience to actually train hard and properly qualify for the next level..we want everything yesterday and believe that money can buy anything..when it comes to the street the only way money can save you is if you can hire a bodyguard...all your years of "training" dont mean SH#*T !! if you havent been properly trained and had the focus to actually become a fighter than to worry more about how do i look or what do other people think of me you might have a chance...who would be more prepared someone who actually gets in the mix daily or someone who goes through the motions and just feeds there ego (you may adress me as master or mr or sir) me personally I dont think myself a MASTER despite my years..Iam still a student and I still can be knocked out by a person who does not study the arts..I never get dissollusioned about that fact..those of you who make bold statements about how you would handle yourself in street fight should also realize this(you know who you are)

[taezee]

so in concliusion it would be better for one to train for actual encounters daily for a few months than to train years in some school that has students walking around quoting chinese proverbs a hiding behind that old belief that it is better to walk away from a fight and practicing fancy moves in the mirror and being so satisfied with themselves..do you think law enforcement personal have that luxury being the fact that tommorow night they might have to take down some 300 lbs man on pcp..at that point do you think they will impress the man by telling him "hey i know karate dont make me do pattern # 5 on your ass or i just got my next color belt last week.. okay I got that out now let me go catch my breath somwhere..sorry for the long post

 

 

[Zaknafein]

bleh, ure guys's take on martial arts schools has me glad i actually have a competent one (Mike Miles Kickboxing - Calgary, Canada), hehehe.

 

altho i agree with most of what u guys said, i think that some martial arts take longer to master for someone to be able to defend themselves in the street. kung fu, i think, needs considerably more time to master than Muay Thai (atleast, to be able to kick some guys ass who dunna know martial arts).

 

o yeah, sparring, i think, would help anyone be able to defend themselves, right?

 

btw..have u seen The 3 ninjas?!??! and u guys say 8 yr olds cant get black belts..bah

 

This Message was edited by: Zaknafein on Jul 26, 2001 2:07pm

[Jack]

Despite my school being Taekwondo, we actually do deal with that panic you might have in an actual fight. We sometimes have lessons where we blindfold someone, and then try to attack them. This blindfold gives a certain feeling of worry since you do not know what to expect and when, since they have to fight off anything with improvisation... I think this is good training. Sparring is OK, but in sparring you are going against someone else in a martial art... Mabye I should try "sparring" against my brother... he is untrained in any martial art but he is 4 years older than me

 

 

[F-S-K]

great opinions and all true, i feel that im a natural fighter, ive just taken to it soo easily and have strong punches and can kick strongly, ive yet to come into a fight confrontation using my training yet as ive only been training for 5 months and dont go looking for trouble, i feel that i could handle myself well but time will tell