A true black belt? or a fake?

[Traymond]

the goal as a martial artist should be to better themselves in everything, not just fighting but even outside of martial arts, it should have nothing to do with the belt.

TO be able to say that when you do martial arts is beneficial is should truly mean that it is beneficial in all aspects, not just by saying that your capable of taking care of your self in a defense issue.

I hear these kinds of opinions and philosophies to learning the Martial Arts all the time. But, who is to say what one's goal should be when undertaking MA training? I say it is up to the person undertaking the training.

I'm sure that Gichin Funakoshi was a great man. He did many things for Karate. I have read his book The Twenty Guiding Principles of Karate; it is a good read, too. However, just because Funakoshi said it, does not make it so for me. So, I choose what I think are the things that I want to garner from my MA training, and that is what I want to get out of it. I don't need MA training to make me a better person, my upbringing as a child is what focuses me in that approach. Not Martial Arts training.

Becoming a better fighter and better at defending yourself is of course one of the benefits and results, it is a martial art. However, I think the ultimate goal is to better oneself thru martial arts.

Exactly! I think so to.

In your response, you use the word think. The nature of the meaning here makes your viewpoint an opinion. There are a lot of opinions in the world of Martial Arts training, let alone the world in general. So, the opinion of one will not necessarily reflect the opinion, philosophy, or beliefs of the other.

The philosophy of the martial artist is based on his or her style and his or her Teacher. They both instill what is inside of the martial artist...indeed this is another opinion...but what your teacher believes in usually gets mimicked by the student...unless the student is to "hard headed" to grasp the concepts of what their teacher is trying to say...they will never truly learn their art 100%

[bushido_man96]

The philosophy of the martial artist is based on his or her style and his or her Teacher. They both instill what is inside of the martial artist...indeed this is another opinion...but what your teacher believes in usually gets mimicked by the student...unless the student is to "hard headed" to grasp the concepts of what their teacher is trying to say...they will never truly learn their art 100%

Is it being hard-headed, or is it having free will? Yes, students do mimic their teachers, up to a point. I have come to the point where I am done trying to emulate others, and choose my own standards to live life by.

Not all students have one instructor, either. You yourself have studied many styles. So, are you your own person, or are you merely a compilation of what all of these instructors are? I would venture to guess that you are your own person. Sure, you were probably influenced in some ways by each of these people who have taught you, but in the end, you make the choice of what you keep, and what you throw away.

[Traymond]

I keep everything and throw nothing away the same as my instructors, and as their instructors before them. You may not choose to emulate any one any more, but at one point you did...at times certain things die out and with other they never do.

By trying to understand everyone's Point of View you can then better understand yours as with all mental conflicts.

[bushido_man96]

There are peole that I do look up to. My dad, for one, is probably the biggest influence on my life. Other than that, there isn't much else. Sure, at times there were those I wanted to be like, but I have grown past that, and accepted the fact that I am the one who decides who I am, and who I am going to be, and not anyone else.

Perhaps it is just a phase that we go through as practitioners; perhaps not.

[Traymond]

But do you see yourself doing the localized techniques of your instructors..such as the kobudo practitioners some holster the Rokushaku Bo under the arm while some rest the end at the bottom of the rib cage and others holster on the side of their bicep.

[bushido_man96]

I do most techniques like my instructor shows them, but I hardly view that as emulation. Its the way the techniques are taught, so I do them. Sometimes, I'll do things differently, depending on the situation. But I don't view that as emulation. Its like being taught how to do math, or write sentences.

As for the type of character or moral personification of my instructor, I don't try to emulate it. He is who he is, and I am who I am. I like it that way, too.

[Traymond]

Ok but if you go to an open tournament, would you do it the way he does it or the way you "think" it should be done?...and this is with a disregard for honor (we will over look the fact that it may dishonor the teacher if the technique is done differently).

[bushido_man96]

I would do what I have been doing. I wouldn't change on the fly. But, if it is something that I have modified and used over the years, I would do it that way.

I don't think it dishonors the teacher at all. There are teachers over the many years that have modified what they have done from what their instructors have taught them. That is part of the reason that there are so many different styles of Karate and other MAs. Its a natural process.

[Traymond]

its a process known as localization, when you venture from your teacher you tend to loosen things up a bit. But what I am speaking of is, are you going to do what you feel more comfortable doing such as a differant stance, or would you do it the same as the way your teacher showed it to you?

[tallgeese]

Modification is how we evolve things, sometimes this happens on an individual basis based on physical abilities. It's not dishonor, nor does it have to be a "loosening" of movement, it's crafting yourself into the most efficient fighter you can be.

I do things slightly different than my instructor, based largely on the fact that I don't possess the fast twitch muscle fiber ratio that he does nor do I have the sheer athleticism. One of my students does things a bit differently than I do just because he's 6-3 and 220. These slight changes in either movement or strategy or focus are due to physiological differences and are just meant to capatiaze on our natural gifts and parameters.

As far as radically altering gross movements, maybe that's a good idea too. This is where cross training can really come into play and help you find holes in your game or ways to improve it by changing things up. I think that there should be a good reason if your going to grossly make a change to the movements of the system, but there are plenty of reasons that would make it more than acceptable.