Proving The Martial Arts

[sensei8]

How does a Martial Art "Prove" itself to the world/practitioners in modern times?

In dark ages past, there were challenge matches. Loser had to close their school and their students were scattered like a dust carried by a torrent wind. Or worse...the loser lost their life.

In modern times, the aforementioned scenario wouldn't be prudent or practical. In modern times, there are way too many ways and means to test the waters without the wrath of the law.

One way, and it's my favorite, to "Prove" Martial Arts effectiveness is on the floor!! "Prove" here isn't a bad word because any Martial Art should welcome any chance to display "Proof" as to its validity, unless one's lacking confidence in their said style of the Martial Arts.

Proof/Prove is always standing in someone’s light. Yours/Mine/Theirs are always under some microscope, if not by our fellow MAists, but by the layperson who wants to see some sort of proof as to its validity before wasting money/time.

"I've nothing to prove to anybody!" I've said that many times in the past and I'm sure that I'll say it in the future...as I'm only to fathom a guess that you've done the same thing from time to time and might do so in the future, situation warranted. Yet, we must prove it to our students, future and current students, because our students demand it and they deserve it.

Possibly it's too much a very sensitive line to scamper around in a quest to avoid the scruple.

Maybe the proof of validity is the size of the membership in some MA organization!?!

[bushido_man96]

I definitely don't think size is a determination of "proof."

I think the best way to "prove" an MA is, like you say, "on the floor," through constant testing and re-testing through scenario training. I think it important to use scenarios, with varying levels of resistance, to work through tactics and the techniques used there. Constant evaluation and re-evaluation, testing and re-testing, are needed to make sure everything is kept in check, and that things can work well when needed.

[tallgeese]

I'd agree 100% with bushidoman on this. The way society works not defiantly places the burden of proof to live training. Not to mention, initially coming out of an organization redistricted at its height to a few hundred members in the Midwest, I don't think that numbers adequately reflect function.

I do think that there is value in looking at incidents where students use their skills in an altercation. Maybe not as sole "proof" in the legitimacy of the art, but from a debriefing mindset to learn from and sharpen both the student and the art.

[evergrey]

Well, aside from the things we must prove to ourselves, and that is the most important, I think, we prove out style and our training by sparring with people outside of our style. Once a month, we open up our dojo for all styles to come and spar, in a friendly fashion. I think some students have been gained that way, without anyone trying to sell them on leaving their current style or joining ours. But that's not the goal- the goal is to learn, and to test ourselves, and to see how our style and training fares against other styles and other schools!

Another way to do this is open tournaments. My style, Kyokushin, is a full contact knockdown style, so usually it is only other knockdown fighters who enter into these kinds of tournaments... but in most of them, anyone is welcome to try. Sometimes a non-knockdown style will enter. Sometimes they do well. Sometimes... not so much, heh! Everyone learns. But I have respect for all who dare to step on the mat!

Dojo storming isn't done much any more. Liability issues, you know? And all the restrictive laws... my country is very litigious these days.

So, step on the mat. Simple!

And if one happens to get attacked (in an unavoidable situation) and comes out of it pretty well off, well, there's something to be said for that too!

OSU!