How effective is your martial art?

[Kanku65]

I agree with Lex in the sense that there must be a good instructor for a practitioner to make their martial art effective.

If there is poor instruction, how can a practitioner be expected to learn effectiveness??

In terms of building an impenetrable fortress, the martial art is the material, the instructor the foundation, and the student the walls.

It's about instructors, not students in my opinion. Instructors must be able to teach effective martial arts, as well as influence their students to make their martial arts effective. If an instructor has brilliant talent in martial arts, but fails at training any effective students at all, then it's on him/her, and not the students.

[sensei8]

I agree with Lex in the sense that there must be a good instructor for a practitioner to make their martial art effective.

If there is poor instruction, how can a practitioner be expected to learn effectiveness??

In terms of building an impenetrable fortress, the martial art is the material, the instructor the foundation, and the student the walls.

It's about instructors, not students in my opinion. Instructors must be able to teach effective martial arts, as well as influence their students to make their martial arts effective. If an instructor has brilliant talent in martial arts, but fails at training any effective students at all, then it's on him/her, and not the students.

Solid post!!

To the bold type above...

How does a student, new to the MA, know that their receiving poor instructions??

I suppose, it'll be more of a gut feeling, more than a tangible intuition.

[Kanku65]

Solid post!!

To the bold type above...

How does a student, new to the MA, know that their receiving poor instructions??

 

I suppose, it'll be more of a gut feeling, more than a tangible intuition.

True about the gut feeling. It's always important to listen to yourself, but research is also crucial!

Although research may be very difficult especially if the dojo has no direct lineage.

[hansenator]

If there is poor instruction, how can a practitioner be expected to learn effectiveness??

I think this point is key and seems to be the missing component in too many classes.

While I agree it's the person that makes an art effective, I think the more important point is that proper training and preparation is what allows a person to do that. You get good at what you practice but you also don't get good at what you don't practice.

[Luther unleashed]

If there is poor instruction, how can a practitioner be expected to learn effectiveness??

I think this point is key and seems to be the missing component in too many classes.

While I agree it's the person that makes an art effective, I think the more important point is that proper training and preparation is what allows a person to do that. You get good at what you practice but you also don't get good at what you don't practice.

To build on that point...At the last place I trained, before I opened my own program, they had a saying. "Practice does NOT make perfect, perfect practice does".

[JR 137]

My art is very effective. How so? I've lost some weight, my blood pressure and sugar are down, my stress level is down, I'm more flexible, I'm more focused, and I feel better all around.

How effective is the self defense aspect of it? I'd say very effective. Others would disagree, of course. They'd point to their art and say it's more effective. I hope to never be proven right or wrong.

[sensei8]

My art is very effective. How so? I've lost some weight, my blood pressure and sugar are down, my stress level is down, I'm more flexible, I'm more focused, and I feel better all around.

How effective is the self defense aspect of it? I'd say very effective. Others would disagree, of course. They'd point to their art and say it's more effective. I hope to never be proven right or wrong.

Solid post...a profound solid point!!

[bushido_man96]

You make some good points, especially about mindset, and approaches to teaching. Thanks for sharing! You have some interesting thoughts on the idea of fighting, and finding what to train for it.