What makes someone a great martial artist?

[bushido_man96]

Being a member of KarateForums.com.

I'll show myself out.

ROFL!!

Of course!

[IcemanSK]

The longer I train, the more I believe that it has more to with attitude & intent more than skill. Without trying to sound the morbid old guy, our bodies fail & we can't do at 50 what we did at 20. Some can never do what we once did. I'm not as good on my best day as others. That is why martial attitude (or martial spirit, as the Koreans say) is so valuable. I've met too many great technicians who are terrible humans beings off the floor. The most important part of training was not important to them. I neither want to train with, nor teach them. But give me a room full of imperfect technicians who pour their heart & soul onto the floor every class & are kind, generous & humble off the floor & I've done my job as an instructor.

[Spartacus Maximus]

On the physical performance level at least, what makes a great martial artist is not just understanding and accepting that one's body does not allow this or that; it is knowing how to work with what one has and make the best of it by finding how to adapt and develop skills further based on that.

[liger]

I know I may get hate for this.

What makes someone great is for a group of people to believe a person is great.

It's a perception of the mind.

[Spartacus Maximus]

It makes sense, so there is nothing to deny. One who is truly great, will be recognized as such and called great or expert or master of this or that but will never say "I am great". Keeping one's feet on the ground is good advice, not just from a technical point of view. Being modest and humble about one's skills no matter what one's abilities and talents is but one reason to be called a great martial artist, instructor, friend etc..