What impact has the internet had on martial arts?

[Alan Armstrong]

Yes martial arts existed before the invention of the internet. Has this had a positive or negative effect on martial arts.

Martial art secrets were passed down from one generation to the next, preserving the art and giving the practioner an upper hand over the opponent; has this tradition been lost?

Have we destroyed something or enhanced martial arts with our generation of technical wonders?

Was martial arts better in the past or is it better than ever in the now?

[MatsuShinshii]

Yes martial arts existed before the invention of the internet. Has this had a positive or negative effect on martial arts.

Martial art secrets were passed down from one generation to the next, preserving the art and giving the practioner an upper hand over the opponent; has this tradition been lost?

Have we destroyed something or enhanced martial arts with our generation of technical wonders?

Was martial arts better in the past or is it better than ever in the now?

It's made research easier or not.

I can find just about anything on the web. The problem is the charlatans and wannabe's are ever present. Nothing to stop someone from posting a video and touting it as being "x".

I think it is good for the experienced and informed that can sift through the fake stuff but it could be very dangerous for the inexperienced and uninformed because they would not know any better.

[ShoriKid]

The internet has helped those not in martial meccas be exposed to different styles, thoughts and history/materials. Yes, the fakes are out there, they were in the world before and will remain no matter what everyone does. Sniffing them out is a bit easier now. Guys like me, living in a tiny corner of the world that you have to try to reach to get there, get to discuss ideas and technical aspects that would never have been possible before easy internet access. We have boards like these after all.

Folks like Wastelander would never come to light with their writings and video content. Tallgeese, Alex, would be wasting away in Chicago land(I think) without the ability to share his technical ability with the rest of us. We wouldn't have the wisdom of guys like Sensei8 with decades of experience giving an angle that very few of us would ever be able to see. So over all, despite the real Master Ken's out there peddling what they peddle, the internet has been good for the martial arts.

[tallgeese]

Thanks, Shori! I agree.

Overall, the internet has been a good thing. It's allowed us to research, see what we don't have near us, and verify lineages. Despite the fact that there is a ton of garbage being peddled about, it's way easier to fact check claims by martial artist everywhere. Quite frankly, most sub-par things out there are easy to spot.

If someone made a claim about who they trained with or what they had done 20 years ago it could be tough to verify. Now, it's a relatively easy process to find someone that know someone, even for events that happened years ago. These are all positive things.

Overall, we're in a good spot. On the down side, it's become far easier to attack people of other arts or other lineages in the same art. This has taken these rivalries from local levels to national levels. It's on all of us to control that. But I think that the benefits out weight the negatives.

[sensei8]

Yes martial arts existed before the invention of the internet. Has this had a positive or negative effect on martial arts.

A most profound impact across the board; can't be denied, imho!! Whilst, I've not joined the modern world by not having a website, nor do I want one, a much more proactive involvement when it comes to the internet, and the MA in particular.

What's for others, isn't for everyone, or others.

Martial art secrets were passed down from one generation to the next, preserving the art and giving the practioner an upper hand over the opponent; has this tradition been lost?

No, imho, this tradition hasn't been lost; it's been supplemented. How so? Students of the MA, no matter how traditional or how eclectic, still need the guidance as well as instruction from their instructor; that interchange between teacher and student must still be the core of learning. Albeit, the internet is just a finger stroke of the keyboard away from revealing a many scores of unanswered question; we all live in a very big world, and knowledge is abound.

Have we destroyed something or enhanced martial arts with our generation of technical wonders?

No. That's because no matter how much of a marvel the technique wonders might be, it/they can't ever replace the human connection. I can learn from the technical wonder, but that technical wonder can't correct my mistakes. Those technical wonders have their place in today's world, but nonetheless, without the human factor, that technical wonder has already reached its potential.

Was martial arts better in the past or is it better than ever in the now?

Neither!! "Better", imho, is only a suggestion...an assumption. Even more so, we're fallible creatures, through and through; the accountability of effectiveness lies within the practitioner, and not within the MA.

A tool is only as good as the bearer who wields it!!

[Spartacus Maximus]

Things the internet has done for martial arts in no particular order:

It is easier to find information on a wide variety of systems, some that might have been virtually unknown outside their area of origin.

Making connections and sharing knowledge with fellow practitioners is faster than before.

Verify credentials or finding a school/instructor is much faster and reaches farther than before.

[Alan Armstrong]

There is a huge amount of information about martial arts on the internet. Actually there is probably far too much information (spoilt for choice) to be able to sift through it all.

I personally like watching the kickboxing from the 70's and 80's the most.

Especially: Don the dragon Wilson, Benny the jet Urquidez and Bill superfoot Wallace.

Interesting also to see how martial art styles differ and also there similarities. The internet has brought many types of martial arts from across the globe into the convenience of the living room.

Internet does show the extremities of martial arts good and bad.

One bad thing, is how with MMA fights that the referees don't stop the bouts quick enough, seeing someone being beaten up when that person has tapped out or has been knocked out doesn't look very much like sportsmanship to me.

With the mount of money being made from the MMA sport there should be two referees instead of one.

Good thing about the internet is that it does showcase talented people, that is inspiring for the younger martial artists.

Also that there is a alot of exercise routines to learn from, be it from a gymnastics, dance, yoga points of view; including martial arts.

The internet has been a great eye opener for martial arts so far, will be interesting to see how deep it will be able to go.

[sensei8]

However, not everything found on the internet is true; it can be manipulated to the Nth degree. Alas, many will believe what they're reading, and fall victim to it's untruthfulness. As in anything, research into it's validity can not be taken lightly!!

[LLLEARNER]

I find some uses. YouTube is great for Kata research. I like the ones that look like old VHS tapes that have been transferred. The level in instruction is awesome even if the production quality is not what we expect today. Sometimes I use them at work if I have a few minutes.

I have also bought books from Amazon. It is usually easy to find what I want, although I do miss wandering the aisles of a bookstore examining all the dead trees.

[Alan Armstrong]

Hi sensei8! I don't understand how anything on the internet can be manipulated to the Nth? Please explain ...