I hate the martial arts!
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The martial arts are not for everyone.
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The martial arts has always been about defense from violence, and is at the core of every martial art. It is through what we teach, and the concepts students ultimately learn, and absorb, that they develop both mentally and physically.
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For those like myself who began their martial arts journey at a young age, it can be hard to imagine who you would be if it wasn’t for the influence of the martial arts. It has impacted virtually every aspect of my life; my daily habits, how I approached my work, my personal relationships, everything I do.
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But my biggest problem with the martial arts is how some groups, ‘styles’, or dojo (the McDojo), promote themselves as the ultimate form of self-defense. Yet, most martial arts fail in self-defense…… Why?
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Mostly they have inflated ego’s, they use outdated methods of training, they don’t bother to question their effectiveness, or they believe toe-to-toe fighting is self-defense…. and part of the reason is due to the myth that just hard work, hard training, leads to success…. No it doesn’t, hard work alone does not ensure success.
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This past week, one of my students used his martial arts skills in a REAL situation (Yes it can happen). To cut a long story short, he was about to be ‘set upon’ by a drunk at a wedding….
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There are some dojo that teach their students to fight first, it’s all they know….. We don’t. He used his skills and intelligence, to de-escalate the issue using the verbal skills we use, combined with controlling the individual…. No ‘fight’ ensued.
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He stated; “It WAS a wedding after all.” ….. This is real martial arts. Using the right training at the right time.
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The only time when it becomes dangerous is when someone is training in a system which is not pragmatic…. but they believe it is. It gives practitioners the false impression that they can handle themselves in a real situation.
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People train with different outcomes and priorities in mind. What benefits one person may not benefit another. Some methods, may see pragmatic and practical, but are in fact not…. and this is fine, as long as it is what you desire, and you understand the difference… But don’t lie to yourself (or others).
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The disappointing thing is that martial arts are supposed to teach people to be respectful, open-minded and humble, but for a pursuit that claims to build strong character and ethics, it sometimes seems to have the opposite effect.
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Anyone could learn the martial arts…. but not everyone needs martial arts enough to actually change themselves.
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 Photo Credit: Christian Froelich Art
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