The essence of learning martial arts and Budo.

[leeman17]

I just thought i would put this up to see y people decided to learn the martial arts. Everyone has there own reasons, im just curios? I stated learning martial arts when i was ten because of bullying, i find that the most important thing i have learned isnt any technique its to have a strong spirit, if you have that you can get through anything in life, mental or physical. Also what do you concider to be the most important thing in the study of martial arts and why do you think this? I look forward to reading peoples responces.

[freeBatjko]

Hi there,

Well I orginially started training because of movies actually. It was exciting, how these people could maximise their body's abilities and also how damn cool they looked doing what they did...
However I quickly changed my motivations once I got more into the training.
Now I see Martial Arts as a way of development, self-improvement.
It is a way of shaping yourself, mainly mentally really, into the person you would like to be. Physical training is the tool to provide a healthy body and the intellectual part of it keeps your mind healthy and more importantly: develops it.

Constant development! One is never finished. Someone who stops training, shifting their focus on management or organising etc... stops being a Martial Artist.
Someone who believes he is done learning, and now only "practices" what he has learnt, is not only foolish, but has simply not understood anything, but a few techniques.
That is like knowing how to use a pen, but being completely analphabetic.

So this is in my opinion the most important idea to keep in mind: Just because you stop learning, doesn't mean you're finished.

The second most important thing for me personally (not necessarily for everyone though) is, that you have to stay open to everything!
Especially if you are studying Martial Arts for the fighting efficiency (which not everyone does of course).
If you are doing Karate, that's fine, but also have a look into Judo maybe. If you are doing Kyukushin in particular, you may want to have a look into Wing Chun or even Tai Chi also.
If you are a Wrestler, check out what MMA or Jiu Jitsu has to offer... you get the idea...

Yup, that's my two cents to the topic.
-free-

[Kimpatsu]

Not only do your attitude and reasons for training change over time, they should indeed change. If they don't, it means you're stagnating. We all grow with training, and our opinions also change over time, as our understanding matures. The alternative is to become stuck in a rut.
When we enter training, we're like children on the first day of school. Moving up through the ranks is analogous to moving up through the grades in school, such that you expect a different level of comprehension from a high school senior than from an elementary student. MA is no different. Checking your state of mind--where your mind is at (kokorogamae)--constantly is also a good way to check your own commitment to training.
And that's my 2-yen worth.

[freeBatjko]

Not only do your attitude and reasons for trainign change over time, they should indeed change. If they don't, it means you're stagnating. We all grow with training, and our opinions also change over time, as our understanding matures. The alternative is to become stuck in a rut.
When we enter training, we're liek children on the first day of school. Moving up through the ranks is analogous to moving up through the grades in school, such that you expect a different level of comprehension from a high school senior than from an elementary student. MA is no different. Checking your state of mind--where your mind is at (kokorogamae)--constantly is also a good way to check your own commitment to training.
And that's my 2-yen worth.

I agree to the comparison with school. The major difference is though, that there is no final graduation in MA.

For example everybody knows that young white belts have that image in their head that the ultimate goal is the black belt. But once they got there, they see that their journey is now actually really starting.
If they don't realize that then their teacher did something seriously wrong.

-free-

[Kimpatsu]

Yes, open-ended study.
Imagine if university were like that...
I myself also thought upon starting Shorinji Kempo that once I had the magical black belt, I wouldn't need to train any more. Now I understand just how wrong that misconception was.

[freeBatjko]

I find it disturbing how many schools are promoting quick advancements to black belt rank.
I know of at least two or three schools who have black-belt programs for yellow-belts, to make them get one faster. Sometimes people can become black belts within one year, after which they are ecnouraged to open their own courses, so they bring money in for the organisation!
It is no wonder that those people than think that they have just advanced so much because they are so damn good and that's all they needed to do.

It's a shame.

[Kimpatsu]

FB, I wonder how much of the problem there is misunderstanding of Japan.
For example, in Japan, to make black belt only takes one year... but that is because, as any (Japanese) fule no, shodan is far from being an expert. Kyu grades are just warmup. Black belt (shodan) is when training really starts.
Compare that with the West, where BB is considered a sign of expertise. Is this person really just a karate-ya, or have they misunderstood the Japanese nature of the ranking system?
I, for one, would like to know.

[leeman17]

I find it disturbing how many schools are promoting quick advancements to black belt rank.
I know of at least two or three schools who have black-belt programs for yellow-belts, to make them get one faster. Sometimes people can become black belts within one year, after which they are ecnouraged to open their own courses, so they bring money in for the organisation!
It is no wonder that those people than think that they have just advanced so much because they are so damn good and that's all they needed to do.

It's a shame.

Its true. After all, all shodan means is begginer in Japanese lol. I look on the bright side of things though, it just means that those who do not deserve to learn get caught up in there own little ways and will never reach what they think they have. More or less these people are cons and should be avoided by true seekers of Budo. However it is unfortunate that people who do get caught up in this may not know any better and are sucked into somthing they dont understand resulting in them missing out on somthing that is there for everyone who has the courage to stat training. It is a shame. Thanks for the reply dude.

[freeBatjko]

Its true. After all, all shodan means is begginer in Japanese lol. I look on the bright side of things though, it just means that those who do not deserve to learn get caught up in there own little ways and will never reach what they think they have. More or less these people are cons and should be avoided by true seekers of Budo. However it is unfortunate that people who do get caught up in this may not know any better and are sucked into somthing they dont understand resulting in them missing out on somthing that is there for everyone who has the courage to stat training. It is a shame. Thanks for the reply dude.

I agree. But I have seen many newbies get into bad schools, because they have no idea about anything, just think it looks cool. They just don't know better, can't tell a good teacher from a bad yet. That's the problem in Martial Arts, that there is no official authority that sets a number of standards and guidelines.

[leeman17]

I think that the main thing to remember is that if it looks cool and entertaining it is not real martial arts. For example the guy is showing a succession of kicks over his head and how acrobatic he is by back-flipping at the end of it, he is showing how physically fit and flexible he is and not how skilled he is in martial arts, in other words if its entertaining its not budo. However if you find someone teaching a class and what they are showing is completely 'solid' it is budo. In other words if what they are showing involves getting you safe in a way that is effective and not impressive its good. Thats what i believe people should be taught when they are looking for martial arts. I believe this for the reason that if you teach something for self defence that is by all accounts rubbish you have effectivly killed or seriously hurt the person you taught if they need to use it and find it doesnt work because it looks pretty!!! What does everyone think.