Martial Arts enlightenment.

**Kouch** · Posted On: 6/15/2011 2:21pm

Originally Posted by devil

Well, I'm not much of a team player. I know that may come as a shock to many Bullshido members.

I enjoy individual challenges. I like winning alone and I'm comfortable losing alone as well.

i glad you im not the only one! im a lone ranger. i like the challenge being aallll on me. i have no help. nor do i have to rely on anybody but myself. i feel like it breeds more mental toughness.

**Tom Kagan** · Posted On: 6/15/2011 2:46pm

Originally Posted by Kouch

iv been pondering, and what do you guys think makes martial arts different from, say, any kind of sport?

for example, what can you learn through martial arts that you might not pick up doing baseball or football?

What you learn in MA which you cannot learn elsewhere is how to impose your physical will upon another human being who is actively trying to prevent you from doing so, and also how to take it when it invariably happens to you.

Originally Posted by Kouch

what kind of life lessons?

Nothing else which you cannot get elsewhere.

Originally Posted by Kouch

im asking because i get this alot. i have friends or relatives that ask.."well what made you do this over baseball?" "how is getting beat up at practice all the time fun?"

There is only one correct answer to both questions: Because you like it.

Originally Posted by Kouch

i glad you im not the only one! im a lone ranger. i like the challenge being aallll on me. i have no help. nor do i have to rely on anybody but myself. i feel like it breeds more mental toughness.

Regardless of how much "mental toughness" (as you put it) it might breed, it still will not make your dad love you.

**All Dice** · Posted On: 6/15/2011 4:10pm

I dont like playing with balls.

**yli** · Posted On: 6/15/2011 4:24pm

Originally Posted by devil

**** it. Kicking an opposing player is only a 15 yard penalty......if it's not flagrant. That would get you an ejection. So you need to use ninja kicks.

(Brian Cushing performs a surreptitious groin shot on a Seahawks player.)

**Devil** · Posted On: 6/15/2011 4:45pm

Originally Posted by yli

(Brian Cushing performs a surreptitious groin shot on a Seahawks player.)

Goddamn ninja!

**JudoA** · Posted On: 6/15/2011 6:31pm

They teach you that you don't always win and helps you deal with losing. Society seems to tell us that unless you win all the time you're a loser and nobody will ever love you and you'll die alone and afraid, surrounded by empty whiskey bottles, cats and wearing itchy trousers.

From personal experience, find an amateur 5-a-side football team who regularly play. Bonus points if they do it "just for a bit of fun". You can be guaranteed that if they win and you ask one of them about it, it was because of that amazing goal that he scored or that amazing play he did. Of course, if he's on the losing team it's because the rest of the team weren't very good and nothing to do with him at all. And the other team was cheating.*

*Note this is the reverse of the sport-street argument where if they're allowed to cheat with the dreaded eye-pokes they would always win :)

**CheeksWWAC** · Posted On: 6/16/2011 12:06am

I do martial arts because Im not fast enough for soccer and at 5'5" im too small for football and basketball, and baseball is really boring to me unless im at the game and drinking. That being said if growing up their was "height" classes for sports just as there are weight classes for martial arts I might have been more interested in playing.

As far as learning life lessons through martial arts, Ive learned that girls for the most part dont care that a 26 year old guy has a pick up basketball game on the weekends, but dropping someone on their ass in a bar fight can occasionally get you a number. Does that count?

**Jim_Jude** · Posted On: 6/16/2011 12:37am

Originally Posted by Kouch

iv been pondering, and what do you guys think makes martial arts different from, say, any kind of sport?

for example, what can you learn through martial arts that you might not pick up doing baseball or football?

what kind of life lessons?

im asking because i get this alot. i have friends or relatives that ask.."well what made you do this over baseball?" "how is getting beat up at practice all the time fun?"

i had my answers. but im curious on your input ;]

Go pick up Martial Arts And Philosophy: Beating and Nothingness by our resident philosophy professor from down under, Damon Young. Well, edited by DAYoung that is.
(I had some complaints about the utilitarianism article but overall it was a great read.)

http://www.amazon.com/Martial-Arts-P...8202605&sr=1-1

**vaquero de las nalgas** · Posted On: 6/16/2011 2:31am

Because, whereas all sports are gay, except those featuring camel toe leotards and Venus Williams' cleavage, only some martial arts are gay.

**Ignorami** · Posted On: 6/16/2011 2:44am

I do Martial Arts instead of sports simply because I find sport fucking boring.

That's probably also why I've chosen arts on a technical rather than practical basis. Otherwise I'd just get bored.

Much like the 5-a-side comment above, I've never seen an amateur team sport played with a team attitude. Better to succeed or fail on your own, without blaming other's failure, or taking other's credit.

If people want the social aspect of team sports, why not just be friends with people you train with?

I used to play squash, but couldn't help aiming the ball at the other player, so I guess there is a martial interest ingrained for me at base level.

That or I'm just an arsehole.