Martial Arts enlightenment.

[Jim_Jude]

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.

I used to do the exact same thing when I was very serious about short-net badminton. My buddies were always complaining about feeling like they had just gotten done playing paintball with me rather than badminton.

[Gezere]

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 ;]

Sports and MA will teach can teach you the same things. The main difference in the two is your passion for it. The same discipline that will make you a good football player is the same discipline that will make you a good Martial Artist.

[Gezere]

Football and baseball are not too "deadly for the street" (unless traffic). Real martial arts are too deadly for the sports because of eye poke and nut kick plus no rules and ninja deadly poison coated sharp things. So when people need to know why you do martial arts, blind them.

That's why I play STICK BALL its a true sport unlike the watered down Baseball. In Baseball there are no windows to break. That isn't the reality of da streets. In stick ball you have to deal with windows and getting the ball out of krotchy ol' Mrs O'Malley's yard.

[Tom Kagan]

That's why I play STICK BALL its a true sport unlike the watered down Baseball. In Baseball there are no windows to break. That isn't the reality of da streets. In stick ball you have to deal with windows and getting the ball out of krotchy ol' Mrs O'Malley's yard.

Not to mention the random "CAR!!" calls. Let's see Derek Jeter field a diving catch to make a double play on asphalt, then hightailing it out of the way.

[Son of Thunder]

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

I wrote a review of this book for the Journal of Asian Martial Arts, and I second that recommendation. It's especially good for people who don't have a lot of previous experience with philosophy, as the authors do a good job of introducing the theories with which they approach the martial arts.

I'll also toss in a shameless plug for my own contribution.

[W. Rabbit]

I wrote a review of this book for the Journal of Asian Martial Arts, and I second that recommendation. It's especially good for people who don't have a lot of previous experience with philosophy, as the authors do a good job of introducing the theories with which they approach the martial arts.

Thirded, I have it in e-book format. Haven't finished it yet but the first half is great.