Black Belt's 'MA Myths' and more fun

[Gumby]

They should add one to that list:

George Dillman isnt a complete tool.

And as far as this one is concerned....
"5: Traditional systems don't work (I was impressed, basically said it's the person, not the style, anyone can make an art work if they work hard to make it work)"

That is and isnt true. Style goes a LONG way in determine how someone will fight, and forcing a clinch is much easier than preventing one. In the event that people are CROSS TRAINING then I agree with this statement that its the individual that matters. When referring to single martial arts, some are simply more effective than others

[DdlR]

A bullshido-ridden article about how Kung Fu schools are dispensing with traditional ways that are important, which include: Stances, Weaponry, Salutes/Bows, Terminology and Titles. The author argued that these things were important, and that getting rid of them is bad. I can see stances, but his arguments for everything else is just dumb. Bows are linked to asian culture, shouldn't be replaced by handshakes even though we live in the west... weapons teach lots of useful things like... nothing (he didn't have any real arguments for this one)... Terminology/titles have distinct levels of meaning in the original languages and show respect, and shouldn't be discarded... etc.

There's plenty of room for schools teaching modern eclectic martial arts, reality-based self defense, MMA, etc., but to my mind, a TMA school that retains elements such as bowing, weapon forms, terminology in the original language, etc. is not automatically "Bullshido".

Beyond questions of combat effectiveness, every legitimate TMA represents a unique heritage. Like fine antiques, they are "windows" into foreign cultures and into the past, and I could argue that this actually represents their greatest value.

[Kengou]

In the list of "Upcoming Seminars", basically every one was a Dillman. So they managed to stick him in somewhere.

DdlR: You make some good points, and if your goal of martial arts training is cultural heritage, then that's cool. I, however, am of the opinion that if you learn martial arts in order to fight, that stuff is superfluous and could eat up time and energy that could be spent learning/training. Weapons forms especially, but even bowing and chinese terminology too. You could spend time memorizing lots of chinese words and pronunciations and meanings, or you could be training. You could spend time (much less tiime, admittedly, but time nonetheless) bowing to instructor and partners, or you could be training.

[Gezere]

There's plenty of room for schools teaching modern eclectic martial arts, reality-based self defense, MMA, etc., but to my mind, a TMA school that retains elements such as bowing, weapon forms, terminology in the original language, etc. is not automatically "Bullshido".

Beyond questions of combat effectiveness, every legitimate TMA represents a unique heritage. Like fine antiques, they are "windows" into foreign cultures and into the past, and I could argue that this actually represents their greatest value.

Historically styles didn't stick around unless they were adaptable AND effective. Once a style got outdated (and yest they can be outdated) then they either changed or died out. So the ONLY reason to stick to tradtion is really for Cultrual Preservation, which isn't a requirement for MA. Today we only have outdated systems and training methods sticking around becaues society has changed to allow pple to we Wannabe Warriors without having to deal with any of the aspects that go with claiming to be a MArtist. Even just 50 yrs ago if you said you studied MA pple wanted to see you be able to use it. Now they have a myraid of excuses to hide behind.

[liokault]

So the newest issue of Black Belt arrived today. .

Tell me you stood and read it in the shop and I wont neg rep you!

[Ronin]

Ma are for fighters, not for people that read Magazines.

[broken fingers]

7: There are death matches (mentioned Count Dante and Bloodsport, pretty good)

what?

NO!

I saw it on Best of the Best 3! or was it 2?

its gotta be real!

[DdlR]

Historically styles didn't stick around unless they were adaptable AND effective. Once a style got outdated (and yest they can be outdated) then they either changed or died out. So the ONLY reason to stick to tradtion is really for Cultrual Preservation, which isn't a requirement for MA. Today we only have outdated systems and training methods sticking around becaues society has changed to allow pple to we Wannabe Warriors without having to deal with any of the aspects that go with claiming to be a MArtist. Even just 50 yrs ago if you said you studied MA pple wanted to see you be able to use it. Now they have a myraid of excuses to hide behind.

If combat effectiveness is literally the only criteria for judging the "value" of a martial art, then you're absolutely right; most TMA are redundant and may as well be put to sleep. On the other hand, by that logic most martial arts are equally redundant compared to any good modern handgun system, which is one reason why combat handgunners tend to look down on martial arts training in general.

My point was that legitimate TMA represent microcosms of certain cultures and historical periods and that cultural preservation is valuable for its own sake. Let's say that you came across a mint-condition Edison phonograph in a yard sale. Knowing that an IPod is much more effective at producing music, would you just throw it away, or "modernize" it by adding microcircuits and painting it red? That would destroy its actual value as an antique.

[Kengou]

Liokault - My grandmother got me a subscription, I'm just waiting for it to run out. It's still good for some laughs every month.

[JohnnyCache]

The only thing close to real death matchs I have ever heard of on an organized and ongoing level was this:

http://www.davesweb.cnchost.com/corcoran.htm

Although the guards in question were eventually aquitted, that is the closest I have heard to some real life deathmatchs.