Five Hard Truths about Martial Arts that you don’t want to believe.

[BKR]

Nothing puts me in the mood for hurting people quite like talking to you so..... I second this motion. :-p

LOL, he makes me chuckle. You just like violence...

[BKR]

Apparently jerking off isn't an acceptable form of cross training. Otherwise the floors in my house would be buckling under the weight of my title belts.

You mean on the Internet or....

[Tuorlo]

You are right

That's the difference between a sport and a martial art

[Beretz1970]

Good article

While I agree with all 5 points brought up in the article, along with the fact that there many people in the martial arts that are full of swag and self confidence, yet their real life skills will really get them themselves hurt. It is unrealistic to compare yourself to a world class level athlete (although I don't doubt that many delusional martial artists do). I think any martial art where you have a resisting opponent such as Wrestling, BJJ, Judo, Boxing, Kickboxing ETC will give you an advantage against an untrained drunk (the person you are most likely to fight). Years of training will develop muscle memory that will allow you to do your techniques with out thought due to an adrenaline dump in a real life situation. Now again, compared to an Olympic level Wrestler or judoka yes most of us do suck, but against the average drunken asshole I think our training is somewhat useful.

[Filipmania]

Thank you, with your guidance I shall now reform my ways and become the greatest ninja ever

[armandowilke]

Yes its true but its reality and we like or not we have to believe.
to better our self we have to.

[kendamu]

I'm offended!! I refuse to believe that my white belt in BJJ doesn't mean something!!

[PDA]

While I agree with all 5 points brought up in the article, along with the fact that there many people in the martial arts that are full of swag and self confidence, yet their real life skills will really get them themselves hurt. It is unrealistic to compare yourself to a world class level athlete (although I don't doubt that many delusional martial artists do). I think any martial art where you have a resisting opponent such as Wrestling, BJJ, Judo, Boxing, Kickboxing ETC will give you an advantage against an untrained drunk (the person you are most likely to fight). Years of training will develop muscle memory that will allow you to do your techniques with out thought due to an adrenaline dump in a real life situation. Now again, compared to an Olympic level Wrestler or judoka yes most of us do suck, but against the average drunken asshole I think our training is somewhat useful.

Most of us are drunken assholes.

[Mandem]

Most of us are drunken assholes.

I like to think I know my limits

[PDA]

I like to think I know my limits

Dont we all

[Kaz556]

Damn, I always suspected that I was terrible. Ah well, at least my mom thinks I'm awesome.

[kimjonghng]

Reading this has actually made something click. In my kickboxing and karate classes I often find the adults who are there keep assuming Im going all in on my shots... I think its more likely that given Im possibly the only adult in those classes whose training like a powerlifter outside my club activites the strength difference is probably more noticeable to them. Now in the MMA class thats a different story

[Jujutsu-Hanshi]

Why dont I want to believe this

All these facts are correct. Thank you for reminding me.
But who cares?
I don't expect to be the ultimate martial artist. If you are like this I don't want to be like you either.
All these statements about me....a person you have never met......make me inclined to think you are insecure.

Why does a person need to go online and publicly state that unless you do these things you are inferior? I think it points more to issues with the author than the reader.

If you enjoy your martial art and feel that you are getting benefits from it and feel more confident and street savvy than when you began you are probably on the right track. If you think you have to spend your entire life on a certain diet and all day and all night training because you feel somebody might beat you....well you are already beaten because you have missed out on most of your life.

[Bar Humbug]

All these facts are correct. Thank you for reminding me.
But who cares?
I don't expect to be the ultimate martial artist. If you are like this I don't want to be like you either.
All these statements about me....a person you have never met......make me inclined to think you are insecure.

Why does a person need to go online and publicly state that unless you do these things you are inferior? I think it points more to issues with the author than the reader.

If you enjoy your martial art and feel that you are getting benefits from it and feel more confident and street savvy than when you began you are probably on the right track. If you think you have to spend your entire life on a certain diet and all day and all night training because you feel somebody might beat you....well you are already beaten because you have missed out on most of your life.

You're a special level of dumb, aren't you?

1) "You" don't expect to become the Ultimate martial artist

Answer: Small problem, thats what most places sell off, the legends of Bruce Lee, Ninjas and feudal Samurai techniques designed to "destroy" your opponents in a street encounter, all by only turning up to class once a week.... Which is patent bullshit

2) Insecurity of Plasma
Answer: A senior member doesn't need a junior member to defend him, so he can come along an do that himself. But attacking the progenitor of an idea is a classic resort by those who lack the mental reasoning and ability to justify an argument, playing the man not the ball. It just makes you look insecure in your inability to argue and develop a reasonable line of questioning.

3a) I'm breaking this does into two parts, first part personal development, second part capability. So Personal development.
Answer: News break honey, we are not in the "personal development" field, we are in the "kick, punch and choke a fucker" field. If you want to make yourself a better person, go right ahead, if you think MA's can achieve that, feel free, but if you believe that a bunch of pseudo-mystic Orientalist bullshit is the way to do that you really should question your life choices

3b) Street application
Answer: the instillation of the false belief of superiority is endemic within the Martial Arts. Plasma's list was designed to catalogue the perceptions and egos within all, yes all, martial arts about there inane superiority and the subsequent instillation of a belief of invincibility in there students. You yourself demonstrate this belief in the refusal to accept the negative connotations and aspects of any given art through your protestations of Plasma's apparent inferiority complex. Unfortunately honesty with the MA community as to an individual styles capability is severely lacking, with people new to the area grossly under-informed an basing there choices on Hollywood blockbusters, rather than any real form of logic.

This website is to serve the people who don't know what good practice looks like, this list is to challenge and help inform realistic expectations from MA training and you, dear sweet Banquo, serve as nothing more than a playful distraction.

[Whit]

I think it is rather worrying that some krav schools are telling housewives that do krav on a weekend can stand a chance against some PCP fuelled mugger.