What to expect from Martial Arts

Self defence teachers generally teach a selection of principles & techniques that they’ve learnt from the various martial arts systems they’ve studied.

Traditional martial arts often require formal uniforms and strict discipline. Modern combat sports have competition oriented training. Some martial arts have neither.

  • The benefit of strict discipline, is people don’t get hurt in class, and people who are not patient & respectful enough to participate properly in these classes are usually not responsible enough to deserve to know their techniques anyway.
    • The downside is, when people can not freely explore techniques in their own way, and can not freely ask questions at will, it stunts their growth, narrows their mind and hinders their learning experience in some ways.
  • The benefit of competitive training exercises, is they tell people how good they are, at certain things, which helps prevent superiority and inferiority complexes.
    • Although the downside is, it creates misconceptions. Protective gear and rules can give people a false sense of confidence – typically the most effective targets (eyes and nuts) are banned from competition so people never really know the full extent of their vulnerability. People too easily think they can take a shot to give a shot, and play a points based game, but in reality, one shot is often enough to permanently disable someone, so defensive boundaries should be more urgently enforced, and strikes should be more reserved until really needed, and more end-goal oriented when used. And people too easily forget about the potential for weapons to be drawn, additional adversaries arriving, next-day follow-ups, and revenge being taken out on friends & family members. So just as competition helps to dispel delusion, it also breeds it.
  • The benefit of dedication to lifelong improvement in martial arts, is it creates a level of refinement to the mind, body & spirit. So long as you’re not overly distracted by ineffective techniques & principles, martial arts classes tend to create accomplished & confident individuals.
    • But the downside is, it can consume a lot of time & effort which could be invested in other things. And it creates habitually biased reactions and over-confidence which could be used against us. Many a great wrestler has been punched and knocked out by a random man. Many a great boxer has been stabbed with a knife by a random man. Many a knife fighter has been shot with a gun. How would a shooter fare vs a swarm of drones? What about invisible chemical or radio weapons? Modern warfare is heavily technological, and psychological too. Ultimately the art of fighting, just like war, is a filthy messy business. There’s nothing glamourous about it, if we’re being brutally honest. Peace is a far more worthy pursuit.
      • But for people who have too much pride, and for people who would over-react out of fear, and for people who are not so comfortable in their own skin, practising martial arts can be a step towards the pursuit of peace by giving them the confidence they need in order to be calm & humble in the face of confrontation. Just knowing we can flick a switch to fight very competently whenever we need to, and knowing any sharp opponent can do the same too, is often all we need in order to be humble, mature, polite & respectful enough to dissipate confrontations amicably without ego or insecurity getting in the way.