Why practice MA in the 21st century?

[SPJ]

This is inspired by several threads.

1. He did not want to practice MA just because the family said so.

2. If you may use weapon and a gun, don't they beat the physical toughness?

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So the question is that why you and other practice MA in the 21st century?

For health and fitness, understanding and gaining some skills in self defense, the belts or sashes, champ titles, to prove something or some value?

???

:confused: :D

[Royal Dragon]

I honestly don't know. All I know is that if I'm NOT doing it, it means something is not right with me.

[MasterKiller]

Do it because you enjoy it. If you aren't having fun, go play Canasta or something.

[SPJ]

Agreed.

If I am in Taipei, at the first day light, my brothers would wake me up. We would go to the park and dress in cotton Tang costume, flat slip on shoes with loose and extra length pants.

Some water bottles or gaterade. Carrying a bag of straight sword, board sword, long staff and short staff.

We do not like head bands. We keep our hairs short so no need to tie up pony tail since there is none.

We warm up by stretching gently and loosening up all the joints for 15 min or so.

I would start Chan Si practice, 2-3 min Tai Ji and Wu Ji Zhuang sometime longer. My mind is quiet and focused.

I start Chen Tai Ji 13 shi drills for another 25 min or so and then Lao Jia Yi Lu form.

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Hours later. We are relaxed and tired.

Why we do it? For fun, health, fitness, physical culture heritage, not just family thing, understanding, cultivation of body and mind, building character and training to have a just mind and in harmony between our mind and body, other people, earth and heaven, --

A lot of time, it is hard work. Over time, we do enjoy it.

--

:)

[SevenStar]

I enjoy training and competing.

[Chief Fox]

I'm with 7* and MK. I study kung fu because it makes me feel good.

I enjoy the training, the competition, the health benenfits and it's nice to know that I wouldn't totally freeze up if put in a situation where I would need to defend myself or my family.

Also, being the father of two small children I would rather teach my kids to improve their minds and bodies by studying a martial art rather than just using a weapon to solve their problems.

[PangQuan]

Mainly the reason I practice kung fu is to improve my overall quality of life. I realized early on that as I continue to study the more I realize about life. The more I understand of dedication, and discapline, the more equiped I will be to encounter lifes lessons. Oh and its a lot of fun too.

[FuXnDajenariht]

reminds me of sumthin i saw on the simpsons last night...


when madame wu is describing the shaolin tradition "gaining enlightenment through the study of bare fisted murder" or sumthin like that.

i laughed for a good 10 minutes. :D

[lotus storm]

Paraphrasing Carl Jung...

There is never a 'good' reason to fight; but there is every good reason to know how to fight.

[BibitClerus]

i only know 2 chances of possible assault and never heard of anyone being attacked in other way, expect for girls and kids... who get to be robbed by unarmed dudes since they cant fight back

possibilities
a) 1 or 2 dudes with gun or knife
b) 3 or more dudes armed or unarmed

less than 1% MA people can handle that

so, if you wanna do something to it for fun

or pratice running/escaping/tumbling along with tactical awareness.

[Waidan]

You've never seen a one-on-one fist fight? Ever seen a plain old disorganized brawl? I don't get out that much, and I've seen both :)

Why study MA? Life skill, fun, fitness. Fight off jerks, heart disease, and boredom all in one shot, lol.

[X-Warrior]

This is a good question and I think I just saw a good answer to this just last Saturday on cable TV on the Court channel.

They had this show on celebrity stalkers and one of the cases was this guy who would enter Madonna's property on several occasions by climbing through the fence or the gate. The man was clearly a nut case, he even left a note claiming to be Madonna's husband.

Anyway, to cut a long story short, there was this security guard 'gurading' the property. The TV crew talked to the security guard - a young man probably in his thirties - and he said that the stalker was an aggressive man that he just didn't want to face, he would yell at him from a distance. On one occassion though the security guard had no choice but finally confront the stalking man directly. The man attacked the security guard and tried pushing him away. Nothing else just pushing, with both hands. In reply the guard pulled out his gun and shot the guy.

Now I'm not a certified security guard like this 'professional' guy is but if somone pushes me, I would never pull a gun out.

So the answer to why learn martial arts, is that not to be on national TV claiming to be Madonna's security guard - collecting the big bucks - yet shooting an unarmed person because he was pushing. And we are talking about Madonna's security guard, not just the underpaid guy sitting at your local college or store. This guy is supposed to be a highly paid 'professional' but turns out to be just a d-o-r-k. I could do nothing but start laughing when I've seen this on TV.

[Shaolinlueb]

dude, we all know guns dont kill people, people kill people. :D

[David Jamieson]

Not to mention the silk pajamas make me feel pretty and are also very comfortable. :D

If you aren't enjoying it, don't do it, it's that simple.

Secondly, Cars make bicycles obsolete when it comes to faster transportation, and yet there is enjoyment to be had riding a bike and there are benefits to riding a bike that are not found in driving a car. But if I want to get 50 miles in a short time, I'll take the car and leave the bike behind. I still need the knowledge of both to get any use out of each.

Mostly do what it is you are doing because you enjoy it. There's no point in becoming technically skilled in oil painting either is there by the logic given as example in the car vs bike analogy.

knife beats fist, gun beats knife, bomb beats gun, missile beats bomb, nuke pwns all. And yet, nukes aren't used tactically in modern warfare...yet (thank goodness).

anyway, bottom line with martial arts is to do it because you enjoy it not because you have to. If you are forced into doing something that you don't want to do, then it is likely that at the first opportunity you get you are just gonna drop it anyway in which case the person who is forcing you has ultimately wasted their time.

[Dim Wit Mak]

Martial arts are fun and interesting. Its as simple as that. :)

[JohnnyMnemonic]

cultivation of body and mind, building character and training to have a just mind and in harmony between our mind and body, other people, earth and heaven

[bigdoing]

In this monocultred world, its nice in being part of keeping an old tradition alive.

[ZIM]

I can't think of any faux tough guy/buzzword filled/Matrix-related or pop-cultural/$.99 Zen paperback reason to do it.

[SPJ]

I thought that Zen is priceless.

:D

[David Jamieson]

I thought that Zen is priceless.

:D

zen is neither priceless or expensive. zen is the line between yin and yang. :p

[SimonM]

zen is neither priceless or expensive. zen is the line between yin and yang. :p

Kill Kill
Moo.

Zen is the dharma that cannot be transmitted through words.

Now as for the Martial Arts:

1: They should be done because they promote good health.
2: Most people are more likely to face a fist or a knife in their lives than a firearm, martial arts IS a good defense against these when trained appropriately.
3: They encourage mindfulness.
4: Because they are hard.
5: Because you like doing them.

[Chief Fox]

dude, we all know guns dont kill people, people kill people. :D

Guns don't kill people, bullets kill people. Guns just make bullets go really really fast. :D

[FuXnDajenariht]

lmao :D

.....................

[PangQuan]

Bullets dont kill people, index fingers kill people.

[JusticeZero]

Most of the self defense situations i've heard of or seen applicable to people I know is one unarmed person, usually but not always female, attacking unarmed or with improvised weapons to injure.

[red5angel]

Guns don't kill people, bullets kill people. Guns just make bullets go really really fast. :D


technically it's the explosion that is caused that makes the bullet go really fast....I'm just sayin'


I've had many reasons for doing them. The first is for self defense. Sure people carry guns but I've had more freinds physically attacked with fists, knives and various other non gun implements then I've had friends attacked with a gun.

Then it was fighting for competition.

Now it's just for fun.

[PangQuan]

technically it's the explosion that is caused that makes the bullet go really fast....I'm just sayin'

technically its the founding of chemistry that enables us to form gunpowder...I'm just sayin'

:p

[ZIM]

technically its the founding of chemistry that enables us to form gunpowder...I'm just sayin'

:pPshaw! Guns were invented in Ancient Africa. The afro-phoenicians had carvings on their boats [that they sailred to America, among everywhere else] that resembled them.

/thank you, Cliff

[Royal Dragon]

Yeah, but if the hammer never strikes the shell and ignites the powder, what good is Your Chemistry?

[Royal Dragon]

Nuculear Fu rules all!!


Just wanted to be the first on this thread to escelate it that far! :p