Has Kung Fu made you a better person?

[KC Elbows]

Actually, Mr. Stickler, the odds were one. Now they're different, as I'd have to come forward with that info again for you to respond to, and I'm not gonna do that, Mr. Amish tragedy IS comedy.

[TaoBoy]

Yes.

Improved:
- confidence
- physical ability
- fitness
- outlook

[joedoe]

I would like to think that my involvement in kung fu has made me a better person. I think that I am less hot-headed now than what I used to be mainly because I know now that there will always be someone better, and one day you will pick that person.

[Neurotic]

I should probably comment, considering I started the thread.

While I could probably go on about all sorts of aspects of how I think Kung Fu has made me a better person.

One thing I found after a while of training, was that it was imperative to lose your ego, otherwise you would impede your training progress.

I have met and trained with a variety of people who would not admit they were wrong, would simply smack you as hard as they could to compensate for their lack of technique, and generally have no sense of courtesy for their training partner.

And I have also seen these same people fall by the wayside as those who were able to show proper respect and not let their ego get in their own way had better training practices and were able to put more quality into their training than the rest.

By admitting faults in your own techniques, not being afraid to be wrong, or get hit etc enables you to see things from a whole new light, try out weird of different things just to see how it feels, or even deliberatley put yourself in a 'bad' position just to see how you would get out of it.

But without Kung Fu .. I doubt I would be as dedicated, motivated or simply as physically capable as I am today.

Neurotic

[iron thread]

There was a time that martial arts made me a bad person. Intolerant, prideful, arrogant, potentially violent. Full of myself, narrow minded, easily led. Single minded in the most stupid way.

Hey, same here.

[crumpet]

Originally posted by Merryprankster


Ah yes, more crap along the lines of "I'm so humble! Look how humble I am!"

Perhaps the peoples' POV's you claim to respect are tired of hearing that MA's are a spiritual endeavor and they're doing it all wrong, too.

Just pointing out the sword cuts both ways.

If MMA arrogance is aggressive thuggishness, TMA arrogance is pseudo-enlightened snobbery.

never said i was humble nor that other's perceptions were wrong. maybe we are sick of these people saying our thoughts are 'crap'. i just shared my thoughts on how kung fu has shaped my character. it was not an attack on mma. perhaps i should have put a space in between those lines as it was not directed to any specific group.

[Merryprankster]

Perhaps you shouldn't have said something like "Maybe I look more deeply into my training than most."

That might have stopped it don't you think? Pardon me for picking up on that.

For the record, I've no problem with people who reap personal, spiritual benefits from TMA's. I do have a problem with people who tell me I'm SUPPOSED to be reaping spiritual benefits or I'm doing it wrong. You didn't do that crumble, and I'll give you that.

I've found that people who spend time emphasizing the spiritual/character aspects MA usually (not always) haven't ever done anything hard enough/challenging enough to build their character in any meaningful way.

[SDriver]

Martial arts have made me devastatingly handsome.

[Neurotic]

Really?

I want pics!!!

Prove that your super style Kung Fu can produce these miraculous results?

Neurotic

[SDriver]

I am a BJJ player. We are all startlingly good-looking. Like Wallid.

[yenhoi]

Quote MP:

I do have a problem with people who tell me I'm SUPPOSED to be reaping spiritual benefits or I'm doing it wrong.

--

I agree 100%.


I do want to point out that some martial arts (styles) have a built in morality code or some such. TKD comes to mind first, I remember reading a bunch of **** about getting to the top of the mountain and what not. Lots of Japanese Styles have creeds, aikido has its own religion, that comes as part of the package with that style. Im sure most organized kwoons and dojos etc have some sort of marble wall-hanging somewheres that has a list of dos and donts and upholding society and helping citizens and other superman garbage.

I dont see this sort of thing on the walls of MMA gyms and bjj academys, or boxing gyms, or hanging on the walls at Universitys in the Art department. Or at the fencing club I visited once upon a time.

All codes of conduct and what not are just words.

[Ryu]

Originally posted by SDriver
I am a BJJ player. We are all startlingly good-looking. Like Wallid.

Our ears are the sexiest part, eh, SDriver?


Yenhoi,
EVERYTHING we say or write is "just words", man.

Ryu

[SDriver]

The gym I box at sometimes has "VITALIKY IS PERSONALIKY" on a big sign on the wall. That is more than just words to me, my friend.