Originally posted by The Willow Sword
Are we so arrogant and jaded and biased that we have to fall in to the traps of judging other schools and systems and styles?
It is in our nature to judge.We judge everything, why not schools, systems and styles? Example, I don't like TKD - I've tried it, but it's not my cup of tea. There are people, like Rogue for example, who do love it, and I know from personal experience that it can be used quite effectively. Consequently, you will never hear me say TKD is a bad style, but since I don't like it for myself, then I have judged it.
i mean i have heard time and time again the saying "well if it works for you and you are happy then cool".(or some derivative of that comment) It can be a convienient excuse for masking disdain and passive agressively judging someones choice of school ,style or system.
there doesn't have to be disdain there - see above.
Why are we Men so pre-disposed to resorting to the violence of what we do? i mean being that we we practice is fighting. but do we really have to stop there and remain,in my opinion, on the surface level of what these arts and systems are all about?
It's a MARTIAL art - an art of fighting. on the surface and beneath it, fighting is what it's about - that's why it's martial. Sure, there are other lessons to be learned, but at the core is the fact that it's martial.
no wonder the chinese laugh at us and think us ridiculous. I for one would like to see here on this forum decent exchanges of information rather than immature bantering and BS.
there is plenty of that here. Check out the ultimate grappling thread and the favorite throw thread for examples. People from different styles comparing and contrasting throws in their respective systems.
i dont exclude myself from all the immature banter and BS. i own my own writings here. But i am tired of it. i had a revelation the other night that "the world does NOT revolve around our jaded perceptions of each other and what we practice".
What we do is but a fraction of what the world is about and i think it is time we evolve past all this BS and really be the disciplined people that we "think" and "claim" we are.
It's no secret that the world doesn't revolve around MY perceptions, however, MY world does. just as YOUR world revolves around YOUR perceptions. If you don't want to be around the BS, then simply don't take part in it. Easy enough, right?
despite our political and martial arts differences we are good people(for the most part). we may not do good things at times and we reveal our flaws and imperfections here. But i have faith that at some point on this forum that we will start really talking martial arts and really exchanging good info and sharing our own personal insights to things, rather than repeating what someone else has said or thinks.