Is our martial art really preparing us for that emotional fantastical violent street confrontation? Or are most of us(including the ones who think they don't belong to this group) doing it as a hobby?
The martial arts(negating labels such as kung fu, mma, etc. to keep from warring) develops certain tributes that COULD be helpful in the often imagined street battle. These attributes are:
1. Mind/body connection: This is the connection that many feel when they are walking over ice. You'll notice your steps getting smaller, the weight being taken off the foot and carried in the hips, and that you're consciously thinking about each step. Seconds before that you were listening to your I-Pod or staring at that hottie in Manhattan(they are hot!). This is good for helping to develop and maintain concentration in the moment, terrain awareness, mental awareness of positive/negative feelings toward an individual in close proximity. It is also good for sending qi and blood to the limbs when needed which could be the key to so called internal power. I'm sure many subcategories of this could added.
2. You develop whole body power: This means applying your whole body into a strike, grapple, throw, whatever at a weak angle of another person. Whole body does not mean you run straight into a person who is at a strong position. This could be the premise of martial arts to begin with; Little dude defeating the big dude. This could also be helpful when you need to push that old piece of sh!t, the one you haven't taken to the mechanic in years, off the road when it finally breaks down in next snow storm.
3. Speed: I'm sure you were all at ludicris speed before you started studying(atleast I thought I was) but then realized you were only at light speed and needed more work. Speed in movement could(notice how I always say could) be helpful especially if you apply it when the other person isn't mentally/physically ready. Striking continuously at the same spot is devastating to the person being devastated. Then you could use your speed and run the heck out of there if your intention is not to beat him/her to a pulp. Yes, I said her as well because sometimes women can and should be beaten especially if they put their hands on your first. Speed in sight can help you see what's coming at you whether it be a strike, takedown, moving vehicle. Eventually all this comes down to semantics because some of the things I was going to list here can be listed under timing.
4. Timing: Intercepting a strike, moving with or out of the way of an opponent in a grappling or striking situation, kicking a kick, applying a breakfall after you're salad's been tossed(did I say that right?), moving out of the way of a falling tree when your partner yells "timber", avoiding the deadly knife thrust of a villain and screaming long enough for someone else to call the cops or intervene physically, and on and on.
5. Rooted limberness: Grass is the weakest thing ever. It blows with the wind sorta, it collapses under your step...but it hardly ever dies when these things happen. You could run over grass every day and it is resilient. Grass could survive a snow storm. The martial arts teaches people to have this kind of physical and mental resilience. Yielding with the opponent, being soft, persevere until you can act, don't fight power with power. We've all heard these and strive to achieve them eventually. I don't think anyone ever does 100% which is why we keep training.
I wanted to list more but I have to go to my job which brings me money, which keeps me locked in this capitalistic cycle of making and then spending on the newest shaolin shoes(cause they make me more powerful than the last pair).
The above list is probably only a few of the things that martial arts helps to develop which all COULD be helpful in a fight but not necessarily. You could freeze up, or not freeze up and get your a$$ kicked or killed, or something inbetween. Martial arts is a healthy way to get out your aggressions so that you don't feel the need to start fights and remain mentally and physically happy and fit.
Can we all agree that training a specific way only helps us to develop these attributes specifically and will not prepare us for that battle with Vader?
What other attributes can you guys think of and discuss? Would love to hear your thoughts.
The above awesomeness has been copyrighted so don't steal it and put it in your future books
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Originally Posted by unyma
