Value of Competition for Traditional Martial Arts

[Shaolindynasty]

Hey everyone,

Its been a long time since I've posted on this site but I thought I would share this video I made with you. The motivation to make it was a conversation I had on a Facebook group some time ago in which some fellow traditional martial arts practitioners were downplaying the benefits of sport combat training. Anyway check it out

[MightyB]

Thumbs up! Excellent video!

[wiz cool c]

Agree that was a great video. Competition is great, training for your own personal challenges is great. To each his own.

[Jimbo]

Great video! Lots of truth there.

IME, training for competition accelerates one's progress in CMA, particularly in a system like CLF. If someone is interested in learning to actually apply their art, it's a great aspect of training to incorporate, especially when one is relatively young. And although sport fighting isn't the same as an actual street (or wherever) combat scenario, it does develop attributes that carry over or can be modified for it, including instincts, action/reaction time, physical/mental toughness, fighting spirit, etc.

I will add that, IMO, some styles are much easier to adapt to sport fight/training than some others are.

[Shaolindynasty]

One thing I didn't add but should have was that it is important to pick the right competitive venue for whatever the system is that you practice.

[GeneChing]

I was distracted by looking for myself in the background of the Sanda clips from last year's Legends of Kung Fu. Yeah, I'm vain that way, especially on the web.

[Shaolindynasty]

I think by this point of the tournament you avoided our background for fear of more flying daggers

[GeneChing]

If anyone is going to throw daggers my direction, they better look like Zhang Ziyi.