The frauds in martial arts

Folks,
I am back, maybe for good this time :) If you have been involved in Martial Arts for a reasonable extent of time, then you have probably heard something like this. "Master "X" once fought 5 guys with knives that tried to rob him. All 5 went to the hospital, and he wasn't even scratched." Whenever I hear something like that, my bullcrap-o-meter kicks into over drive, and I am forced to move my pen (or keyboard keys) about it. There are actually people that readily believe this type of story. Or maybe you should check out the ads in Black Belt magazine and have a good chuckle. There are more ads about the "deadliest" styles than there are sugar addicts at a Krispy Kreme.

And what is the final verdict? They are phonies, plain and simple. I actually read an ad that talked about how to kill a person within seconds. About how the moves were so simple that you would never forget them, even if only practicing a few minutes a week. So are we to believe that a legit teacher would put suck info out there so easily, even if any old criminal could read it and learn the same techniques? One of the biggest deterrents of thugery in martial arts is the fact that it takes a significant amount of time to master.

Or how about the Krav Maga schools popping up all over the country? News flash folks, soldiers are not trained to beat you up. They are trained to kill you. So how watered down is an art, if it was originally created to kill someone, but is now used just to beat you up? That is like taking away someone's 12 gauge shotgun, and giving them a bb gun. How about the certifications that are popping up all over the place? Will they just teach anyone their "secrets?" How do they maintain quality control? How do they decide who gets to learn his stuff? I guess it doesnt matter to them. But I think that it should, if what they claim is legit.

And while I am back on my rant, here is my favorite: How about the ad where the guy claims to have found the fountain of youth. Fountain of youth? No, I am not kidding you. Look in Black Belt magazine and watch your bull crap o meter go off the chart. As far as bologna goes, I am calling Oscar Myer big time. If this worked, the man would be hailed as some kind of religious icon. He would be put right up there with Jesus, Buddha, Confucious, Vishnu, Allah, and all of the other deities that escape my mind at this moment. But for what I am sure is a pittance relative to the value of the product, this man is going to teach you how to slow the aging process. All I have to say is, as I read through the ads for a good laugh, I am going to need hip boots. Because the BS is piling up like you wouldnt believe..

Guys, how has martial arts changed your life?

I am asking this question in all seriousness. I don't want you to say something truly visionary(insert sarcasm) like" I am more confident. I am more coordinated. I am more flexible." The third is self-explanatory, but what about the first two? Can you really give specific instances where your martial arts training has helped you to live a better and productive life? If not, have you ever asked yourself why you can't? For one reason or another, we all joined martial arts to help facilitate some type of life change. If you cannot say that your particular life change has either happenned, or is happening, you might want to re-examine your goals.

I hate to sound all holier than thou, because I don't mean to be. I just want you to have a real look at why you joined martial arts. Martial arts can be such an amazing thing, I would hate for someone to miss out on all that you can gain from it. That is all. Keep training, and keep your eyes on the prize. Your life can only get better my friends.

Today's rant, the reader's digest version...

All right you guys, this is ridiculous. If anyone in your school is younger than 16 and has a black belt, your school is a disgrace to the name of martial arts. AAARRGGGHHHH!

Do you practice? Or do you train?

Welcome back folks and Happy New Year! I have to start off this year with a bang, and do a lot more blogging. Now I am just going to jump right in. Do you train or do you practice? Let me give my quick two definitions so we all understand each other. Practice is to do something at a recreational pace, something that you enjoy, but dont want to do as a vocation. Training means to practice said endeavor with a clear goal in mind. Some people jog every morning to stay in shape. That is good. That is practicing. Some people run because they are going to do a marathon. That means that they are doing interval runs, and running up hills and all of that stuff. They are training. I personally think that they are also crazy, but this is just me I guess. 26 miles is exactly why I own a car. But we can discuss that another time.

In martial arts some people go to class 2 times a week and enjoy it. They have friends there, and they get a good workout. There is nothing wrong with that. If they get belts and ranks, then that is just a by-product of regular attendance. Some people go to push themselves. Some want the challenge of higher rank. They want to kick harder, be faster, and have superb self-defense skills. They come 3 or 4 times a week. They sweat, bleed and read about martial arts, sports psychology, goal setting and the like. They know that they represent the modern day version of the samurai, and the Hwarang( look it up if you care to.) Now is one better than the other? Nope, they both have merit in today's world. But if you are really serious about your training, sit down and write your goals out. Then get up and look in the mirror. Are you training or are your practicing?