Martial Arts Articles

The Tao of Both Sides: In with the yin and yang thing

I found this perspective of either or very stiffening and very strange. It seems like you either have to do a "proper" martial art dojo and not do it as a commercial school; or you can do a commercial venture and be total MacDojo and lose all that is good, strong and traditional in the martial art.

Another view is that you can develop good fighters, but you cannot at the same time cater for tradition, high moral standards, equality.

Really? And yes, if you look at some of the people, schools and activities out there, it seems like this has to be true.

There are unfortunately a large (and seemingly) growing number of McDojo/Dojang where you can buy a black belt and where all that counts is “show me the money!”.

And I have seen many great fighters who are totally lost in themselves all the time (not just before a fight), and who have no respect for other people or other opinions what so ever. It's a constant "Me-Myself-I".

"A dojo? Bah, as long as it suites me, it's ok. I'm a fighter!"

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The Danger Myth

You may or may not be aware of the volume of searches for terms such as "deadliest style of martial arts". It's actually quite a substantial amount. Having taught and trained the fighting arts for many years, I tend to find this somewhat disturbing – as well as sad.

Ask any martial arts teachers, and I'll bet he or she have faced more than one young student eager to become a "lean, mean killing machine". Young kids might even ask outright: "When will we learn to kill?" Coming from the mouth of a 7-year-old this will of course raise a smile and the occasional eyebrow.

However, there are some concerning issues involved, reaching far beyond those of juvenile curiosity and frankness. Even quite a few adults tend to take a bow at these martial arts myths, shady concepts and die-hard legends.

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