8 replies to this topic

[ivan_1988]

Greetings to all!

I am shocked at how many people have been misusing martial arts. Not many "black belts" even aim to develop some energy within themselves. Especially with the expansion of the modern MMA and UFC tournaments, the martial arts have been almost completely degraded to the physical level.

True it is that for any martial artist it is important to know how to fight well. Self-defence is big, and I do teach a very reliable self-defence. However, even the self-defence aspect benefits from an actual authentic practice with the ancient approach of Chi, Qi, or energy.

The "mukso" position in Karate before any "kata" was supposed to be a meditation preparing a person to enhance the feelings within one's body and continue that same meditation in one's movement. Tai Chi is completely directed at enhancing the energy, and many people nowadays regard it as just a "healing technique." Using the combat art that is supposed to develop a human being solely for one purpose, be it good fighting or the medicinal one, is a direct path towards losing the point of the whole martial art itself.

All the believers in various religions who practice martial arts (as I'm sure there are many of you) can make a difference by practicing martial arts "properly," with spirit. Maybe then, the focus of such an amazing activity can shift from a simple brawl in a ring (or "octagon") to a fully-developed process that will teach people to respect each other, life, and the very essence of the actual activity given to us by the ancestors thousands of years ago.

[SifuPhil]

Well said.

Unfortunately the martial arts world has devolved in the West (and I suspect in many parts of the East as well). It has been over-simplified, misunderstood and dedicated to the mindless pursuit of fame and fortune. It has been portrayed as stunt work and magic in the media, or been bastardized by practitioners claiming to know the secrets of the Universe that can be yours for only $29.95.

Very few teachers teach the arts so that you can receive a balanced education. In my field, Taijiquan, most Western teachers favor the relaxed, slow-motion spiritual side of training and totally ignore (if they're even cognizant of it to begin with) the fighting side. MMA meanwhile is all beef and no greens - it's all about the competition with others and the trophies and the titles and the "tough-guy" aspect of it that appeals to the fans.

For myself I'll continue to train and to teach the way I have for the last 40 years - seeking balance.

[ivan_1988]

Good stuff. I practice Praying Mantis Kung Fu and Chi Kung (Soaring Crane). Also, I love Aikijitsu. Same purpose - balance, harmony, as in Dao. It is totally unfair how the West has polarized the martial arts - Tai Chi and other internal martial arts for healing, and the external martial arts solely for fighting. Two purposes, plus the actual education of a harmonized lifestyle should be present in ALL martial arts.

Plus, what do you say about "Brazillian Jiu Jitsu?" I saw the movie "Choke," and, honestly, the leader of the Gracie family doesn't even get to face very talented opponents. He, throughout his career, was picking on less talented and less experienced fighters. The moment he faced something unknown, in the US, in a Sambo tournament, he lost... And that's after announcing that BJJ was supposed to be "the most effective." Complete bollocks! It is due to Gracie family in large that we see bad attitude in martial arts and lack of respect - even in the movie, you see them swearing. Totally non-spiritual, even unethical...

[Mustaxina]

I am a black belt in karate, which I got a long time ago but I still practice the sport. I must say I never really got into the spiritual aspects of it all, but for me it became a doorway into the cultural aspects. The essence of karate is a reflection of traditional Ryukyuan culture, it embodies the philosophy of these islands (yes, karate was "invented" in the Ryukyu Islands long before they became part of Japan).

I also find it interesting that most Asian martial arts are based on philosophy and spiritualism, whereas most European ones are based on militarism or, sometimes, dances (such as Capoeira). I'm not saying that one is better than the other, but the difference is curious.

[SifuPhil]

Good stuff. I practice Praying Mantis Kung Fu and Chi Kung (Soaring Crane). Also, I love Aikijitsu. Same purpose - balance, harmony, as in Dao. It is totally unfair how the West has polarized the martial arts - Tai Chi and other internal martial arts for healing, and the external martial arts solely for fighting. Two purposes, plus the actual education of a harmonized lifestyle should be present in ALL martial arts.

Well said.

Plus, what do you say about "Brazillian Jiu Jitsu?" I saw the movie "Choke," and, honestly, the leader of the Gracie family doesn't even get to face very talented opponents. He, throughout his career, was picking on less talented and less experienced fighters. The moment he faced something unknown, in the US, in a Sambo tournament, he lost... And that's after announcing that BJJ was supposed to be "the most effective." Complete bollocks! It is due to Gracie family in large that we see bad attitude in martial arts and lack of respect - even in the movie, you see them swearing. Totally non-spiritual, even unethical...

Oh, please don't get me started on MMA and specifically BJJ - I could rail long and hard (and have, on many forums) about them. Suffice to say I see them as an incomplete system, both in physical and spiritual terms.

[ivan_1988]

Mustaxina, Capoeira is NOT European. It was invented by the African slaves in South Africa. Then, as those people sought freedom, they moved to Brazil where that particular martial art received a new life.

Also, if you practice katas slower and with deep breathing, without making any shouting, you might feel some Qi. This will definitely enhance your overall feelings, and, as a result, techniques. Those who use the Qi even in the tips of their fingers are far better fighters then they've ever been before.

Karate itself was a version that comes from Bushido. I do know that the first Samurais went to China to learn the Shaolin style and other styles of fighting. Many people call the Shaolin style the "mother" of karate. If you have a different source with different information, you can definitely share with us.

[Mustaxina]

Mustaxina, Capoeira is NOT European. It was invented by the African slaves in South Africa. Then, as those people sought freedom, they moved to Brazil where that particular martial art received a new life.

Well, I had got it wrong then. I thought that capoeira was an African/European invention that appeared when the Portuguese and Black African cultures came together in what is now known as Brazil. But my broader point still stands. As far as I know (please correct me if I'm wrong), capoeira is based on festive dances that later evolved to become a martial art. Therefore, it doesn't have the philosophical dimension that most martial arts from Asia have, including Chinese, Japanese and Southeast Asian styles.

As for the origins of karate, I already knew that this martial art has its ultimate origins in China. But it was on the Ryukyu Islands that it differentiated and became karate proper, and in the process it was imbibed with the philosophy of the Ryukyus.

[SifuPhil]

Now see, I had always understood that Capoeira was developed by slaves aboard slaver ships. The appearance of acrobatic dancing was supposedly meant to cover its true martial nature. I know Brazil figures in there somewhere, but I never really did the research necessary to find out the truth.

My oldest son studied Capoeira for a while when he was working on his Bachelor degree and in our discussions I never got a sense of solid philosophy behind it, but that just might be a fault on the part of his teacher - I've known many Taijiquan instructors that don't know THEIR style's philosophical base, either.

[ivan_1988]

Yes, Capoeira was first developed by the slaves in Africa. They were to hide the martial nature because the actual moves were designed to practice freely and forget about the despair of slavery. They, later on, moved to Brazil. Perhaps, some of the Portuguese cultural aspects influenced that martial art, but it's essence always stayed the same.

Mustaxina, could you, please, cite some sources? I'd like to read about that karate more. I always thought that Okinawa was the origin, and, for me, it was proper because it had a good balance between the gentle and rigid moves, making karate more harmonized.