Martial arts: From killing art to wellness and fitness

[Bill Mattocks]

I found this article short but interesting:

Martial arts: From killing art to wellness and fitness
Read more at Martial arts: From killing art to wellness and fitness

 

[Chris Parker]

Hmm… I appreciate where she's coming from, but it's vague, takes the belief that all martial arts are the same, and gets most of it all quite wrong. Pity.

 

[Bill Mattocks]

Hmm… I appreciate where she's coming from, but it's vague, takes the belief that all martial arts are the same, and gets most of it all quite wrong. Pity.

I just appreciate the general awareness that martial arts training is, in general, also a good way to remain fit and mobile as the population ages. I started training at age 46 and I'm glad I did. We have a student who just turned 75, I believe he gets a lot out of the training health-wise.

 

[Chris Parker]

Yeah, like I said… I appreciate where she's coming from… it's just a pity that the entire article is so flawed.

 

[Bill Mattocks]

Yeah, like I said… I appreciate where she's coming from… it's just a pity that the entire article is so flawed.

It is seldom that non-martial artists 'get' the nuances or even the gross details. I am constantly asked by my students what it was like being in the "army" when I wear Marine Corps regalia and tattoos. They don't get the difference and explaining doesn't help. You either know or you do not. The author's article is clearly aimed at the general public, which doesn't know a lot about martial arts in general, so the fact that the ignorant explain to the ignorant using incorrect information doesn't really fash me. If it gets a few people into the training facility nearest them, that's a good thing.

 

[K-man]

Technically the article is wrong about a lot of things but the underlying message is valid. Training any martial art will provide a lot of benefit health-wise.
:asian:

 

[Argus]

There's a story of one Sifu in my art who, upon hearing that a student was taking classes for fitness, would respond that their time was better spent making laps around the building. After all, we're striving for efficiency: using the least amount of movement and the least amount of strength necessary.

 

[Chris Parker]

It is seldom that non-martial artists 'get' the nuances or even the gross details. I am constantly asked by my students what it was like being in the "army" when I wear Marine Corps regalia and tattoos. They don't get the difference and explaining doesn't help. You either know or you do not. The author's article is clearly aimed at the general public, which doesn't know a lot about martial arts in general, so the fact that the ignorant explain to the ignorant using incorrect information doesn't really fash me. If it gets a few people into the training facility nearest them, that's a good thing.

Sure… and I get that it wasn't necessarily written for already practicing martial artists… but you brought it into a martial arts forum for discussion… the lack of accurate information and ideas of martial arts are going to get commented on. And, for the record, I'm not really fond of the idea that the general public doesn't know any better, so it's fine giving them flawed, inaccurate information… that just leads to further misunderstanding and ignorance. And there's already too much of that… that's how we get Antony Cummins positioned as an "expert" on TV shows.

 

[MJS]

I found this article short but interesting:

Martial arts: From killing art to wellness and fitness
Read more at Martial arts: From killing art to wellness and fitness

Well, getting off the couch, and engaging in some sort of physical activity is certainly a huge plus. For me however, while I have certainly reaped the benefits that are listed in the article, those benefits were not then/now, my primary reason for training. If I want to lose weight, I'll join a gym. I do workout at a gym in addition to my MA training. But, as I've said in the past, to each their own. Everyone has their own reasons for training. But like I said in the beginning of this post...better to do something, than nothing.