the discussion was about life,skills rather than fitness.
but id be interested to see any stories that say there are fitness benefits that can ONLY be achieved through ma. Can you post a link?
lots of sports can increase yourself defence abilities, weight training and rugby are the most obvious, but soccer can make you very difficult to kick and running very difficult to catch
Oh well in terms of life skills then you would be correct about there not being much variation. The only difference would be cultural in terms of traditional martial arts. I like traditional martial arts but much of life skill aspect of discipline, honesty, respect, and the sort are things that I've learned through other things in life. By nature I'm not a rigid person so a martial art with too much formality would be more than I would ever seek outside of a role of duty or career related. Much of those things I learned from home. Each person will be different of course. But back to your point. If I wanted to learn respect and good human qualities then I wouldn't choose martial arts. There are things more entertaining and nourishing that I can do other than Martial Arts.
You won't find an article that says "ONLY." You will however find articles that recommend a Martial Arts for multiple benefits and not just one. For example, if you are looking to get rid of stress then Tai Chi is not the ONLY thing that gets rid of stress. If you are looking to exercise and build balance then Tai Chi is not the ONLY thing that does that. But if you are looking for one activity that has both then Tai Chi has both benefits. Below are quotes from the same source below where you can read about more things.
From a personal experience, Tai Chi solved my neck issues where nothing else worked. I used to have severe neck pain when I lean my head to one side. It used to feel as if the bone in my neck was grinding against each other. I had the pain for more than 15 years. Doctors thought the solution was surgery, Massage Therapist thought the solution was me getting a massage. I did Tai Chi and the 8 pieces of brocade specifically the one at 5:13 I did a lot. It fixed my neck issues. The only other thing that I could think of that might have fixed my neck would be Yoga. In fairness, it's not a blanket "Go take Tai Chi and get healthier" If the teacher is a bad teacher then Tai Chi will actually do more harm than good. I guess it's like a blade, in the hand of a surgeon the blade is health. In the hand of someone who doesn't know what they are doing, then the blade is going to do more harm than good. Out of all the Martial Arts systems out there. Tai Chi is something that needs quality supervision at the beginning.
"
What the Science Says About the Effectiveness of Tai Chi and Qi Gong
Research findings suggest that practicing tai chi may improve balance and stability in older people and those with Parkinson’s, reduce pain from knee osteoarthritis, help people cope with fibromyalgia and back pain, and promote quality of life and mood in people with heart failure and cancer. There’s been less research on the effects of qi gong, but some studies suggest it may reduce chronic neck pain (although results are mixed) and pain from fibromyalgia. Qi gong also may help to improve general quality of life.
Both also may offer psychological benefits, such as reducing anxiety. However, differences in how the research on anxiety was conducted make it difficult to draw firm conclusions about this." source:
Tai Chi and Qi Gong: In Depth
"There’s some evidence that practicing tai chi may help people manage pain associated with knee osteoarthritis (a breakdown of cartilage in the knee that allows leg bones to rub together), fibromyalgia (a disorder that causes muscle pain and fatigue), and back pain. Qi gong may offer some benefit for chronic neck pain, but results are mixed."
"
Knee Osteoarthritis
- Results of a small NCCIH-funded clinical trial involving 40 participants with knee osteoarthritis suggested that practicing tai chi reduced pain and improved function better than an education and stretching program.
- An analysis of seven small and moderately-sized clinical studies concluded that a 12-week course of tai chi reduced pain and improved function in people with this condition."
lots of sports can increase yourself defence abilities, weight training and rugby are the most obvious, but soccer can make you very difficult to kick and running very difficult to catch
Those things may increase strength and speed, but they do not train how to defend against a punch, a kick, or how to read the intent that is common in the street. In sports the athletes just go for what they know. The sport itself does not train elements of self-defense.
In some cases you'll see professional football players taking a martial art to help them be a better football player. I think you'll like this one article because it shows how it's trained. source:
How Martial Arts Training is Making Elite NFL Pass Rushers Unstoppable
http://www.stack.com/a/how-martial-arts-training-is-making-elite-nfl-pass-rushers-unstoppable
Clevland Browns Hire Martial Arts Expert source:
The Cleveland Browns Have Hired a Martial Arts Expert as a Strength and Conditioning Coach
I would love to have a job like this.