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Anf
Anf's picture
What came first, the martial artist or the art?

A slight play on the chicken or egg thing, with a martial arts twist.

I watch my two young sons playing. The youngest is only 5, and has had no martial arts training yet beyond trying to copy and few kicks he's seen us practice.

Neither of my kids has ever trained judo or anything like it.

Yet I watch them play fight. It usually ends up with then wrestling on the floor. I see crude but very credible techniques happen almost constantly. I see them move in very efficient ways, I see 'tai sabaki' happening to evade or redirect force. I see seamless transitions. I see very proficient roll out and back onto feet with guard straight up.

Obviously I know that martial is a refinement of instinctive ability. Unless martial art was passed down from gods or aliens (joke). But what this gets me thinking is, when so many martial artists assume that 'the average untrained thug won't know what's coming', maybe it is the martial artist that will be caught off guard, having been conditioned to think about certain way, while 'the average untrained thug' is actually more martial artist than the martial artist.

Of course I'm not saying that martial arts training is counterproductive. Not for one second. Effective training to refine an instinctive ability can only be a good thing. But as martial artists we do have a tendency to boast about how open minded we are, we like to brag about how much more humble we are than everyone else while getting quite defensive about such things. Perhaps if we really were open minded and humble and if we really did leave our egos at the door, ie if we practice what we preach, I wonder if it would have any impact on deep rooted perceptions within the arts.

I guess I'm kind of wondering, when it comes to the nuts and bolts of teaching our kids to defend themselves, if we should kind of let them explore their natural ability to move, rather than forcing them to stand in lines, bow a lot, and do as they're told. Or put another way, can we learn as much from kids as they can learn from us?

Les Bubka
Les Bubka's picture

By observing children my opinion is that we are all born as wrestlers, then when we grow up we split in to two punches and wrestlers.

In the most fights that I witness there was always some degree of grappling. As you said we are equipped on natural responses and they are very deeply rooted in us.

For example I know that when I'm stressed and under pressure my wrestling guy will take over, I like to be close and take down, no mawe what I do or plan I always end up wrestling.

I also thing that for children the best martial art training is wrestling, it is safe Develope a athletism, straight and flexibility. To answer question definitely for me martial artist was first.

Kind regards Les

Iain Abernethy
Iain Abernethy's picture

Hi Anf,

Awesome topic!

Anf wrote:
I guess I'm kind of wondering, when it comes to the nuts and bolts of teaching our kids to defend themselves, if we should kind of let them explore their natural ability to move, rather than forcing them to stand in lines, bow a lot, and do as they're told

My view is that training should enhance and refine motion and be in accord with instinct. As I say at seminars:

 “Every single one of us is a thoroughbred survivor. Every single one of your ancestors lived long enough to have children. They survived wars, famines, forest fires and ice ages. You have finely tuned innate survival instincts; you just need to get in touch with them.”

All the best,

Iain