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Monday, September 26, 2005
Martial Arts 'Tricks'
Tricks and Kicks and stuff...
I was thinking about the phenomenal acrobatics one often sees in martial arts clips and the like, especially the predilection on the continent for 'Sport Karate' competitions and the like.
I don't deny that the practicioners are quite capable and highly acrobatic, but I have to question the usage of the moves in a real situation.
In my years of practice, some of my peers derided the flashy kicking, high kicks, jump kicks, etc (although some of these people were TaeKwonDo practicioners, and really, TKD is rife with acrobatic kicking). I, myself, am not adverse to throwing high split kicks, jump kicks and various spinning kicks, but I never intend to use such moves in any combat situation: they are merely a way of exercising your ability, or pushing your flexibility etc.
However, it is one thing to play in such a way when sparring, but I think it is quite another when you use 'flashy' techniques purely for the performance aspect.
I neither condone nor condemn doing so, each to their own I say, but I see little value in the sport karate forms using music to perform to and performing somersaulting flash kicks etc.
I have seen some excellent displays of acrobatic kicking but combined with real applicable techniques such as the Korean TKD teams performing breaking. Here I can distinguish the difference between mere performance, or dance, with actual combative ability.
Similarly, I've practiced 540s and butterfly twists, but I would never ever imagine using such techniques in a fighting situation, they are just fun exercises to push myself, like kicking higher, or punching faster. But to create a 'form' to display your ability, that is not martial arts - it is merely ego stroking of the type requiring other people to be impressed, or, as I often say, social masturbation.
If you wish to call yourself a martial artist, think about why you study and practice a martial style - is it for others to see or is it for yourself?
Pax
I was thinking about the phenomenal acrobatics one often sees in martial arts clips and the like, especially the predilection on the continent for 'Sport Karate' competitions and the like.
I don't deny that the practicioners are quite capable and highly acrobatic, but I have to question the usage of the moves in a real situation.
In my years of practice, some of my peers derided the flashy kicking, high kicks, jump kicks, etc (although some of these people were TaeKwonDo practicioners, and really, TKD is rife with acrobatic kicking). I, myself, am not adverse to throwing high split kicks, jump kicks and various spinning kicks, but I never intend to use such moves in any combat situation: they are merely a way of exercising your ability, or pushing your flexibility etc.
However, it is one thing to play in such a way when sparring, but I think it is quite another when you use 'flashy' techniques purely for the performance aspect.
I neither condone nor condemn doing so, each to their own I say, but I see little value in the sport karate forms using music to perform to and performing somersaulting flash kicks etc.
I have seen some excellent displays of acrobatic kicking but combined with real applicable techniques such as the Korean TKD teams performing breaking. Here I can distinguish the difference between mere performance, or dance, with actual combative ability.
Similarly, I've practiced 540s and butterfly twists, but I would never ever imagine using such techniques in a fighting situation, they are just fun exercises to push myself, like kicking higher, or punching faster. But to create a 'form' to display your ability, that is not martial arts - it is merely ego stroking of the type requiring other people to be impressed, or, as I often say, social masturbation.
If you wish to call yourself a martial artist, think about why you study and practice a martial style - is it for others to see or is it for yourself?
Pax
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I agree with you in that most open forms with flashy moves serves no combative purpose. After being in martial arts for over 32 years, I've done the extremes from full contact sparring to flashy forms. In my opinion, flashy forms as well as traditional forms both serve little in combat (UFC is a good example of where combat is at today). However, martial arts is not just about fighting. I can't do aerials but do enjoy watching the younger competitors doing their forms. I can do creative forms knowing that they have little to do with self defense but I don't care because I enjoy doing them. At my age of 44, it's a physical activity that keeps me in shape. I am glad that martial arts has so much to offer besides just combat (health, stress management, etc). There's enough in martial arts to satisfy everyone.
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