Are martial artist warriors?

[mastercole]

Can martial arts practitioners be considered warriors, of one type or another?

 

[Steve]

Depends on the martial art and the martial artist.

I'd consider the guys I know who compete actively in MMA to be warriors. I wouldn't consider myself to be a warrior, though.

 

[ralphmcpherson]

Depends on the martial art and the martial artist.

I'd consider the guys I know who compete actively in MMA to be warriors. I wouldn't consider myself to be a warrior, though.

I agree. Martial artists actively competing in full contact MA comps I would cosider warriors. The other 99.9% I wouldnt. People like myself I certainly wouldnt cosider warriors.

 

[StudentCarl]

...Leading to the interesting discussion of the definition of "warrior".

If you hold to the narrow definition as 'one who engages in life-or-death combat', then even the majority of those who serve in the military may not qualify. Further, I think it is possible to be a person in a life-or-death combat situation and not act as a warrior. I prefer a definition that says one is a warrior at a given time if acting with the heart and mind of someone acting fearlessly and purposely in a life-or-death situation. I definitely think one can be a warrior at times and not at others. I think this is a mindset and not external circumstances. I also don't think the 'combat' has to be vs. an active opponent (firefighters come to mind). Is it necessary for one's life to actually be at risk? I don't think so, if the mindset it right, but any question is removed if the risk is real and the action shows conscious purposeful action in the face of it. I do think one can train the mindset; I think that spirit can be what distinguishes martial art from a more general athletic/physical activity. I think the term 'warrior spirit' is very appropriate, but am fine with the idea that that is not everyone's goal or purpose in studying a martial art.

I'll be interested to see where this goes.

Carl

 

[Instructor]

I think the warrior ethos is a noble thing to pursue. It's a quality that I would like to see more within myself and in others.

 

[puunui]

Can martial arts practitioners be considered warriors, of one type or another?

I don't consider myself a "warrior" just because I practice the martial arts.

 

[seasoned]

Can martial arts practitioners be considered warriors, of one type or another?

Warrior spirit is something anyone studying a martial art should strive toward in your training. It is that warrior spirit that you will call upon, in a life and death situation. You may never need it, but you should train with serious intent.

 

[Cyriacus]

A Warrior doesnt exist just because You Train.

"A warrior is a person skilled in combat or warfare, especially within the context of a tribal or clan-based society that recognizes a separate warrior class."

I dont think Martial Arts Training makes You skilled at Combat and Warfare. It makes You skilled at Unarmed or Armed Combatives.
A Warrior is forged from Warfare and/or Combat. That is Their Proving Ground.
Not a Training Arena.

 

[SahBumNimRush]

I believe that martial arts training fosters the warrior spirit, but I don't believe that martial arts training necessarily creates a warrior. Could a martial artist become a great warrior? Sure. Someone with a good warrior spirit already possesses some of the more difficult attributes to acquire.

But, like Cyriacus stated above, you can't become a warrior through training alone.

Many of the TKD Pioneers were warriors, many of them served in the ROK Army. Many of them saw combat, and I am confident that their martial arts training served them well. However, I would not dare to put myself in the same category of those people, both in terms of training or in combat experience.

 

[seasoned]

Can martial arts practitioners be considered warriors, of one type or another?

Warrior spirit is something anyone studying a martial art should strive toward in your training. It is that warrior spirit that you will call upon, in a life and death situation. You may never need it, but you should train with serious intent.

It was the "another" I was referring to, just for the record......................

 

[mastercole]

I believe that martial arts training fosters the warrior spirit, but I don't believe that martial arts training necessarily creates a warrior. Could a martial artist become a great warrior? Sure. Someone with a good warrior spirit already possesses some of the more difficult attributes to acquire.

But, like Cyriacus stated above, you can't become a warrior through training alone.

Many of the TKD Pioneers were warriors, many of them served in the ROK Army. Many of them saw combat, and I am confident that their martial arts training served them well. However, I would not dare to put myself in the same category of those people, both in terms of training or in combat experience.

One of my seniors woke in the morning to find the North Korean's walking all over his neighborhood, in 1950. He told me that after the Korea War, when he trained his students he hit them with a rod to discipline them, did it with love in his heart. It was either he and his kind do that, or the Korean population would not grow strong, then the North Korean's could beat them with a rod instead, with hate in their hearts. He had a Hanja scroll in his dojang that read "Strength is of National Interest" I guess every time you got smacked with that stick, you could look up at this sign. That was going on all over Korea and it worked for them. They seemed to have developed a kind of warrior I suppose.

[/IMG]

 

[Em MacIntosh]

Organic vegetables (as opposed to what, silicon vegetables?)
Molten lava (all lava is molten, if it's not we call it rock)
Hot water heater (for when your hot water isn't hot enough)
Snuck out (when you get cuffed upside the head hard enough to be knocked unconscious, not to be confused with "sneaked out", a stealthy exit)

I try and I try but definition and all that grammer in school don't matter. It's all buzzwords with their meanings hijacked. So call yourself whatever satisfies the ego but if you ask me if "these vegetables are organic" I'll roll them in charcoal and say, "they are now".

 

[puunui]

He had a Hanja scroll in his dojang that read "Strength is of National Interest" I guess every time you got smacked with that stick, you could look up at this sign. That was going on all over Korea and it worked for them.

I have a hanja calligraphy up at my house. I used to have it up in my office. It says "Hwal In Taekwondo" and was done by GM LEE Won Kuk. I have other smaller ones up on the wall, including ones I got at the korean folk village in korea, done by some senior gentleman who made the paper that the calligraphy is written on.

 

[mastercole]

I have a hanja calligraphy up at my house. I used to have it up in my office. It says "Hwal In Taekwondo" and was done by GM LEE Won Kuk. I have other smaller ones up on the wall, including ones I got at the korean folk village in korea, done by some senior gentleman who made the paper that the calligraphy is written on.

I'd love to have a photo of that.

"Hwal in Taekwondo", Taekwondo for Health (life, blood). I am not suggesting it, but that would something amazing for the museum at Taekwondowon (Taekwondo Park), or else a print of it. Do you try, like me to bring back Hanja scrolls most every trip? I got this really nice one from Pulguksa Temple that states "Il Chae Yu Shim Jo", a saying by Won Hyo Taesa. The last Taekwondo Poomsae Ilyo is from his incessant stressing of this idea through his teaching of Buddhism. A few weeks ago my son took it to Colorado as a gift for Angel Aranzamendi in appreciation for Angel's special invitation to his training camp.

[/IMG]

 

[mastercole]

I suggest there are two general types of warriors.

The first type is the type that most folks seem to focus on when thinking of “martial artist”, it is the warrior, skilled or not, who brings suffering to humanity, harming life and dreams of people for a cause, known or unknown to the warrior or to those whom they wage war against, moral, immoral or amoral does not matter.

The second is what I believe “martial artist”, especially of the “Do” type should strive to become, that is the warrior who is skilled, who brings relief of suffering first to their self, then to others and does so with no motive to harm. The cause is to relieve suffering and motive is moral. This type of warrior seeks to perfect their physical self through physical discipline, a discipline that can also lead to seeking perfection of Ethical, Mental and Intellectual character by the disciplining of the mind.

The second type is rooted in Buddhist principles, a central idea in Taekwondo and all “Do” martial arts. Warriorship and martial imagery abound in Buddhism. That is because the task of winning enlightenment is a great battle with the self-grasping and wrong views.

In the tripitaka Koreana, 80,000 wooden blocks carved in Hanja in the 13th century, housed at Haein-sa Buddhist Temple in Korea (http://kb.sutra.re.kr/ritk_eng/intro/introSutra.do), there is a record of an exchange between the Buddha and his disciples (found in the Anguttara-niyaka, sutta pitaka of all Buddhist cannon);

This is a popular English translation of it:

Warriors, warriors, Lord, we call ourselves, in what way are we warriors?

“We wage war brethren; therefore we are called warriors.”

Wherefore, Lord, do we wage war?

“For lofty virtue, for high endeavor, for sublime wisdom – for
these things we do wage war. Therefore we are called warriors.”

[/IMG]

 

[Zenjael]

In my book Martial Artists, at most, are fighters. People who go to war are warriors. When united for a cause, such as in the boxer rebellion, then perhaps would I consider a MA a warrior. But that's arguably war with one's own homeland, and is a civil conflict. Semantics aside, Martial Artists are a class of fighter with discipline who deserve, and earn respect.

Now if you asked me if Martial Artists had a warrior spirit... that's a different question.

 

[miguksaram]

I think the warrior ethos is a noble thing to pursue. It's a quality that I would like to see more within myself and in others.

While I understand where you are going, I think you have to hold some caution in having a general statement like that. Look at Warlords in Uganda or the Ghangis Khan. Would you say those were qualities you would like to have?

 

[Jenna]

The second type is rooted in Buddhist principles, a central idea in Taekwondo and all “Do” martial arts. Warriorship and martial imagery abound in Buddhism. That is because the task of winning enlightenment is a great battle with the self-grasping and wrong views.

Life is a battle played through a series of skirmishes however literal or metaphorical.

To exist safely and successfully we all become warriors. Some are better than others.

Martial art is, in my opinion, the best model upon which to structure our path through these battles.

 

[Josh Oakley]

You have to have actually gone to war, in my opinion to be a warrior. There are very few civilian pursuits I consider would classify one as a warrior.

And for the record, I don't believe the term, "warrior", is a lofty one. Merely a factual one.

Sent from my ADR6350 using Tapatalk

 

[Cyriacus]

You have to have actually gone to war, in my opinion to be a warrior. There are very few civilian pursuits I consider would classify one as a warrior.

And for the record, I don't believe the term, "warrior", is a lofty one. Merely a factual one.

Sent from my ADR6350 using Tapatalk

Id say You have to go to War and Fight, but semantics.