Personality and Martial Arts

[sgtmac_46]

I'm an INTP. I keep taking tests, and since childhood, they always come back the same. No idea why. Not sure I agree with it, but it keeps coming back that way. In Keirsey mode, that's Rational / Architect. Not really an expected MA type, eh?

INTP.....yeah, I can see that.

 

[sgtmac_46]

make that 3 girlbug2, just took the test, i'm a rational apparently. Yet i train in a traditional art, am drawn to hierarchy, formal traditions etc. Could also be my upbringing which influences that of course.

With regards to what the op, urban coyote was saying, i was coming at it from a tma point of view as well as that's all i've really had exposure to. I studied goju ryu karate for a while when younger and am now in ninjutsu - 3 years/5th kyu. With our art, a lot of people do tend to be attracted to it purely because they've seen ninjers on tv and movies do awesomely impossible things and they want to do those things as well. During chats with my sensei about the different types of people that come in and train, he mentioned that it's easy to see who's there for the fantasy aspect and who's there to seriously train. Funny thing, the ones that are serious about the art are generally the ones who stick it out from what i've seen. There have been numerous people turn up for a class or 2 and then never return because they didn't get to wear the cool uniform and throw ninja stars from trees.

In the op it was also asked if black belts had different personalities. Imo it's not that only an elite group of students with the right personalities can become black belts. I personally like to think that over time, with training the mindset required of a black belt will develop in each practitioner and their personality will broaden to suit that as they mature and internalize the art more.

Do you know if you're an NTJ? The short test just gives you which one of the four archtypes. Find the longer test to find out which of the 16 types you are.

 

[sgtmac_46]

Even though I can't say that I have seen one specific personality that is more dominant in my school or any of the school I have been in, I will say that there tends to be a large number of jackwagons that hang around in the MMA world. I am not saying everyone in or around MMA are jerks, just 99.9999% of them are. Shoot, I think guys like GSP, Randy Couture, and a few others are pretty good guys. It is just the turds that think they are bad mamma-jammas and have never trained or have trained very little that make me want to rip my eyeballs out.

A large percentage of those guys are Artisans.......MMA is an Artisan sport. Artisans are driven by action and excitement, avoid conformity.

As mentioned, Artisans will be drawn to MMA, Muay Thai, Boxing, nearly any combat sport where they can compete against others.

 

[sgtmac_46]

At that point, I think you're butting up against the opposite problem. Before, we had too much specificity. "Style X lends itself to Personality Y." Now, instead, we've got a trait that doesn't really distinguish itself from any other new activity. "Wanting to learn new things" is a personality trait that runs across virtually all hobbies. And what's more, I wonder whether it's really true that all martial artists love the act of learning. If you polled a substantial cross section and asked them whether they'd do it if they could just download skill in martial arts (as in The Matrix), how many would say "yes." Versus actually going through the learning process. I'm not even sure which group I'd belong to myself.

In the discussion of personality in the aspect girliebug brought up, the issue is more about what is being learned.

Artisans want physical action and development, the ability to express themselves through physical action......they will approach martial arts from that perspective.

Guardians interest is in maintaining tradition, and upholding social standards.......and will approach martial arts from that perspective.

Idealists interest are in the area of personal growth, diplomacy, social harmony, abstract exploration......and will approach martial arts from that perspective.

Rationals are interested in competence and knowledge and will approach martial arts from that perspective.

 

[Supra Vijai]

Do you know if you're an NTJ? The short test just gives you which one of the four archtypes. Find the longer test to find out which of the 16 types you are.

Hi, yeah sorry, it gave me ENTJ (fieldmarshal).

Dominant: Extraverted Thinking
Auxiliary: Introverted Intuition
Tertiary: Extraverted Sensing
Inferior: Introverted Feeling

Does that hold some special meaning to you with regards to MA?

 

[girlbug2]

Lol SgtMac, you've shown me up. By any chance are you a psychologist?

INTJ here. I thought I was one of the few NTs on this board.

Or, perhaps only NTs are interested enough to respond to a thread titled Personality and Martial Arts? Self-selecting group and all that. There may be a glut of Artisans and Guardians, but they're probably out there training instead of talking about it.

 

[Shotokan Seishin]

I've taken this test a few times. Oddly enough depending on the day I seem to fall regularly into the INTJ or the ISTJ category. The "I" "T" and "J" seem to be pretty stable, it's the second letter that I deviate on most. I guess that means I flip between Rational and Guardian personality types

 

[Blindside]

I am usually borderline betweein ESTJ and ISTJ, I tested out more as an extrovert when I was in college and more of an introvert after living by my self in the boonies of Wyoming for several years.

Regardless, I fully agree with my basic Guardian/Protector type, I've eventually served as an officer in every organization that I have ever been associated with, but I don't think that has a huge amount of bearing on the martial art(s) that I have selected to train in. I should probably be attracted to martial arts with well established standards, uniforms, hierarchies, testing boards, etc. but instead I have transitioned from traditional Okinawan Karate to Kenpo to Kali. What is driving me is a combination of what training do I find applicable to modern world, have highly practical training methodologies, and what do I enjoy training in, the art that I am mostly doing now (Kali) gives me that.

I also think the instructor is important, how they teach the art will influence which students stick around.

Lamont

 

[clfsean]

Hmm... I'm a Guardian (SJ).

 

[girlbug2]

Oh by the way, here's the 70 question test I used:

http://www.keirsey.com/sorter/instruments2.aspx?partid=0

 

[Tez3]

Even though I can't say that I have seen one specific personality that is more dominant in my school or any of the school I have been in, I will say that there tends to be a large number of jackwagons that hang around in the MMA world. I am not saying everyone in or around MMA are jerks, just 99.9999% of them are. Shoot, I think guys like GSP, Randy Couture, and a few others are pretty good guys. It is just the turds that think they are bad mamma-jammas and have never trained or have trained very little that make me want to rip my eyeballs out.

Well thanks for that. I will look at all the guys who train with us in a whole different light thanks to you.

What a load of bollocks. Insulting bollocks at that.


Do you personally know GSP et al?

 

[sgtmac_46]

Lol SgtMac, you've shown me up. By any chance are you a psychologist?

INTJ here. I thought I was one of the few NTs on this board.

Or, perhaps only NTs are interested enough to respond to a thread titled Personality and Martial Arts? Self-selecting group and all that. There may be a glut of Artisans and Guardians, but they're probably out there training instead of talking about it.

I've got the credits for a BS in psychology.....which I haven't cashed in, because I lost interest. Which, if you know anything about ENTP's won't surprise you! So now I just 'BS' in psychology!

And you're exactly right, Rationals are the ones who are most interested in the abstract theory and structural underpinning of martial arts........Artisans are out training and competing, and Guardians are making sure everyone bows in and pays their dues on time.....and organizing the annual awards dinner and banquet, keeping meticulous records, etc,etc,etc........

Idealists are probably out balancing their inner harmony, focusing their chi and trying to increase their global harmony.

 

[sgtmac_46]

I've taken this test a few times. Oddly enough depending on the day I seem to fall regularly into the INTJ or the ISTJ category. The "I" "T" and "J" seem to be pretty stable, it's the second letter that I deviate on most. I guess that means I flip between Rational and Guardian personality types

When it's so close we usually just say 'IxTJ'.......not all the functions are extremely dominant, lots of folks are on the boundary.

 

[geezer]

Went online and took two versions of that Kiersey quiz. Pretty much answered the questions at random since in most cases all the options seemed to make about as much sense. First one said that I was an Idealist. second said an Artisan. Well, I am a teacher (gotta be an "idealist" of sorts to stay in that job). Actually I'm a ceramics teacher... I went to art school and eeked out a living for a while selling crafts to support my attempts to build a rep as a sculptor and get a University instructorship. Didn't pan out, so I ended up teaching high school art. So even though the "quiz" seemed bogus to me, it pegged me pretty well: an artisan/teacher. But then I don't believe in astrology either and I'm a textbook Leo. Go figure.

As far as MA goes... my core art is Wing Chun. People who don't like that art will tell you that it's full of idealists! I've also spent a long time in Eskrima. I like it's iconoclastic, non-traditional quality. But I also like competitive, down to earth arts like Boxing, Muay Thai and BJJ. I think the competition keeps 'em real. That's why I don't train them. At 55, I don't like the reality of getting my butt kicked and getting seriously hurt! So I guess I'm a realist too.

 

[Tez3]

I'm none of those things, I'm English.

 

[sgtmac_46]

Hi, yeah sorry, it gave me ENTJ (fieldmarshal).

Dominant: Extraverted Thinking
Auxiliary: Introverted Intuition
Tertiary: Extraverted Sensing
Inferior: Introverted Feeling

Does that hold some special meaning to you with regards to MA?

You'd probably be quick to take up a leadership role in any organization or project you were involved in. It would also indicate that you're highly competative and driven to succeed and go about it in an organized fashion.

 

[sgtmac_46]

Went online and took two versions of that Kiersey quiz. Pretty much answered the questions at random since in most cases all the options seemed to make about as much sense. First one said that I was an Idealist. second said an Artisan. Well, I am a teacher (gotta be an "idealist" of sorts to stay in that job). Actually I'm a ceramics teacher... I went to art school and eeked out a living for a while selling crafts to support my attempts to build a rep as a sculptor and get a University instructorship. Didn't pan out, so I ended up teaching high school art. So even though the "quiz" seemed bogus to me, it pegged me pretty well: an artisan/teacher. But then I don't believe in astrology either and I'm a textbook Leo. Go figure.

As far as MA goes... my core art is Wing Chun. People who don't like that art will tell you that it's full of idealists! I've also spent a long time in Eskrima. I like it's iconoclastic, non-traditional quality. But I also like competitive, down to earth arts like Boxing, Muay Thai and BJJ. I think the competition keeps 'em real. That's why I don't train them. At 55, I don't like the reality of getting my butt kicked and getting seriously hurt! So I guess I'm a realist too.

It's not really like astrology. Jungian psychology is about merely about personal temperament. The online questions are a limited method of measuring that, but a lot more goes in to making an actual assessment.

Some of the questions on those tests are to determine introversion versus extraversion, which is one of the four axis.....the others being thinking versus feeling......perceiving versus judging......sensing version Intuition.

I'd guess you're an ISFP or INFP.........you said you got both Artisan and Idealist, that suggests you scored both tests on the 'P' on the P/J axis.........and since you got idealist on one that would suggest you were probably consistent 'F' on the 'T/F' axis.......your other statements suggest S over N, and i'm guessing I over E based on your choice of pursuits, specifically hands on personal art, versus a more social endevor that would suggest an ESFP or ENFP, though i'm somewhat guessing on the 'I'.

Most likely an ISFP Artisan Composer.

Artisans are drawn to activities that grant them freedom of action, both physical and creative.

 

[sgtmac_46]

I'm none of those things, I'm English.

As a frame of reference, Winston Churchill was almost certainly an ESTP.

 

[Flying Crane]

You beat me to this thread! :bangahead:I was going to post a link to the kiersey temperment sorter quiz and ask people to take the quiz and then report their results, with a mention of what art they practice and how long they have been practicing.

maybe i missed it somewhere, but does anyone have the link to the quiz?

edit: nevermind, I found it.

 

[Supra Vijai]

You'd probably be quick to take up a leadership role in any organization or project you were involved in. It would also indicate that you're highly competative and driven to succeed and go about it in an organized fashion.

Oh I agree with that aspect totally as do my friends who I got to cross check my result to see if it was accurate

However, in terms of martial arts specifically, how does that translate? Am I "expected" to like the traditions/hierarchy etc or am I going against the grain so to speak? I'm interested in the whole nature vs nurture aspect of it.