Questioning your beliefs in the ma's.

[Marginal]

I don't know if this qualifies as questioning my beleifs in the MA's, but I have been doing a lot of reading over the past year or so. The few books that stand out for me right now are:

Living the Martial Way

I really like the chapters dealing with tactics and training etc. I'm not entirely sold on the whole bushido in modern society tack that the rest of the book takes though. His section on the religious influences present in the Asian MA's is worth reading once and a while too. (Cuts down on the bunker mentality that some groups like to wallow in.)

Secret Tactics

Basically just a collection of older texts on the MA's and strategy etc compiled by Kazumi Tabata. He gives it a slightly more relevant spin by providing editorialized translations of selections from the book of five rings etc.

Ringside.com' s free boxing manual

Lots of good conditioning advice. Interesting to see what's the same and what's different from TKD techniquewise too.

None of that has lead me to question what my instructors are saying though. Mainly just read tem and other books to find resonance with my own training.

 

[Shinzu]

My kind of crazy. i've always thought of them as the Jesuits of the martial arts. I mean that as a compliment. i don't know if i'd take it as far as them but i understand what they are trying to do. i guess the question is, will you learn more from point sparring and katas or getting into a fight with someone who's trying to take your head off? i think the latter would cut through the b/s pretty quickly and show you what works and what doesn't. this would apply to weaponless ma's too.

i appreciate the commentary on the links i posted , but what i'm really looking for is your input. have you reevaluated yourself? your art? are there videos that turned your training around? is there a person? share. regards :asian:

i agree that the only way to find out is to get down to it, but if you wind up damaging yourself so bad then you can't train at all. they go a bit too far i think. at least they could pad up more. that would make more sense to me.

during my 2nd degree BB test we did all out sparring with no gear (cup & mouthpeice only). 1 on 1, 2 on 1, and 3 on 1. man was that tough. it lasted for about 10 minutes or so.

 

[ppko]

George Dillman is the reason I am still in the Martial Arts. I am learning from T.A. Frazer now one of Dillmans top three. I started training in the Martial Arts about 10 years ago under Tom Mansons Tokoshi Martial Arts my instructor was Tim Foster, I started in Aikijujitsu, Jujitsu, and Shotokan. Well we couldn't find any real martial reasons for kata so we threw them out and started doing Combat Gung-Fu. Well shortly after this I began to lose interest in the MA and stopped doing it for a short while, the reason why is because I felt like I was at a stopping point in my learning. Well I got a itch to do it again, but my instructor stopped teaching so I started looking for a good instructor and ran across Dusty Seale (another one of George Dillmans top three) well he started telling me more meaning than what I could have ever imagined. Well he gave the school to T.A. Frazer and I now love kata ever since I have found jwhat I believe to be the true meaning of kata. For more info on George Dillman go to www.dillman.com


PPKO

 

[bluenosekenpo]

As much as I try to forgive and forget because everyone is human, my instructor keeps reminding me that he is not the person to be a master teaching others in MA. Especially at testing when I sit there and he expounds on the importance of integrity in everyone else and doesn't look at his own house. But his integrity is something, I cannot do anything about. I can only pray for him and live my life doing MA with a conviction in my own values yet knowing I am not perfect either. At least, I am there for others. I have my own goals and I will seek my own path in TKD. And while it would be nice to have a mentor, or even a guide, that is not possible now.

So whatever that has shaken you, I believe was done for a reason. I know, now, that I was not on the right path. Your path will hopefully lead you, also, to a better outcome. May God Bless You.

i don't know what happened to you, but i believe we went through a similar awakening. it was a culmination of incidents that made me question all martial arts teachers. so my quest began, the first thing i realized was that my understanding of kenpo was superficial at best. this was really brought out watching larry tatum. the depth of kenpo astounded me. wtf? what had i been learning? my progression of belts meant nothing. kenpo had saved me (no lie) at a personal level. it was the missing piece in my lifes puzzle. to find out it may have been a sham? it was pretty devestating. so i shook it off, and decided to look deeper into the ma's, what was i looking for? in retrospect, i believe it was in fact the best thing that could have happened to me. i was getting caught up in a belt collecting mentality. i was losing focus. i had lost the joy of discovery. so, here i am, at the begining of this leg of the journey, and i'm having a blast. as for your situation, i've seen it in others, don't stay with a teacher, just to get a particular belt. it really doesn't matter. do what you must for your own well being. no one elses. thank you for your wishes, enjoy your journey.(hope this didn't come across as too self-righteous). :asian:

 

[Flatlander]

That sounds like a very difficult process to have to go through. It would be tough working through this type of foundation shaking revelation. I'm not really sure what would cause such an event, but it speaks to your tenacity and martial dedication that you continued to search for meaning, rather than throwing it all away.

Much Respect.

 

[bluenosekenpo]

the saga continues....for those interested....

about 2 months ago i was waliking with my kids to a local field. they bike, i practice sinawali. this tall fella comes up behind us, "sticks?" he asks(they were in a bag and clicking as i walked). "yes", i reply cautiously,what happened over the next 2 hours was amazing. this guy was from germany and was travelling around the world. during his travels he would try and find people to practice ma's with where ever he was. how cool! we then proceeded to non contact stick fight. what a blast. it amazes me that the potential is always there for a profoundly positive life experience in the most unexpected places and situations. so my desire to find a new teacher/school was rekindled.

after another month of fruitless searching, i saw an ad on the internet for a jkd/fma seminar at a local jiujitsu school. what???? this is exactly what i've been looking for. in a nut shell, i went, had a great time, now practice at a new school. Bushido-kai jiujitsu, jkd, fma, judo, aikido, with alot of karate-kickboxing type strikes. and it's fun too!

i get to work with high ranking belts from jj, hapkido, shotokan, kajukembo, judo, kickboxers, muay thai boxers and just a great group of folks. this is day to my kenpo schools night.

oh, and i am a white belt again :sadsong: actually i like that too. train hard. regards