What does it mean to be a martial artist?

[Buka]

I would add watching your serious golfing partners reactions to bad shots.

I know, right? We all have fun, but some of the good golfer guys get pisses when they shank one.

Golfed with the same bunch of guys since we were young. My best was 128 (and I might have fudged that score a bit) but I once shot a legit 144 with only one ball. I'm very proud of that. And, believe it or not, I once won a golfing trophy. Best Dressed - I did the whole knickers, pompom hat and argyle sweater thing. Proud of that too.

 

[CB Jones]

I was decent except for chipping and putting.

When it came to putting think Happy Gilmore.....go to your home, are you too good for your home!

 

[Gerry Seymour]

I know, right? We all have fun, but some of the good golfer guys get pisses when they shank one.

Golfed with the same bunch of guys since we were young. My best was 128 (and I might have fudged that score a bit) but I once shot a legit 144 with only one ball. I'm very proud of that. And, believe it or not, I once won a golfing trophy. Best Dressed - I did the whole knickers, pompom hat and argyle sweater thing. Proud of that too.

Once upon a time, I could legitimately threaten 90. That sounds good until you realize that I could reliably out-drive everyone I played with. I could hit a 5-iron further than some hit their driver. And I was decent with my short game, pretty good out of the sand, and really good with putting (for a non-competitive player). I'd have a fantastic hole, a good hole, then an 8.

I really enjoyed myself, though, and almost never got really frustrated. Perhaps enjoying myself was why I hit so many out of bounds. It was more fun to hit it 320 yards and end up out-of-bounds than to hit it safely 250 yards (an easy 5-wood for me at the time). I still enjoy myself without that distance, though a bit less. I think my golf is funny. I always have. I'm not sure my golfing buddies thought it was as much fun as I did.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

I was decent except for chipping and putting.

When it came to putting think Happy Gilmore.....go to your home, are you too good for your home!

Between us, we might have made one decent golfer, CB.

 

[Mou Meng Gung Fu]

I don't recall ever having that thought of "I'm not going to quit". I just enjoyed the classes and found them useful, so I kept going.

Then you answered your own question.

And just for the record, the only golfing I've ever practiced was down at the driving range, and miniature put-put golf parks. I didn't devote much time to golfing. I was more into soccer, street hockey, martial arts, skating, drawing tattoos and playing musical instruments (lol). "Art" was my thing.

 

[Buka]

I golf maybe twice a year, or once every three years. But the 5 iron was just introduced to me a couple of times ago. It is my favorite club of all time! I hit it with all my might. (no golf finesse at all) The ball stays a foot off the ground, curving from left to right, and goes around 70 yards or so. It allowed me to make par on a hole, (a 110 yard par 3) for the first time in my life. My buddies nearly fainted. Beers were raised, cigars were lit, cheers rung out, they were astounded and happy for me. A par. Never thought I'd see the day. I shot a 160 that day. Not bad, not bad at all.

I might actually buy a 5 iron. All I really need is a few clubs. A three wood, a putter, a sand wedge, a nine iron - and that wonderful puppy, a five iron. And, of course, some good cigars. I really like golf.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

I golf maybe twice a year, or once every three years. But the 5 iron was just introduced to me a couple of times ago. It is my favorite club of all time! I hit it with all my might. (no golf finesse at all) The ball stays a foot off the ground, curving from left to right, and goes around 70 yards or so. It allowed me to make par on a hole, (a 110 yard par 3) for the first time in my life. My buddies nearly fainted. Beers were raised, cigars were lit, cheers rung out, they were astounded and happy for me. A par. Never thought I'd see the day. I shot a 160 that day. Not bad, not bad at all.

I might actually buy a 5 iron. All I really need is a few clubs. A three wood, a putter, a sand wedge, a nine iron - and that wonderful puppy, a five iron. And, of course, some good cigars. I really like golf.

Golf is one of the few things I really enjoy sucking at, Buka. At my worst, I find golf amusing. At my best, it is tantalizingly close to actual fun. I enjoy it more when playing with people no better than me, so I know I'm not slowing things down.

I own too many clubs. I always carry 14. I know damned well I'd play just as well with 4 or 5, but the others look so sad when I leave them behind.

 

[Steve]

Golf is actually a pretty good corollary to martial arts skill development. In golf, you will probably always suck. But, one thing is guaranteed, the more you play golf, the better at it you become. If you apply yourself, you may get to a point where you suck less and may actually become mediocre. If you have three things, you may even get to be pretty good: aptitude, sound instruction and a lot of opportunity to apply what you've learned. Without all three of those (and even with all three of them), you will be somewhere on the mediocre spectrum.

Problem I see with many martial arts styles (the ones that are too deadly for competition) is that there is no application, and so as a student, you never really know where on the mediocre spectrum you are. And worse, you may actually come to believe you've moved beyond it.

Even further, golf is like a competitive martial art in that the reward loop that keeps you motivated is similar. In golf, when you start, you are looking for some kind of incremental improvement. If you are at the range and hit one ball out of a bucket well, you feel like it was a real success. On the links, you get one good shot out of 125 and it feels great. You remember it. It's remarkable and it keeps you motivated. Over time, you're looking to break 100, and then one par. You'll always remember that first birdy. And then you start thinking about handicap.

In BJJ, it's very similar.

You don't get that feedback in a non-competitive art, because there is no application. And so you have to find it in other things. You look for it in kata or in 2 and 3 step drills, board breaking or some other ancillary demonstration of skill. It's all related. But it's not application.

 

[hoshin1600]

I once won a golfing trophy. Best Dressed - I did the whole knickers, pompom hat and argyle sweater thing. Proud of that too.

we need proof....post a picture please.

 

[oaktree]

My putting is actually pretty good since I can be the ball(caddy shack is one of my favorite movies) I got a decent drive thanks to golf lessons as a kid and I really like miniature golf(I got a hole in one once playing it)

 

[Spinedoc]

I never got to see their reactions all that often...so many of the bad shots were mine. I used to be able to drive the ball almost 350 yards (longest measured was 347). But my "fairways in regulation" stat was well below 50%. Perhaps by 50%. I keep it in the fairway more often now, mostly because I can't hit it as far, so more of the "out of bounds" is also "out of reach".

HA, that's what you need to work on then. I shoot in the high 80's, low 90's fairly consistently. I never get pissed at a bad shot unless I am playing for money or in a tournament...in which case, I get mad so I can forget about it quickly. Slow, simmering anger is the worst thing to do. Better to blow up for a minute, and then move on.

Played on Saturday and was 2 over through the first nine holes.......Then, the back nine happened....ugh.

It's amazing how much Aikido has helped my golf game....to be honest.

Will be at the range tonight....before Aikido. Just playing wedges tonight. Have some new ones and have to get the distances nailed on them...that was a problem on Saturday...LOL.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

You don't get that feedback in a non-competitive art, because there is no application.

Sigh.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

HA, that's what you need to work on then. I shoot in the high 80's, low 90's fairly consistently. I never get pissed at a bad shot unless I am playing for money or in a tournament...in which case, I get mad so I can forget about it quickly. Slow, simmering anger is the worst thing to do. Better to blow up for a minute, and then move on.

Played on Saturday and was 2 over through the first nine holes.......Then, the back nine happened....ugh.

It's amazing how much Aikido has helped my golf game....to be honest.

Will be at the range tonight....before Aikido. Just playing wedges tonight. Have some new ones and have to get the distances nailed on them...that was a problem on Saturday...LOL.

I suspect I'd be a much better golfer now than I was in my 20's. Except that I rarely play anymore. I used to play an average of 6 times a month, plus some range time. Now I play once or twice a year, with maybe a half-dozen visits to the range per year. It's a time and money thing.

 

[Steve]

Sigh.

Lol. I'm not wrong. In golf, you actually play golf to become a better golfer. And you'd never take golf lessons from someone who has never played a round of golf on an actual golf course.

Don't sigh at me, young man!

Edit: and what about pulling that quote out of context. I wrote a good bit more than that one line.

 

[Mou Meng Gung Fu]

In golf, you actually play golf to become a better golfer. And you'd never take golf lessons from someone who has never played a round of golf on an actual golf course.

Good statement.

How does this statement relate to martial arts? Any takers?

 

[Steve]

Good statement.

How does this statement relate to martial arts? Any takers?

Haha. I already said the punchline. hint: It's in this thread.

 

[Mou Meng Gung Fu]

Haha. I already said the punchline. hint: It's in this thread.

"In golf, you actually play golf to become a better golfer. And you'd never take golf lessons from someone who has never played a round of golf on an actual golf course."

"In BJJ, it's very similar."

In martial art, you actually practice martial art to become a better martial artist. And you'd never take MA lessons from someone who has never practiced a session of MA training in an actual MA academy.

Do you agree?

 

[Buka]

we need proof....post a picture please.

Actually have it on one of those three minute long 8 millimetre (think it's 8 millimetre) tapes. If I can find someone who can transfer it to whatever the heck you transfer it too, sure! I'm kind of dressed like an Italian Payne Stewart on a really bad day. Oh, and the tie is pretty awesome.

 

[Buka]

Golf is actually a pretty good corollary to martial arts skill development. In golf, you will probably always suck. But, one thing is guaranteed, the more you play golf, the better at it you become. If you apply yourself, you may get to a point where you suck less and may actually become mediocre. If you have three things, you may even get to be pretty good: aptitude, sound instruction and a lot of opportunity to apply what you've learned. Without all three of those (and even with all three of them), you will be somewhere on the mediocre spectrum.

Problem I see with many martial arts styles (the ones that are too deadly for competition) is that there is no application, and so as a student, you never really know where on the mediocre spectrum you are. And worse, you may actually come to believe you've moved beyond it.

Even further, golf is like a competitive martial art in that the reward loop that keeps you motivated is similar. In golf, when you start, you are looking for some kind of incremental improvement. If you are at the range and hit one ball out of a bucket well, you feel like it was a real success. On the links, you get one good shot out of 125 and it feels great. You remember it. It's remarkable and it keeps you motivated. Over time, you're looking to break 100, and then one par. You'll always remember that first birdy. And then you start thinking about handicap.

In BJJ, it's very similar.

You don't get that feedback in a non-competitive art, because there is no application. And so you have to find it in other things. You look for it in kata or in 2 and 3 step drills, board breaking or some other ancillary demonstration of skill. It's all related. But it's not application.

I always thought there would be a corollary between Martial arts and Golf, because it's all about proper technique. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case with me. However....if I could ride to the dojo in a golf cart, smoking cigars, I' think I'd be a whole lot better at Martial Arts.

And I also think that anyone that walks playing golf, is out of their fricken mind. As for the "exercise" component to walking playing golf, please.

 

[Paul_D]

What does it mean to be a martial artist?
I don’t know. Someone like Lee Morrison doesn’t consider themselves a martial artist, and yet he’s one of the most physically capable people I’ve come across. So I'm buggered if I know.

What are the physical characteristics of a martial artist?
Anything and everything. Tall/short, fat/obese/thin, old/young, strong/weak.

What are the emotional characteristics of a martial artist?
As varied as they are for everyone else.

What is martial art?
Martial = warlike. So it’s a system of combat designed to be used in war/battle. Hence karate isn’t, if you want to get pedantic (and I usually do) a “martial” art as it was designed for civilian self protection, not for use on a battlefield.

What are the behavioural characteristics of a martial artist?
Someone who wanders around the house waving their arms around in strange patterns whilst imagining various scenarios or techniques. Someone who practices forms while the kettle boils. Someone who’s wife refuses to go to a cash machine with them because they won’t allow the person behind them stand closer than a metre.

What are the training characteristics of a martial artist?
Too varied to mention. Some people train to be super fit high level athletes. Some people just like to get off the sofa twice a week, have fun, make friends, and do something more interesting than going to the gym.