Are The Martial Arts Effective?

Is it effective for you to learn a martial art? Do they really work? I heard this great statement by a well martial artist and he said that martial arts don't work. It is the individual who makes martial arts work. What that means is that you can learn something but that doesn't mean you can apply it. When you see fighters competing at a high level, you things work that you might not think would. Making something work under stress is what they have learned to do. They are in shape and train against non compliant training partners making their techniques work against other trained athletes who know those techniques. Once you get your basics down and gain some experience you learn to impose your will to pull of your moves. Your opponents that you train with and compete against have a foundation and know what you know. So, it becomes a matter of confidence and believing in your skills that make them work. You simply have to go for it and believe in it. That is what makes martial arts effective.

Afraid To Challenge Yourself?

Why do we compete? Do we take on challenges that will be difficult or do we take the ones where the odds are in our favor. Do you want to be the best you can be? For me, I have always challenge myself by taking on the best opponents available. I have never sought out an easy fight. I've have never turned down a challenge either. A lot of people are afraid to lose. But how can you win if you don't play the game? Sometimes you have to play a lot to get the chance to win. I have won accolades in several different combat sports, but I have something to tell you. I have lost! I lost my first kickboxing fight. I've lost in Taekwondo, Judo, Boxing, and Kickboxing. In sports where athletes compete a lot (several matches in one day) in tournaments, I couldn't tell you how many times I've lost. So, don't be afraid to jump in the deep in.

Does Your Heart Pump Blood Or Koolaid

When it comes to competition, school, work, etc., one will be faced with adversity, stress, and many other difficulties. You train, practice, study, and prepare and when put to the test you find out what your are made of. Living in the world of combat, I see that the way people conduct themselves in sport is the same what they do in other facets of their lives. When challenged, they will either give up or rise up. On the highest levels all athletes are strong, fast and durable. In tournaments, athletes will often look the same during the first part of a match. When fatigue sets in, then you see the separation of winner and loser. You can look in the eyes and see into the soul. That's when you know who is truly the victor. Even in defeat, a true winner will stand proud and give his or her all till the end. Heart, courage, spirit, or whatever you want to call it is something that you can give a fighter. Those things come from within. Make sure you heart pumps blood not Koolaid.

Sparring Is Key To Your Development

In order to pull of that new move you just learned, it is going to take PRACTICE. A lot of time you show someone something and they get frustrated when it does not work for them right of the bat. It is because they have PRACTICED it enough. You have drill a new technique so your body remembers it and then you have to spar with it to make it work under pressure. For those of you who get the opportunity to compete, you get to apply it against a fully resisting, adrenalized, opponent. Sparring is the most important training for you because you are doing it for real. It is the most important aspect of PRACTICE.

Performing Under Pressure

You can practice something over and over again and still freeze up when you have to perform for real. It is like studying for a test and then when you take it, your mind goes blank. Nervousness, Anxiety, etc. set in and you wonder where your knowledge went. To perform under stress can only be done through experience. You have to do test yourself by getting out there and doing it. In theory, you know what to do, but you have to get out their and do it to know if you can do it under stress. To remain calm in a storm takes practice. So, leave the umbrella and get wet.

The Title of Master, Grandmaster, etc.

Get to a certain level or attain a certain rank and you will earn the right to be called a Master or Grandmaster. In Taekwondo, once you hit 4th degree you can be called Master. In the hard styles of Karate (Shidokan, Kyokushin, etc.) your are called a Shihan-Dai (low level Master) and at 5th degree you are a Shihan. These titles are used for accomplishment, respect, etc. I personally will never used the title of Master. I am like an enlisted guy in the military who says, "Don't call me Sir, I work for a living". I still grind it out with beginners and advanced students alike. I sweat right beside them. What's around your belt doesn't say anything, but your actions do.

Undefeated Records Don't Make You Great

In the last post I talked about the Mayweather Vs Berto Fight. There is this big deal about undefeated fighters, like there supposed to be the best ever and what not. Mayweather is going for Marciano's 49-0 record. So what if he has tied, beat, etc. It doesn't matter what your record is. You see, in boxing, you take a talented fighter and pad his or her record with fighters who pose them no real threat and they get a lot of wins with a lot of knockouts. You give them 5 easy fights and then every 5th fight, test them to keep them honest and then when the get 20 plus fights you market them as these bad asses to get bigger money fights. I'm not saying that these fighters aren't talented. What I'm saying is that the business side of the fight game says protect your investment by making the fighter seem unstoppable, invincible and all that. If you look up the fighters that these guys have knocked out, you will see most of the KOs early in their careers with opponents who have little experience or horrible records (like 5 wins and 6 losses or 20 wins and 22 losses). Once they start getting better opponents the wins come late in the fight or they start winning by decision. So, don't be fooled by the world UNDEFEATED. It doesn't mean anything.