could it be that the western world has turned a blind eye to the martial arts?

Question

i mean i know there are practitoners but do they realy feel the tradition and culture mixed in with it, is it because we live in such a materialistic world that it has blinded us from everything and thats why we belive more facts e.g chi is not true, my style is the best

Answer 1

It is the American way. Take all that is good in the world tear it apart and re build it into something that suits their needs, without a second thought about the history, culture or true meaning of it.
Look at it this way pretty much every sport let alone Martial Art were created in another country other than the US Basketball - Canada
Baseball - England
Hockey - Canada
Lacrosse - Native Canadians
Tennis England
Golf _ Scotland

I guess I don't need to go on. Like Martial Arts the US has always found a way to take something pure and turn it into their own
This is good in allot of ways but with allot of things it ends up loosing alot of what's good about the art, sport or what ever...

Now that all the Americans here hate me. I'm only stereotyping not talking about you in particular.
Plus it's alittle payback for all the things you guys say about Canada.

Additional: Hey ninedemon... Boxing as it was invented thousands of years ago was a sporting even not a Martial Art and it was invented by a western sivilization. Wrestling is the worlds oldest combat sport and dates back to egyption days over 5000 years ago, and was used as a sporting even to entertain people.
Eastern Martial Arts were created for war and fighting as a way to defend onesself or one village agains attackers and since alot of them did not have weapons. Hense Shaolin , the monks trained themselfs to defend their monistaries againts attackers. I tell you what I preach dicipline and respect through my art. And while you try to cut me open with those elbows or threaten to. I'll be sitting in the bar having a pint while you are outside still running off at the mouth like a fool. Because my ego doesn't need to be fed by trying to prove how bad I think I am.
Oh and I dare you to walk up to that layed back Chinese man, or a true martial artist and put a hand on him and see what happens to it...
It's guys like you that continually give people like me and the majority of other Martial artist a bad name and why the average person hates UFC and anything else to do with Martial arts.
Time to grow up and get out of the idea that the only way to prove you are a man or tough is to figth/beat up people weaker than you. My guess is you've either never competed in what ever art you train in and have never fought anyone else who was trainedwell in theirs.

Answer 2

unfortunately Yes, many of the Western cultures are more concerned on the facts than actually falling back on the basis of training that Martial Arts teaches.

we hear so muchabout what is"true" or "untrue" without actual basis, and that so much can be edited in video or "added" for a dramatic effect to get more ratings or viewers for their show that it's easy to become jaded to what we see or hear about the things around us, including Martial Arts.

and then on top of that we get the kinds of people who're so quick to trash the validity of any other Martial Arts discipline because they think (through pride, and unfortunately; boasting) that their own discipline(s) are the greatest ever devised, and everything else is crap, gay or ineffective.

Not to point fingers at a particular group, but it seems (to me in my opinion anyway, Because I'm a huge fan UFC, and Pride etc) led mostly by the group of people in the Mixed Martial Arts genre that displays the "my style can beat your style neener neener" mentality, simply because they've only learned the physical side (ie the fighting aspect) of Martial Arts and not the true aspects of Martial Arts were created for, and evolved into the disciplines we have today by the "founders" of these disciplines and their own modifications to the original disciplines that came before their own time.

that reason is: That it's better to protect life, yours and your family and friends, the people who can't fight for themselves first, and lastly (and even this sickens my stomach at times to have to do it, but I remember what may happen later, read below) your opponents own life or well being with as little malice or ill will as possible, than to take it

and it's never been more true today, with so many people that're so quick to sue another person for a quick buck, or just to be spiteful enough to see that person get a personal blow to their character, like a conviction in court because "being a Martial Artist they should've known better" even when they were defending themselves from that person or persons that started the fight, just so they can have the last laugh.

So as a Martial Artist, you have to know and remember what kinds of consequences that can happen AFTER a fight, and what's more important to you or what's worth the hassle to you later (been there , done that. and not lookin' forward to it again).

Answer 3

To the person who said boxing and wrestling weren't martial arts:
The oldest form of empty hand-to-hand combat were boxing and wrestling. Don't tell me that they weren't developed for war, because the cavemen probably used them in their daily tribe to tribe battles. Martial arts developed from them, but so has boxing developed. And also don't say that being a sport and competing is bad. The Chinese had the lei tai (which is thousands of years old), the Thais had their tournaments, Japan, etc... all had their way to compete. Finally, saying,"my style is the best," may not be such an honorable thing, but keeping silence and being nice is why McDojos exist today.

Answer 4

The New Testament does not support Communist ideologies. Communist ideologies goes against the laws of the universe, and the Bible does not support it. Matthew 13:12: Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. Jesus said that, because he knew the laws of the universe. This is the 'law of increasing returns'. You find it all across nature, everything multiplies exponentialy, what ever it is whether its apples or money, --everything-- the more you have to more you will get, the less you have the harder it is to have more. Anything violates this will only last temporarily, and collapse upon itself just like Communism did.

Answer 5

Some do, some don't. My guess is that most don't. As you observed, there are those screaming MY STYLE IS BEST YOURS IS JUNK at the top of their lungs. I agree that they haven't really got the concept of what MA is all about.

Answer 6

To me, martial arts is simply a method of hands to hands combat and nothing more. Thorw all that spiritual, chi, and other crap out of the window.

Those who talk about how it's not for to win a fight or there's more to martial arts than fighting are people who know they will get their butt kick.

Look at boxing and wrestling, they're every one as bit martial arts as other styles but they don't preach about chi, spirit, and try to live like a old chinese man.

If it's more effectively to shatter someone face with my elbows than try to play catch and release with attacker, I would perfer to stick to using my elbows instead of let my opponent try to hurt me then let him go unharm.

Martial arts is like a weapon. People don't buy weapon and hold it as they tearfully touch it and hide it and worship it like some of spirit. People buy weapon for self defend and to kill others.You can buy a water gun, say if you ever need to use it in real situtation you would magically pulls one out, you can fire a water gun all you want and the list goes on, but in end to be a good shooter, you have to buy a real firearm and learn how to use it!

Answer 7

The western world has many martial arts... including lying, stealing and murder.

If you are speaking of Eastern traditions of personal training in Martial Arts, then please say so...

There is no single Way of Perfection, only the Journey which you travel.

Answer 8

My advice is to focus on your own journey. Allow others to take their path and choose what style is best for them. If you have found one you call "home" good! stick with that and master as much of it as you can.