Why do some martial artists claim their art is better?

Question

Doesn't it make more of a difference as to whether the art fits the person and whehter the person actually has fighting ability? The art doesn't make the fighter does it?

Answer 1

they are trying to sell their "training" as better...of course they will say "theirs" is better.

You answered your own question, the art doesn't make the fighter. Someone with zero ability is not going to become a "fighter" because they learned someones "art".

Answer 2

Hi there A good martial artist is quite simply a person who can do it, explain it and evaluate what they are doing to change it! Combine the above with experience and a good level of education makes them a good martial artist! Add a little bit of philosophy and worldly wisdom and you have a grandmaster on your hands! Overal a general all round good egg! Renyo makes an excellent point! A thug can fight and he can also be well trained but a martial artist he certainly isnt! Budo contains many things and some of them arent about fighting! Dont you have to be a gentleman and have a good heart to be considered to be a true martial artist? Otherwise youre just classed as a killer or a skilled thug! Best wishes idai

Answer 3

It boils down to the old argument of "my dad can whoop your dad" mentality (I actually had a better analogy as it concerns the size of something, but have been flagged on a previous question due to it!).

I think you state something very poignant: the art doesn't make the fighter.

The way most people classify martial arts is by style. What they either fail to realize or simply misrepresent by presenting it in this manner is that an individual martial art teaches a SYSTEM of tools for one to develop his/her own STYLE therein. For example, I study Hung Gar. There are several students that can do the same exact set, but have it look entirely different, regardless of being the same rank. The way I fight differs from the way others in the exact same SYSTEM fight.

Does that mean my style of Hung Gar is better than another student's style of Hung Gar? You might as well ask if my system of breathing or blinking is more efficient...

Bottom line, one style might be better over an another for an INDIVIDUAL, not across the board. People fight wars over religion, and that is a pretty close analogy.

I would say ego and ignorance, or any combination of the two, would cause some martial artists to claim their arts are better.

Answer 4

It has more to do with the school than the art, and what you want out of your training. Some people are more athletic than others, but you put equivalent people in different schools and they're going to have different results.

Presuming you're interested in learning to defend yourself, some ARE better than others. If the school is about actual training with realism, and includes some amount of full contact, non-compliant sparring, than you're probably in good shape. Some styles are more likely to have this than others. TKD, karate, Aikido and Wing Chun are unlikely to train with realism, and are more likely to not spar or spar with light contact or no contact only. This doesn't mean there aren't exceptions, but be honest.

Others, like Muay Thai, Boxing, BJJ and Judo are more likely to include non-compliant sparring at full speed. Again, there are surely some exceptions.

So, in a sense, yes, some arts ARE better than others, but only because some arts have become diluted to the point of becoming essentially a factory for making money and churning out 13 year old black belts. This has become the overwhelming focus of the art.

They're all great exercise, though.

Answer 5

the artist is most of the success rate. the art is the remainder, and it varies between arts and people. I agree with a few comments above about how some arts are just crap. no matter how you wrap it in gold, they still suck. you know who you are.

the reason they perhaps work for people is the fact that the person that it works for could find that they all work for him/her because they made it work, its their attitude and ability in a natural and genetic way.

but the art still sucks. even though there is no one art fits all out there, doesnt mean we have to believe that the crap ones have merit. why train in a limited way for the purity of the art? all arts need to evolve or they are not martial science. they are martial dogma. and what works last decade may need re-evaluating this decade.

I enjoy the arts that use all the bodys tools, and think progressively towards new concepts.

traditional for the sake of tradition is limiting your potential people. evolve the concepts, cross train, consider alternatives, or be grandmaster only in your own head.

Answer 6

I wish people wouldn't do that, we're on the same mission in doing martial arts, not actually having to use it... so when you say your art is better than others, you definately didn't grasp the concept of martial "arts" in the first place.

Answer 7

It's just Ego. People have personal pride in the arts they practice and so they espouse the virtues of their art. When they go overboard and start to deride others and thier arts, then it's just being rude and immature. Some people feel that in order to feel superior they have to make others' feel degraded. I would like to see the YA Martial Arts section actually discuss martial arts, its practices and techniques, and learn information about new styles, instead of "my style's better than your's" and "if you practice (any style here) then you suck".

Answer 8

You are 100% right. MA isn't 1 size fits all. There is no "best" art. Those claiming otherwise are ignorant, arrogant or both. They violate the true spirit of MA. I agree with previous responders with 1 exception. Someone without natural talent can become a good martial artist. Attitude beats aptitude.

Answer 9

There are styles that are better for a street fight I'm sure. For example I know I would get my head kicked in if I fought a heavyweight professional kickboxer. I would have no chance. On the other hand there are some styles out there that I could kick the crap out of the average black belts.

It doesn't mean that there isn't value in all styles beacuase there is. Just some style will really translate well into a street fight.

Answer 10

You are correct. No style is better than any other style.
" The quality and frequency of your training will far outweigh the style of your training" or " There is no best art, only a best artist"

These are my mantras.
Find yourself a good school, not a good style.

also, as I am not one who claims one art is better than another I can only speculate that people do this because they are misinformed or it is a matter of ego.