What are the reasons people choose less effective forms of fighting. For example Why train in Karate?

Question

I grew up a wrestler, started at age 6.

Joined the Army, became a Ranger and survived Desert Storm

I got out in 1991 and found Gracie Jiu Jit su. I have always wondered why anyone would train in any other style. Serious question here. I have always trained only to win. What else is there?

Karate was the first that came to mind. I only remember what happened to the black belts in the first UFC tournaments. Never trained in it or the others it is just the most recognizable name to me. I am glad to see the emotion. That is why I asked. Because I dont know.

Answer 1

Well, there just so happens to be something called self betterment. Self betterment, can be attained through many ways, mainly, winning, but not necessarily winning against another opponent, you could be winning against yourself. Also, what do you define as winning? Does a soccer player win any less than you when he scores a point because he doesn't beat anybody up? Nah, he won against himself and he won against the other team trying to stop him, that is his sport, his realm, his personal domain where he fits. My niche is judo, i love fighting, but not for the simple fact of hurting people, which is why i love judo, i am fighting yet i can fight as hard as i want, and the better i do actually the less people get hurt. I love the competition, so does the soccer player, and maybe when you get right down to it, so do you, but your definition of winning might be a little harsher than the champion ping pong player's. I know people that do karate, and most of them know that karate is the next best thing to trying to defend yourself with a wet sponge, but in many pure forms of karate out of japan, there is amazing technique and skill involved in everything they do. Much like dancing, a karate kid is trying to make his kata be perfect, same as a ballarena is trying to get that pirouet timing flawless, it's just that ballarenas train harder. I'm sure that if a karate kid wanted to learn how to hurt someone, he could very easily go and learn, it's stupidly simple to hurt or kill someone, which is why i like it where i can fight and everybody can go home and still be in one piece and there be no hate towards me because i removed someones jaw. So yeah, we are all training to win, it is just the definition of winning that you are having trouble comprehending.

Answer 2

First of all, let me say "thank you" for your service to our wonderful country.

Just because you aren't interested in karate doesn't mean that it isn't effective or isn't worth learning. It's all about finding a good school with good teachers. The arts behind karate were old, tested, and proven in real life long before Gracie Sr. was born, and as good an athlete as he and his family are, that doesn't mean their style is the only thing that is effective. Their style is so effective because they are so good at it, not the other way around.

Someone could be just as bad a wrestler as they could a karateka, or jiujitsudoka. The particular martial arts style doesn't have anything to do with it, it is the individual. Each individual could put forth the effort and train to win, like you do, or they could put forth little effort, claim they are a "master" and proceed to get the crap beat out of them in a real situation. I'm sure you've seen plenty of people come and go even from Gracie's BJJ that didn't have that drive, or that thought they were more than they really were. You had the drive and skill to become a Ranger, but there were so many that either tried and failed or didn't even bother.

One writer, student of the arts and martial arts historian called Higaonna Morio Sensei of Goju ryu karate as "the most dangerous man in Japan in a real fight". Karate is effective, and proven, but the flavor of the month is BJJ, and that's what people are interested in. But remember that even BJJ came from Japanese JJ, with the same roots as karate. Karate gets a bad reputation from all the so-called "McDojos" and other posers that make it up as they go. I learned traditional karate taught in a traditional dojo and it was about 5-6 years to get a black belt, not 1-2, and you had to be at least 16.

There is no one best style, only superior practitioners. The various traditional martial arts would not have survived all these centuries if they weren't effective and relevent. If they are not properly taught or properly practiced then that is not the fault of the martial art. It's all about the person.

Answer 3

because karate isn't necessarily less effective.

It depends on the intensity level at which you train.

Most schools don't train with MMA intensity, and most people don't train full-contact MMA situations.

GJJ is not the be-all end all of martial arts, if it were hughes would have been the one getting submitted by royce or helio would have destroyed kimura and bjj would still be dominant in the ufc and pride like it was years ago, but it is not. Today's fighters are strikers with the ability to ground fight, not groundfighters solely.

And while GJJ is one of the martial arts less subject to crappy training because it is relatively new in age compared to other arts, and it has a full-contact competitive outlet and hasn't been "mcdojoed" much yet. Although there are schools that teach "Crappling" they are less than karate.

And FYI kyukoshin karate is known for bare-knuckled sparring for more advanced students.

EDIT: I'm a former wrestler and to the guy who thinks the "all magical street" has different laws of physics, wrestling helps you to avoid bieng taken down in the first place so you have mobility and your "friends" can't jump in while on the ground. Do you think grappling is only groundfighting? Of course it's harder to grapple against two or more people, its harder to do anything, and grappling lacks the mobility of stand up, thats why the "best" training, takes both into account. If we are looking for a "best" style, it certainly isn't any kind of unarmed fighting, it would be a modern weapon like a firearm.

Answer 4

Obviously you didn't learn humilty in your training:) Like the others before me have said; martial arts is more than just fighting. When you are competing; you have somewhat of an idea of what kind of training your apponent has. On the street; you have no idea. There are many styles of karate; and each sensei is different. My sensei, has trained in more than just Shotokan Karate- he has training in jujitsu, arnis, and a few others. When he teaches his students self defense, he has an idea what works from his experience as a police officer; a bodyguard, and a bouncer.
Don't judge karate(or any other martial art) by a few cocky fighters you seen in whatever fighting competitions you've been in; they are the minority.

Answer 5

Not everyone trains to be able to kick @ss. Many people train for the physical, menal and spiritual benefits. Some martial arts offer solutions that work for different people. For example, crushhing a windpipe or breaking a limb will get you arrested, while putting someone in a joint lock and making them realize that you COULD have broken something will not. For MOST PEOPLE martial arts are not about fighting, but about growning, learning, and NOT fighting.

Answer 6

There are no best arts, only best artists.
I am not sure why you singled out karate, as an art it is completely effective. Perhaps you have an experience with a bad school.
That is another issue, just because an art is valid doesn't mean that everyone that teaches it does so in a valid manner. I am sure there are schools that claim to be teaching BJJ but they are really teaching garbage.
People choose bad schools because they do not know any better.

Answer 7

I feel that there are 'martial skills' that one can learn as a part of all of the schools. A 'martial art' includes a lot more than just being able to do self defense. A 'martial sport' is done for competition, to win glory, medals and trophies. Martial sports are for showing off, the very anti-thesis of a true martial artist.

To me, the Modern/Mixed Martial Arts are less of the art and more of the martial skills, eliminating any of the trappings typically associated with a traditional martial art.

If that is what one is looking to study, great! Not what I want.

Here, once again, we see the ugly distinction being made between martial arts and martial skills.

The true martial artist studies not just to be able to fight, but to improve themselves. Those that practice such internal arts improve their overall health, while greatly reducing the risk of physical damage. This is a benefit to society, both in the form of increasing the years of productivity and in reducing the cost of health care and health insurance.

I am in favor of the practice of martial arts that are not limited to the young and strong, but ones that can be practiced for one's entire life, not just a few short years in one's youth.

Learn the art, not just the skill.

Answer 8

I think people train in martial arts for a variety of reasons, winning fights isn't the only one. Some like the tradition, some the discpline, some just want a fun workout, etc.

I think it's more important to train in what appeals to you. If you don't *need* to be the biggest badass on the block and don't plan on competing in MMA, something more traditional might be right for you.

Then there are those sad deluded souls that get suckered in by kung fu movies and 27th degree blackbelts who take up traditional arts and then actually think they should start picking real fights. Not good.

Answer 9

Well, in some countries we are not aware there are other martial exist. Back in my country all we know about is just karate or tae kwando. I only heard kenjitsu or ju jitsu only when I'm 18 that's really long time to figure this out. And in my country we hardly even got a teacher who teach this arts as well, therefore we are not expose to other numerous effective martial arts.

Answer 10

Some people want to learn a martial art for the sake of the art itself, and aren't looking at it in a practical self defense or competitive way.

I study aikido, and love it. It fits my personality... no offensive moves, just redirection of energy.

Is it practical for self/ street defense? Not for several years, at least. My instructor is always quick to point that out to prospective students, and that there are better martial arts out there for those wanting to study an art that is better suited for self defense and can learn to apply the techniques better.

My studies are based on what I like, what suits me, and appreciating the techniques and philosophy of the art... I guess for me it's more about the "art" and less about the "martial" :)