How would you rank yourself as a martial artist?

Question

Would you say you are more of a fighter, a traditioanalist, an innovator, and also aside from your school ranking what belt would you give your self.

Answer 1

I guess I would consider myself an innovator/not stuck in the mud with blinders on. I am always open to learning to improve myself where ever I can. Whether the comments come from my instructor or other students. I look to other martial arts for self defense techniques to expand what I know. I know that other arts have many different things to offer, so I take advantage of that and learn some on my own.

As far as what belt I would give myself. I guess that would depend on the situation. When I teach beginners, a black belt. When I work with my partners, sometimes a blue belt. When I work with my instructor, sometimes a white belt. Either way, I am always open to learning new things or improving myself.

Somedays I just plain feel retarded. LOL

Answer 2

I myself am not a fighter, just a survivor, not a traditionalist but a free thinker, not an inovator, just an observering pebble trying to resist the temptation to of letting myself be swept away by the river of monotony. I could never give myself a rank or I'd have to rank myself with the entire world because at current I go to no school and I have no grader, I am simply myself in a world full of others who think along the same line, in a traditional sense belts are for your teachers to see and other students to see where you are in that particular style, but sense I feel that I have given up the idea of having a particular style I cannot tell where I am, or where Im going only holding on to the fact that one day I'll know when I get there.

Answer 3

Wow great question! I am a non traditionalist in the sense that I dont like training in a Gi and care nothing at all about belt ranks. I am an innovator because I take a little bit of everything I've learned and make my own style, but traditional in the way that I like to know where what I'm learning comes from. I am a fighter in the way that I've found that over whelming aggression can make up alot for the faults in ones size,strength,ability and the will of your enemy to continue to fight you.

Answer 4

a fighter?...a traditionalist?..an innovator?...that pretty much sums up all long training martial artists regardless of style or system. As far as rank outside the dojo....i'm a student. even though i've been training since 1976 and hold dan ranks in several systems i've never learned all that there is and never will. each time i step into the tournament ring or dojo to teach i always learn something new. Afterall, a black belt just means you've got an understandings of the basics.

Answer 5

I'm a green belt kung fu, equivalent black in other MA. started when i was 17 and by 30 had my own street fight style and had gym in Europe. Now 47 still kicking, love MMA and my answer to your Que. I'm a fighter, traditional, also an innovator and some times i believe Ive earned more than my belt but still learning.

Answer 6

I'm a second dan, i'd give myself a white belt with a stripe on it.

I'd be between innovator and traditionalist. My instructors tend to be innovators and i learned to adapt from them, but yeah, my goal in teh end is just learn how to defend myself is someone attacks me.

I'll take crap from people and just shrug it off..far from a fighter. Post 9/11 days, being a muslim with a beard(its cold) in central Pennsylvania can be troublsome and frustrating.

My only fight dealt with a friend being ruffied.

Answer 7

I am a traditionalist.

Martial arts are merely a TOOL to be used in order to facilitate self-discipline and insight.

I lost all interest in rank quite a few years ago.
I currently practice Taijichuan which does not have ranking.
.

Answer 8

I hold the ranking in belts of a San Dan in Goju-Ryu,I am a traditionalist but also unorthodox in my training.I am a beginner because I can never learn a system in my life that took a thousand years to develop.

Answer 9

Grasshopper, although I teach martial arts, I do not rank myself. I am a perpectual student of martial arts, always working to be a better person. Personally, to me belts do not mean anything except for those who see it. It is what's inside that counts.

Answer 10

i like the question.

I have a black belt in judo, but would give myself a yellow belt
I did a few years in aikido but never had a grading - i would give myself a brown belt
i did a year of capoeira, and then quit and taught myself - i would give myself blue belt
I am entirely self taught in taichi, but consider myself competent - that is what i would use in a fight so i would give myself a black belt in that.

i am definitely an innovator - i teach using taichi methods to try to get people to understand the universal harmony that they talk about in aikido. I believe that aikido is practically what the harmony looks like in a fight, and taichi is a better training in how to find it.