Do you view martial arts as a sport? Combat? Art?Way of life? Or a combo of any of those? please post if its a combo to you
For me it is mainly combat, but when it is going well its artisticly beautiful and all the training makes it a big part of my life that affects the rest of it.
i think martial arts are about teaching people to fight. what you gain from it apart from that is up to you.
for me its a combination of any above its an art as it an expression of who you are its a sport as a way to train its combat when you have to survive its a way of life because its what I do
fight? I think that is down the lines of combat...this thread was not about defining "martial arts" it was about sharing what it is to you, maybe i should have been more direct. some people want to learn how to fight (combat) therefore MA is combat to them, some because its fun (sport) therefore it is sport to them, some people like choreography (art)therefore it is art to them, for some a way of life or a religion, for many a combination. i guess i should have defined the categories a little better?
I've chosen combination of any of the options, although to me it is first and foremost a way of life. Using a quote from a recent remake of a popular movie; some people use it to enrich their lives, some use it to define it. I use it for both. I eventually wish to use my chosen styles to compete, therefore it is also a sport to me. At the same time I will always view MA as an art, which is useful for combat situations. I don't think it matters too much how you view it aslong as you work hard and reach the goals you set out to achieve. *Craig*
Well seeing that I'm drinking at the moment, (bad idea lol). I'll tell you the honest truth lol. When I first started MA i really wanted to know everything about it (Karate) so I learned about a bit of the Japanese philosophy and followed it's values the best I could. Anyway a few years ago now, (9 in fact) I found out that I needed a heart operation to keep me alive otherwise I'd be dead in a few months, I had no choice to accept what was happening at the time as my father was also gravely ill at the time and my mum needed the help. When the doc's told me that I'd have to stop training in MA, I felt is if the world had ended and it wasn't worth fighting for so I just gave up with life and didn't care a hoot about anything but had the operation anyway just to say that I wasn't giving in . Anyway I had the operation and took time out knowing that I'd try anything to get a way round the rules and find a teacher willing to take me on. I still want to be able to go back into Mauy Thia if possible as it used to sort me out totally but that's another story lol. It wasn't until I saw a programme on the tv about tai chi that I decided to give it a go (even though I'm an external MA I still have problems in that area lol). I joined a forum which talked about differnt aspects of something on here lol (thanks mods and Yoda). I met the current teacher I have and the rest is history and I still feel the same way about MA, it's part of what and who you are as a person. My love for MA is more than my love for people and it's couldn't change as it's always been the same no matter what. lisa xx
I don't think for anyone it truly is a way of life totally. For me its more of a combo of many many things.