Sports Realm

[I:http://sportsrealm.info/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/AlCase9.jpg]I saw the beginning of this some forty years ago while studying Chinese Kenpo Karate, and it is still going on. In fact, it is worse than ever, and infects the majority of arts. I will give you a couple of examples, and hopefully you can fix your martial art.

I was studying Chinese Kenpo Karate, and we began using protective gear. At first, the pads were only used to help fellows who had real problems, but the assortment of pads quickly increased. Soon pads were used on the shins, to protect the feet, on the legs, on the elbows and wrists, around the whole body, and so on.

Suddenly, people discovered that there was money in this protective device thing. School owners realized that selling pads made them more dollars, and began pushing them to every student for every class. The selling of protective devices became a million dollar business that infected all society.

Now, you might be wondering why this is not a good thing. We’re just seeing to the protection of little Johnny, right? But this is part of the school owner selling pitch, and part of the propaganda.

When you wear pads you think your strikes aren’t going to cause enough damage, and so you begin striking with more power. Thus, the protective gear actually encourages one to lose control. When you consider what is really happening, if you have to be aware and responsible so that you don’t get hurt, you start to control yourself and learn the true art.

The true martial art has to do with learning self control, you see. If you learn how to control what you are doing, then you start learning about yourself, and this makes you a better individual, in and out of the ring. If you think you have to punch somebody harder and harder to be more effective, then the people you fight are going to be more at risk.

Now, I saw this type of thought spread throughout the martial arts world in tournaments. I also saw the introduction of softer (plastic) weapons, so that people wouldn’t get hurt, which also decreases the need for control, and for the true appreciation of one’s own potential. And, now people must wear cups, chest protectors, mouthpieces, and whatever else they can be scared or forced into buying.

The people who invented the martial arts, who taught them through the generations, did not use such things, and I suspect they would have laughed at people who did use them. Bear in mind that I am not asking people to put themselves at risk, I am asking that people practice martial arts with no false cusion, so that they can take responsibility for what they do, and not be protected against learning about themselves. Whether you study Wushu, Wudan, eclectic Karate, or whatever, you should follow Ed Parker’s advice…’I come to you with empty hands.

You can find out about all sorts of things that corrupt the martial arts, you can even learn how to fix your own art at Monster Martial Arts. Pick up a free ebook about matrixing while you’re there. 2