| I find it slightly amusing that quite often when I | | | | bit of variety in martial arts enables people to |
| talk to other martial artists, some of them get so | | | | train and keep interested in training much longer. |
| worked up about what's practical and what isn't. | | | | The evidence in this is for those who take up |
| In one discussion, we were talking about martial | | | | martial arts just to learn practical techniques and |
| arts weaponry including bo staffs and swords. | | | | nothing else, their years spent in training are often |
| This one fellow was commenting that swords are | | | | relatively short because after they learn the |
| not practical since we don't usually carry around | | | | practical aspects, they just become bored. |
| swords anymore but sticks can be found | | | | Yes, we've come a long way in the martial arts |
| anywhere, which can substitute for staffs. | | | | world in terms of realizing what exactly is practical |
| This is the same type of fellow who would | | | | and what is not. This may have started out with |
| discredit the fancy moves in many bo staff | | | | Bruce Lee when he pounced on classical and |
| forms, especially the open and extreme style of | | | | traditional techniques. Of course, he had strong |
| weapons forms since they are not practical for | | | | points which ultimately led to mixed martial arts or |
| the streets. Although he has a point in all this, he | | | | MMA which are so popular these days. |
| is missing something that will be very relevant for | | | | At the same time, open style forms became |
| many martial artists. | | | | more exciting and extreme in the competition |
| Although many of the fancy moves in both | | | | circuits and this includes the introduction of |
| weapons and non-weapons forms as well as | | | | Chinese wushu. These developments may seem |
| unpractical weapons such as swords have very | | | | to be in complete contrast to the MMA mixed |
| little use in real life combat or self defense | | | | martial arts movement. |
| situations, one should not forget that there are | | | | These seem like two very distinct and distant |
| other purposes with these. | | | | camps in the martial arts world. As a result, many |
| Many martial arts techniques and activities, no | | | | martial artists from the practical side would be |
| matter how unpractical they are, can still be done | | | | quick to discredit the 'fancy' side. But really, |
| for the pure enjoyment. There's the exercise | | | | there's no need to. |
| involved, which benefits health both physically and | | | | So there are many other aspects to martial arts |
| mentally. There's the show aspect, which | | | | besides just the practical techniques. The whole |
| entertains audiences (and what's wrong with | | | | enjoyment that non-practical, i.e., the fancy stuff, |
| entertaining audiences?). | | | | should not be discounted. Martial artists can train |
| There's the progression of skills involved, which | | | | with these other techniques no matter how |
| help with confidence levels to do other things in | | | | useless they would be on the street just for the |
| life. This is certainly practical for one's own | | | | pure enjoyment. Train for similar reasons why |
| personal development. | | | | people choose to play tennis or golf. For the pure |
| There's also the lowering of boredom because a | | | | enjoyment. |