Lets put on the gloves and get in the ring ... Punk

“By all accepted standards, Musashi was not a great sword technician. Schools, styles, theories, traditions – none of these meant anything to him. His mode of fighting was completely pragmatic. What he knew was only what he had learned from experience. He wasn’t putting theory into practice; he fought first and theorized later.

The Yoshioka men, from the Ten Swordsman on down, had all had the theories of the Kyohachi Style pounded thoroughly into their skulls. Some of them had even gone on to create stylistic variations of their own. Despite being highly trained and highly disciplines fighters, they had no way of gauging a swordsman like Musashi, who spent his time as an ascetic in the mountains, exposing himself to the dangers presented by nature as often as those presented by man. To the Yoshioka men, it was incomprehensible that Musashi with his breathing so erratic, face ashen, eyes bleary with sweat and body covered with gore, was still able to wield two swords and threaten to make short work of anyone who came within range. But he fought on like a god of fire and fury. They themselves were dead tired, and their attempts to pin down this bloody specter were becoming hysterical.” – Eiji Yoshikawa, Musashi

NOTES: I have spent a good amount of time studying, practicing, observing and evaluating certain arts of the martial category, and the one thing that I have come to find is that there is no special way other that the natural way and or natural law. As I have mentioned before there are laws of nature that are absolutes, as an example, we cannot breathe under water without some sort of apparatus and we cannot fly without artificial wings or equipment. As much as we try there are laws, like gravity that have a strange way of getting in the way of what we “Think” (remember thoughts are like clouds) we can do. Ok, I will get back on track. Any Martial skill that is not in line with Nature, Physics, and the Physiology of the human body is held in skepticism. Don’t be tricked into believing what the soothsayers weave into being “the best” or the absolute. Nothing is “The” Way, there are just “Ways”, and really, no one is better than another as long as they are in line with the Laws of Nature. If it steps out of the laws of nature than it is just soothsaying and magic tricks. Remember the mind is an easy thing to trick because our thoughts are and abstract to the laws of nature. The one place that the laws of nature do not adhere is in a thought, but a thought is nothing because it has no substance, this is the reason that our thoughts can be manipulated and tricked into believing something can work outside the laws of nature. Unfortunately the laws of nature will hold true when exposed to reality. Nature is dynamic, it is not static and styles or ways that practice in the static are not falling in line with nature (because nature is not static). Nature in not even fluid, it is dynamic and spontaneous, albeit often times predictable, we still cannot predict the direction of the wind with certainty. This is just one example of the spontaneity of nature and those arts that fall in line with this spontaneity will be in line with the law of nature and more in accord with practicality and reality.

A person is not going to stand still and let you beat the shit out of them. They are going to move and that move can be unpredictable, therefore preprogrammed responses to the dynamics of a street fight are going to be … well … unpredictable. Training is important and if your training is in accord with natural law then there “may” be a successful outcome, but remember the predator does not always get the prey. Which brings to point our human sophistication of Martial Arts, if we pit them against nature will they work? Most animal attacks in nature end up in human death or misfortune and guess what? No formal dojo or regimented training and routines or techniques for those critters, just raw natural law. It may seem unfair that a 50 pound Bobcat could whip the shit out of a 250 pound man, although we all have the same weapons available to us, i.e. Tooth, Fangs and Claws. But, it happens and that is because the Bobcat is in accord with natural law and the situation is spontaneous.

This brings me to my final point for all the static soothsayers and opponents of Cagefighting as a Martial Art. MMA is the evolution of combat and the combat arts. Yes there are rules but, there are also rules in every dojo. These same rules apply in MMA competitions, I do not think I would have too many students if I all out punched them in the nuts or poked them in there eyes or for that matter kicked out there knees, punched them in the throat or popped their ears. These are all things that would put them in the hospital and get me sued and or put in jail. So, we have unwritten 0r written rules in the dojo that allow for practice in a safe way and in a secure environment, so for safety in sparring we have rules and limitations hence our own arts are no different now than the rules of MMA competitions. If I had a dime for every Karate guy that said that MMA is crap because it has rules, I would be rich. They (Traditional Martial Arts) have those same rules in sparring and practice of technique. If you want a dynamic practice of technique and ability you have to have rules and with those rules, enter the closest test of ability to a real fight with a minimum risk of injury or hospitalization, the UFC or MMA Competition. Ok, all the traditionalist can pile on now but, it is the truth. Unless you knock someone out with the first punch or they just stand there and wait for an ass whipping, no one is going to just stand there, they are going to move, turn, twist, run and any number of other responses that are unpredictable. No plan lasts first contact, there has to be contingencies and dynamic alternatives. Yes, training is extremely important and skill is of the essence BUT! How do you test it in a safe a LEGAL way? Yup, you got it, Mixed Martial Arts Competition. I am not saying that MMA is the Martial Way for self-Defense in the street, I am saying that if you are not testing yourself in a MMA competition against others you are falling short in your own skills and if you are one of those that says it’s crap, just get in the ring, cage or on the mat and have a go at it and see what works and what doesn’t. Try your technique (keeping it safe of course) and see if it will work in a reality based environment. I am a big supporter of traditional martial arts and the discipline but, I also understand that a style must be dynamic and evolve with the times. Someone is always figuring out counters to counters to counters, therefore our own styles must be alive and living enough to adapt to change and the future. What worked 1000 years ago may work today or maybe not, or maybe, just maybe, someone may have figured out a counter in the last thousand years??? You think??? The World Champions of Martial Arts Competitions of old definitely deserve their props but, the competition and times have changed and it is now fought in a cage, and the champions of MMA must also deserve their props as well, each in their own right being the best of the best. I have no problem listening to a grey hair from days past tell me about his skill and art as long as he doesn’t bash the skills ant arts of the 21st century. Sure a musket fires a bullet that kills but not as proficiently as a 50 cal at 1000 yards! If technology in equipment can adapt and get better so can a Martial Art. The proof is in the pudding, as my instructor always says and I quote “If you think you got what it takes punk, lets put on the gloves and get in the cage and show me what you got!”

Good luck and Play nice kids
GhostDog