I was taught to fight so that I might dominate those around me, and I did benefit healthwise a great deal because it has kept me from taking a terrible beating on a few occasions.
I am opposed to training my body in certain ways however. One is pounding on the heavy bags. I read where the referal shock that comes up the arm to the brain can injure you. The punch drunk fighters were said to have done this to themselves mostly. I don’t see forcing the body to do certain things, like splits and other hip manipulation. I don’t train my gung fu any more. Haven’t in a very good many years. I figured I was as good as I ever would be, so just worked on physical exercises that would keep me limber and toned. No heavy lifting, and no pounding on stuff. I have remained fairly fit this way.
[QUOTE=sanjuro_ronin;1173899]Lets take this a little further though, shall we?
If a person ONLY wants health benefits, how does one “justify” the violence inherent in EVERY MA.
I mean, from day one you are learning to INFLICT physical harm on another human being.
That is still the core of every MA that closes a hand into a fist and train to drive the fist into someone’s face.
Right?[/QUOTE]
Agreed.
But that contrast between the physical benefits of the activity and its true purpose may be what attracts the interest of certain people. There are many people who find things like yoga, running, walking, or going to the gym as boring, even if they know they need regular physical activity for their health. Some may end up enjoying the combative aspect of it.
[QUOTE=Jimbo;1173904]Agreed.
But that contrast between the physical benefits of the activity and its true purpose may be what attracts the interest of certain people. There are many people who find things like yoga, running, walking, or going to the gym as boring, even if they know they need regular physical activity for their health. Some may end up enjoying the combative aspect of it.[/QUOTE]
Sure, but what mindset must one have to be attracted to an activity that centers around causing physical damage to a person and then view it as “healthy”?
It would seem that one would have a competitive mindset, like maybe a former HS athlete, etc.? I just know there are people out there who approach MA with the idea of keeping fit.
It’s similar to the obsevation that some aspects of MA can be beautiful, or beautifully-done. Given their original purposes, how is that possible? What defines ‘beauty’?
what i have noticed is a lot of guys get into MA initially for combat, as we age and get older and the injuries/old age sets in, we sometimes start to think about and shift towards health.
[QUOTE=Jimbo;1173910]It would seem that one would have a competitive mindset, like maybe a former HS athlete, etc.? I just know there are people out there who approach MA with the idea of keeping fit.
It’s similar to the obsevation that some aspects of MA can be beautiful, or beautifully-done. Given their original purposes, how is that possible? What defines ‘beauty’?[/QUOTE]
So, you believe that a random person, that has never done a MA before, will view a typical MA class and think of the fitness value and give NO THOUGHT to the violence of it and choose that MA over another physcial activity that gives the same fitness option ( if not better) and does NOT involve ANY violence whatsoever?
I ask this because in ALL my years I have never met such a person.
Granted my MA tend to be a bit on the violent side, LOL !
Note: The exception to this is of course Taiji and such.
[QUOTE=Lucas;1173911]what i have noticed is a lot of guys get into MA initially for combat, as we age and get older and the injuries/old age sets in, we sometimes start to think about and shift towards health.[/QUOTE]
Yep, agreed 100%.
i do it for the wimminz
[QUOTE=Lucas;1173916]i do it for the wimminz[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE=sanjuro_ronin;1173912]So, you believe that a random person, that has never done a MA before, will view a typical MA class and think of the fitness value and give NO THOUGHT to the violence of it and choose that MA over another physcial activity that gives the same fitness option ( if not better) and does NOT involve ANY violence whatsoever?
I ask this because in ALL my years I have never met such a person.
Granted my MA tend to be a bit on the violent side, LOL !
Note: The exception to this is of course Taiji and such.[/QUOTE]
I can’t say they’d give no thought to it. Some people may just find it more interesting to do. Why do many parents send their kids to kiddie karate/TKD classes with the idea they will learn discipline to help their schoolwork, etc.? Sometimes for them, self-defense is almost mentioned as a by-product of the above-mentioned things.
I’ve met maybe a couple people who claimed they got into it for fitness. I don’t know why they would have chosen it over something else, because my focus was not the same.
Nowadays, what Lucas said is a good deal of my own reasons for training…well, in post 25. 
[QUOTE=Jimbo;1173922]I can’t say they’d give no thought to it. Some people may just find it more interesting to do. Why do many parents send their kids to kiddie karate/TKD classes with the idea they will learn discipline to help their schoolwork, etc.? Sometimes for them, self-defense is almost mentioned as a by-product of the above-mentioned things.
I’ve met maybe a couple people who claimed they got into it for fitness. I don’t know why they would have chosen it over something else, because my focus was not the same.
Nowadays, what Lucas said is a good deal of my own reasons for training…well, in post 25. :)[/QUOTE]
I think that, psychologically, there is something there that attracts a person to MA and while they may rationalize it as “fitness”, I don;t think that is it.
there is a strong genetic draw, i believe, for a man to desire power over other men. if we are strong, and can dominate the other men around us, we are desireable mates. we all need to be desireable to women so that we can breed with the best women we can find and ensure strong capable offspring. i think martial arts is a partial outlet for this.
[QUOTE=Lucas;1173928]there is a strong genetic draw, i believe, for a man to desire power over other men. if we are strong, and can dominate the other men around us, we are desireable mates. we all need to be desireable to women so that we can breed with the best women we can find and ensure strong capable offspring. i think martial arts is a partial outlet for this.[/QUOTE]
Very good golf clap
[QUOTE=Lucas;1173928]there is a strong genetic draw, i believe, for a man to desire power over other men. if we are strong, and can dominate the other men around us, we are desireable mates. we all need to be desireable to women so that we can breed with the best women we can find and ensure strong capable offspring. i think martial arts is a partial outlet for this.[/QUOTE]
Great answer.
Oddly enough, the couple of people I met over the years who started MA for fitness were both women.
[QUOTE=Jimbo;1173936]Great answer.
Oddly enough, the couple of people I met over the years who started MA for fitness were both women.[/QUOTE]
I’ve met a few women in the MA but there were very clear that it was the “self protection” aspect that drawed them and that the fitness was a bonus.
I don’t agree with a lot of this. I think martial arts is awesome for health/fitness. I ran x-country and swam competitively all through high school, and while I was a better runner/swimmer than I am now, my all around fitness has never been better. The diversity of attributes necessary for MA and the diversity of training methods employed makes for a truly well-rounded fitness plan. Better than anything else I’ve ever tried/seen.
I’ve trained with or just met several women in the MAs whose reason for training was self-defense/the combat aspect, and many of them took to it as good as or better than a lot of men.
[QUOTE=ShaolinDan;1173940]I don’t agree with a lot of this. I think martial arts is awesome for health/fitness. I ran x-country and swam competitively all through high school, and while I was a better runner/swimmer than I am now, my all around fitness has never been better. The diversity of attributes necessary for MA and the diversity of training methods employed makes for a truly well-rounded fitness plan. Better than anything else I’ve ever tried/seen.[/QUOTE]
Don’t you do Shaolin-Do ?
[QUOTE=sanjuro_ronin;1173946]Don’t you do Shaolin-Do ?[/QUOTE]
No. Wushu. 
Any fitness program is detrimental if you over-do it. MA is no different. If you take it to a competitive level you destroy your body…if you just worry about yourself you stay fit.