The original poster wants to be a fighter, he questions TCMA as an artform.
I do want to be able to fight if necessary, I don’t question the art aspect. I think it developed tangentially, but is valid as such nonetheless. In many ways, I feel the focus on improving all aspects of the individual from physical to spiritual are far more important existentially than the more mechanistic beauty of intricate and subtle (and not so subtle) fighting methodologies. Cool stuff! But I do feel that it was not the main intent. But I guess it can be if you want it to be. All things evolve, I guess.
Originally posted by ewallace
SevenStar, I am truely sorry bro. No one should be subjected to that type of inhumane treatment.
agreed. at least if I was at work, I could pose here all day 
Re: Re: Seven Star
Originally posted by SevenStar
[B]
Yeah, I agree - I half read the post. I’m sitting in an ALL DAY SQL class and I read bits and pieces of it while I was on break. 
[/B]
That being said though, from what I’ve seen, the avg school is just beginning to spar after 6 months.
I get where you’re coming from Apoweyn
This is just a great saying:
a paper tiger pretending to be a real tiger is a problem in need of shredding. a paper tiger who’s happy being a paper tiger is just fine though.
You know, I don’t mind the McDojo’s either since the ones that I’ve come in contact with don’t pretend to be anything different. I imagine that there are some bad ones though.
I can see your point Apoweyn. If a person doesn’t want to be a fighter, they don’t have to be and the Martial Arts can be a valid outlet for them to express themselves. I personally don’t get it. I can think of tons of other things that I’d do instead if I didn’t want the fighting thing, but to each his own. I don’t like it when the nonfighters go on to spread “the art”. That’s where the problems as I see them come in… the whole trying to start at C thing and then getting a lot of people lost along the way.
I liked this thread. It’s good to get at least one thought provoking thread once in a while.
You think SQL is bad, try SAP!
argh
SELECT ename, sal FROM emp WHERE sal > (SELECT sal FROM emp WHERE empno=7654) AND job=‘SALESMAN’;
Re: I get where you’re coming from Apoweyn
thanks mightyb.
[QUOTEYou know, I don’t mind the McDojo’s either since the ones that I’ve come in contact with don’t pretend to be anything different. I imagine that there are some bad ones though.[/quote]
yeah, absolutely. and the misrepresentation makes me ill. honestly. there’s a genuine problem here. i’m just thinking of a different ‘solution.’
I can see your point Apoweyn. If a person doesn’t want to be a fighter, they don’t have to be and the Martial Arts can be a valid outlet for them to express themselves. I personally don’t get it. I can think of tons of other things that I’d do instead if I didn’t want the fighting thing, but to each his own. I don’t like it when the nonfighters go on to spread “the art”. That’s where the problems as I see them come in… the whole trying to start at C thing and then getting a lot of people lost along the way.
well… i wonder about this myself. and i’d guess that it’s like this: many of us get into martial arts because of the mystique of the combat. right? certainly, images of beating the snot out of warehouses of bad guys went dancing through my head when i signed up. or the image of the stoic philosopher warrior, perhaps. but something drew each of us to the martial arts. and part of that appeal had to be related to the combat. otherwise, you’re right. why wouldn’t they just do yoga? or dance? or any of a hundred different activities.
but once they were in, some people (most people) weren’t up for the more heavy combative angle. they liked a little of that in their lives. just not the meal deal. know what i mean?
i think martial arts probably provides people with a venue for addressing questions about aggression, conflict, etc. in a fairly innocuous setting. some settings are less innocuous than others.
my feeling is that a guy that goes to class twice a week and does one-step sparring drills has been given a tool to deal with feelings of aggression, conflict, fear, etc. that he didn’t have before. the exercise, however much a simulation it is, is just that. a cathartic simulation. it addresses an idea that we all deal with all the time. but it doesn’t necessitate a huge lifestyle change.
obviously, the rewards will match the investment. that guy may feel better after class. he may have let off steam. he may have developed some self confidence. he may have achieved something as small as not flinching when someone punches at him. and that’s as much of the combat as he really needs in his life. he’s probably not ever going to be able to defend himself with it. but on a day-to-day basis, he got what he wanted from the experience.
someone who’s truly combative, though, will get all that and more. because they’ve invested more.
anyway, i agree with your identification of the problem wholeheartedly. guys who pass on the arts but can’t fight is a big problem. but it’s a problem related to what we want, what we think we want, and what we claim. joe mcdojo claims that he can teach you to defend yourself in three easy lessons. but he’s prompted to do that because he knows that such promises sell. and why do they sell? because we think we want to learn to do that. but we don’t. most of us don’t want to do what that would require of us.
so who’s to blame? pretty much everyone involved, i think. the answer, to my mind, is education. so that new students honestly know what they’re getting into and so that there’s no space for deceitful instructors.
I liked this thread. It’s good to get at least one thought provoking thread once in a while.
me too, mate. it was good talking to you.
stuart b.