WHAT are we doing with our lives?

[gregimotis]

So - I just did a little work with my calculator:

FACT::: Allowing for a few days missed here and there and not counting seminars or time in the gym spent socializing, etc. I have spent...

600 hours training or instructing in the last three years and 600 more hours in the 6 or so years before that.


FACT::: In the past 10 years (not counting a stint as a bouncer which really ought to count as training) I have been involved in two fights and neither was settled directly with things I learned in the gym.


Why are we doing this? Here are some common reasons and there obvious counters:
1. Self defense. Don't get drunk in groups of strangers, don't hang out in rough places, get a gun/knife and spend a couple hours/month practicing.
2. Self awareness/character/etc. Aw c'mon. how is any of that stuff unique to martial arts? You can build character in the army (or the peace corp if that's more you).
3. "I'm a professional soldier or something like that" Then you're pretty rare and ought to be using a gun, anyway.


The question is, What drives some men (okay, and some women) to fighting?

[gregimotis]

I recently found out that fighting sort of runs in my family. My grandfather was an amatuer boxer, two of my uncles spent time in jail for fighting in the streets, my great grandfather was a habitual bar fighter as well.
It seems to have skipped my father, but come back to me. Genetically predisposed affinity for a good shiner? I don't know.

[Blue Wave Gym]

In a word it's fun, also watch the movie fight club especially the part where pit and norton are starting to get crazy and talking about "is that what a man looks like" then a big dude bumps into them, I wish either or both of the would have beat his ass "Kold Stunna Style", hey why did they never train for fights in fight club? BTW talking about women is probably more educational to the cavemen on here like myself than talking about fighting
Afterall we live in a punk ass sweater vest wearing, coffee sipping, book reading, ophra watching world, but without the civilizing aspect of women despite all the games/drama, us men would probably kill each other in knife fights on pay per view for the fun of it

[SamuraiGuy]

We fight for simple reasons:

Humans are animals, and animals are violent.. they all get into fights in one way or another, two lions want something, they fight for it... two gorillas want something they fight for it.... violence solves everything and its natural for us to want to fight people.... even the people who fight to show how "tough" they are... or how "bad" they are... are doing it out of instinct... trying to establish dominance as the most formidable physical thing out there.

Id like to think of it as competition rather than just violence for the sake of violence. Fighting is the ultimate form of competition because everything is on the line (your life, mayben ot in all cases.. but thats the jist of it). By competing against each other... you establish dominance, everyone wants to be dominant...

I really... dont know where im going with this... I had some... I dont know other points but I cant explain or remember them lol... anyway.

I've always been good at fighting, I've always liked it, its always been fun, and its always fascinated me....

I think when it comes down to it, we enjoy it.... why do you do anything in your spare time.

If your surf, its because you enjoy it, I freeride mountain bike, sure it hurts like a mother when you smash your face/body off shit, sure if you undershoot the jump you get a stem in the groin, but you go through that pain because you enjoy the other parts.

Someone once asked if they should do MMA to help protect them in the streets. They said they had won all the fights they had had in the past but wanted to make sure. I told them absolutely not... the amount of pain theyd go through, and the time theyd waste not enjoying it, would be worse than losing a streetfight because you didnt know it.

As the guy above said, 1200 hours of training, or losing a streetfight, whats more painful>?

[BoarSpear]

Why do i study/teach the martial arts? i could ramble on and on but i think James Williams says it all in this article...

http://www.aikidojournal.com/article.php?articleID=48

[Tant01]

Originally Posted by BoarSpear

Why do i study/teach the martial arts? i could ramble ....

Sanctity of life. We only have one and it is precious and brief. Those who might wish to impose their will upon us or brutalize, victimize and torture or kill us do not appreciate the value of life. Awareness and education are key but if the fight comes to you it's time to make them bleed.

[robertlee]

The concept to learn to fight without having to fight. A person that trains to defend ther self. Is less likely to go out and fight just to be fighting. A certion amount of self confidence Comes from the training. That bleeds to every day life needs. Just as the person that goes to the firing range to keep up there gun traing. You may never need it. Hope is you never will. But having a edge when you do. Counts. But mostly. A person chooses. What becomes a hobby. A way of life. Because they enjoy And respect what they are doing. And As you know There are plenty of far worse things out there to do. Then training In the M/A of choice. And most people I have met thru the years that have gone into the M/A training. I feel it helped them become a better person. So time is not wasted but learning, shareing, And a point of knowledge About yourself comes into play. When we question why. Then perhaps we ask to stop And the M/ A is just apart of a persons life. As long as they enjoy the training.

[Yu Law]

Originally Posted by Tant01

Sanctity of life. We only have one and it is precious and brief. Those who might wish to impose their will upon us or brutalize, victimize and torture or kill us do not appreciate the value of life. Awareness and education are key but if the fight comes to you it's time to make them bleed.

Very well put, i couldnt of put it in any better way. I might just have to borrow your words for future reference, lol.

[Hardcorelegend]

1.Good Exercise.
2.Relaxing.
3.I really,REALLY enjoy the thump of my fist on someone's skull! Also,being hit back ain't so bad! Ah,endorphines....

[shaolin-warrior]

We all share one common denominator... The Warrior Mindset

[BoarSpear]

"Born on a mountain, raised in a cave,
fuckin n fightins all I crave"

[aseepish]

For me studying martial arts, in addition to all that other good stuff, has been a gateway to understanding a lot about other cultures that I may not have otherwise had the inclination to learn about.

Yeah. It's fun too. Being able to do something today that I couldn't do yesterday, like submit a blue belt, that's great.

[Blue Wave Gym]

and how to handel stress/what you're really made of. Btw can we stop referring to fighting as "combat" and fighters and martial artists as "warriors" I feel it disrespects the real warriors out there our Soliders and Marines who face DEATH every day and their combat involves sending .223 down range and taking ak rounds, and rpg's and mortars fired at them. You can't compare that to 2 meat trucks that get in a ring or cage and beat on each other for fun and to the amiusement of a bunch of mouthbreathers who are sipping on their 15th cup of coors or budwieser Fighters or martial artists who call themselves "warriors" and refer to ring/cage fighting as "combat" should revaluate those terms.

[shaolin-warrior]

Btw can we stop referring to fighting as "combat" and fighters and martial artists as "warriors" I feel it disrespects the real warriors out there our Soliders and Marines who face DEATH every day and their combat involves sending .223 down range and taking ak rounds, and rpg's and mortars fired at them.

NO DISRESPECT INTENDED. SORRY
please see my profile.

[Blue Wave Gym]

Originally Posted by shaolin-warrior

NO DISRESPECT INTENDED. SORRY
please see my profile.

I just assumed you were one of the tma cyber martial arts warriors we are all sick of hearing from, my profound apology to you sir.