quick question

[shaolin-warrior]

"The power we learn is awesome, and it carries withit an awesome responsibility wich cannot be taken lightly. Remember, if you harm someone, you will have to answer for it-and live with what you have done."

Taekwondo Master Richard Chun

[pstevens]

"The power we learn is awesome, and it carries withit an awesome responsibility wich cannot be taken lightly. Remember, if you harm someone, you will have to answer for it-and live with what you have done."

Taekwondo Master Richard Chun

Don't worry, with TKD at your disposal, you won't have to worry about hurting too many people.

[shaolin-warrior]

Don't worry, with TKD at your disposal, you won't have to worry about hurting too many people.

I am not a tkd practitioner, but still feel that this is valuable advice.

[kuk sool won]

pstevens, please shut up about the effects of TKD, its effective just the same as any other art but the major factor is something has been repeated countless times on this website and it is that it is the person and not the art that makes a good MA practioner

[foofies]

Yah it did. It made me calmer, friendier, and it made my brain works insted of my emoticon. now when i hear crap from some1 i dont get that mad or anything.
meditation or to Zen is a good thing to do along with MA. Meditation will help you to:

1.increase in patience, compassion, and other virtues and morals or the understanding of them
2.Feelings of calm or peace, and/or moments of great joy

some Dojos teach zen to their student, but unfortunately most of the students doesnt know its vaule and the true meaning of Zen.

[taoistscholar]

Martal arts has steered me off the road of fighting and onto the much funner path to enlightment.

[Tom Yum]

Interpretation of Results

Over 76% of respondents claim that martial arts training has had a positive effect on their emotional calmness.

Coorelation isn't causation.

What are the actual mechanisms at play - mental/physical? Does physical fitness and self-discipline improve the mind?

[Tant01]

Knowing that you can kill someone with your hands doesn't make you calmer or more enlightened... It's knowing that there is always going to be someone bigger stronger and better armed out there.

[Tom Yum]

Knowing that you can kill someone with your hands doesn't make you calmer or more enlightened... It's knowing that there is always going to be someone bigger stronger and better armed out there.

I'm talking about general mental calmness. The same kind of mental calmness you get from golf or another solo sport activity.

[Tant01]

Yes, I found Zen on big rocks! As solo sports go, rock climbing is still up there on my list... It's hard to describe the peace after you get to the top.

It's like winning a fight against gravity. Climbers are artists in their own right.

[WildWest.]

Knowing that you can kill someone with your hands doesn't make you calmer or more enlightened... It's knowing that there is always going to be someone bigger stronger and better armed out there.

Yes! This is very true. MA's have made me realise my own mortality. When I first started as a teenager I was hoping people would push me into a fight so I could use what I'd learnt. Talk about inexperience, fortunately I got that beaten out of me doing MT sparring.
The reality is, and I'm not saying I've reached this level, is that you should be able to turn on your aggression when required to and turn it off just as quickly. This is not easy to do if you've been ambushed walking to your car etc. However, I'm definitely a calmer person now.

[Fluffy]

None of the above, I don't remember much before my training started.

[Tom Yum]

Good thing that the poll is still up.

Update: Looks like 82% of respondents found MA to be atleast somewhat beneficial on their mood/personality.

[kuk sool won]

I expected it to be but not by this sort of margin

[WildWest.]

To the 7% that made you more aggressive, I suggest you look at the attitude of your club and your attitude in general because it's piss poor.

MA's should channel your aggression/anger/hostility and turn it into positive focused energy. I suppose you are the type of people that like to hurt their classmates in sparring or push submission holds too far etc just to make them fel better about themselves.

If you can't control youself then don't do MA's.....we don't want you.