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What are the strengths of your martial art? This month I have decided to ask the masters what strengths their individual martial art has? Again, I have used some of the most respected masters in the world to address this question. Contributions are from Sotaro Honda, Tatsuo Suzuki, Leo Lipinski, Robin Horsfall, Dave Oliver, Peter Spanton, Tommy Morris, Kevin Pell, Wai-Po Tang and John Waite. "My
martial art, Kendo, can be practised by anyone irrespective of sex, age,
physique, etc,,, it is never too late to start and everyone can enjoy
practising with everyone. Everyone can give some benefit to others through
practice."
"Karate is a very
technical. It combines elements of speed, timing and tai sabaki (body
movement). I love karate training it gives me both mental and physical
strength and I train as much as I can." "The
strengths in the system are many. Its appropriateness to close fighting,
use of grappling and throwing in its kumite --as I have been taught--are
major
strengths. For example groin kicking, with accuracy and obviously control,
is used by us in sparring. We have never had any serious injury resulting.
I
have seen many in clubs where such is not practised have accidents
--sometimes with serious consequences. I have had people from other styles
"Karate is a route to a goal, a path to the top of the mountain. Other
martial arts go to the top of the same mountain only by a different route.
As we get closer to the top the arts gradually all blend into one." "I
think tae kwon do is a well balanced art when all aspects of it are
practised properly, but I think all martial arts are about the people that
practice them. I am sure that if you take any of the top instructors in
this country they would have made it in any art that they would have taken
up, so I don’t believe it’s the art, I think its about the person
performing it. All martial arts are an empty vessel and it’s the
practitioner that makes it work and brings it to life." "For
me, karate can be a tremendous character builder and naturally it can give
one self-confidence, if it is lacking. Karate does hone the body and is
one of the only physical activities that one can practice into old age. I
mean, look at me! At 62 I don’t train as much as I would like, but I do as
much as I can, which is still very beneficial." "It
has been my life and has changed it for the better both mentally and
physically. I can recommend any martial art to any thinking person." "As a
full time professional instructor within Ishin Ryu Ju-Jitsu, I spend a
large amount of my professional life teaching close protection officers,
the military and people within the security industry alongside our rank
and file students. The techniques that we teach have to work in the real
world, therefore I believe that much of what we teach is short, sharp and
to the point and in my opinion a good technique is a simple technique. In
the heat of confrontation there is little time to start stretching,
warming yourself up before your bout, etc. So, fancy high-kicks and Jackie
Chan specials are great for the big screen, but have little or nothing to
do with taking down the would be attacker who has shown an undesirable
interest in you." "The strengths are the
philosophical approaches to martial art training and understanding the
relative needs of the individual or groups of students; the willingness to
consider other martial art disciplines’ strengths and weaknesses as well
as my own; modelling and simulation with an objective viewpoint on matters
of effective application of combat; intensity of practices are relative to
the needs and abilities of the students; understand the development
processes of skills acquisition."
© Martial Arts Brotherhood 2005
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