When you decide to learn any martial art it’s critical to look at it and understand it in its historical context. No system was developed in a vacuum, and each has elements and techniques that reflect the particular threats and challenges of its time. For example, in some traditional martial arts the warriors were on foot and enemies on horseback. Therefore many of the beautiful leaping kicks that we admire today in arts such as Tae Kwon Do were actually designed to topple a man off of his horse. Understanding the context of the martial arts you study is not only educational but practical. We all have goals and reasons for practicing martial arts. For some of us it’s competition, for others it’s fitness, and for many it’s self defense. Understanding the context of your technique will help you understand its applications and the limitations with regards to your personal goals.
Traditional martial arts are beautiful, and there are many competitions and exhibitions that showcase them. Practicing traditional arts trains your body and mind to learn other arts more quickly, and training in them can be very rewarding on many levels. Additionally, studying traditional arts and mixed martial arts for fitness is fantastic! You’ll gain strength, agility, and flexibility among other things. MMA was developed as a sport; it takes pieces of many arts and blends them to create a complete fighter, one who works for success in a rules-governed environment against a single opponent. Training for competition and/or fitness is awesome as long as you are aware of the context of your skill set, and as long as you are mindful of its strengths and possible weaknesses with regards to real-world application.
If a major reason you train is for self defense, understanding context is very important! Take a careful look at the challenges and threats of our time. We no longer face warriors on horseback (at least not here in the South Bay!). We may face weapons, we may face bullies… the recent popularity boom of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu has made it increasingly likely that a conflict may end up on the ground. For the student who wants to have a functional knowledge of self defense it’s important to constantly evaluate the skills you’re learning within the context of our modern and changing world. At Elite we are always looking at how we can evolve our Krav Maga system so that our students are prepared for what the outside world may bring.
So spend some time to learn about the martial arts you’re studying. Think carefully about your goals, whatever they may be, and make sure you’re on a solid path to reach them.
Elite Training Center
1628 South Pacific Coast Highway,
Redondo Beach, CA 90277
(310) 543-1600
www.elitetrainingcenter.net
