Rock, Paper, Scissors, Gun

Over at Gut Rumbles, Acidman was talking about Martial Arts, the best way to take someone out, and wrestling probably being the best way since most fights end up on the ground. His son is a wrestler and has trained Tae Kwon Do and definitely has found that wrestling is more conducive for him.

So I’ve been mulling this around. I’m not disagreeing with him, actually. I just think there are some things that people need to understand about Martial Arts in general. Let me first state that a gun is the way. The Great Omnipotent One is always teasing me saying he doesn’t understand why I bother with Karate that he prefers a gun and he is correct. But carrying a gun with me 24/7 doesn’t give me a cardio work out, improve my agility and flexibility, or help me if I happen to be stuck without a gun, and it doesn’t burn off the raw anger I have on a daily basis.

Being a Shodan (1st deg) blackbelt in any Martial Arts means one thing… you have learned the basics to start real training. That is all. Of course there are exceptions. There are those that just quit testing and train as a Shodan forever and they are ones to seriously contend with, but in general, when someone is Shodan, it means they’ve worked really really hard, there’s been an awful lot of sweat, they are very motivated, and they have JUST started their journey as a Karate-ka (student of Karate).

My Sensei has told us over and over that just because we become a blackbelt does not mean we can automatically defend ourselves. Yes, we are better than we were without any prior training, but our real journey just begins upon making blackbelt. I will liken it to the art of painting. If you are to become a great painter, you must first learn about different paints, materials, mediums. When you learn how everything works and how it fits together, than you can pull your tools together and really start learning your art. It is the same in Karate. We spend years, literally, just learning basic blocking and striking techniques, how to use the power of our legs and torso, hip rotation, and stances. It can take 3-5 years to learn that just well enough to achieve blackbelt… which only means you are ready to start training Karate seriously, and not that you were not serious before, but now… the journey has really begun.

As you move up the ranks of blackbelt, things change, from what I can see. The training you have been receiving AND teaching for so many years has rendered much of what you do instinctive. Someone who is a Sandan (3rd) or Yondan (4th) is not someone I would mess with in a parking lot. In Shotokan Karate, one of the many goals is to NEVER let your opponent get you to the ground. We are not a grappling Martial Art. There are others like Jujitsu that do that and do it very well.

There are many things that come into play in Martial Arts that do not come into play in wrestling or boxing, both of which I am NOT knocking. (TGOO was a boxer.) In Martial Arts, however, considerable time is spent on how to assess and avoid situations. The goal is NOT to get in a fight, but to try to avert aggression.

Those of us who train in good dojo realize our limitations. I, being a small woman, have not a prayer against a man. I joke a lot that I can defend myself against small women, midgets, and children. All else, I’m completely hosed. I hope that in time, I will know enough instinctively that if I were to get myself in a bad situation, that I can do what needs to be done to escape. My Sensei tells us , we do not want to stick around and fight. That is not the goal. This is self defense… do what you got to do, then get the hell out and do it as best you can on the first strike.

I respect all forms of Martial Arts. They have formed their different ways for various reasons. Some are better in certain situations than others. Nothing is perfect. And I very much respect wrestlers and boxers. The people who train these sports are tremendous athletes who are very in tune with their bodies. They are able to defend themselves in bad situations because of the skills they have learned training. However, like Martial Arts… they are not perfect either. As Acidman says, a gun will win every time.