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thelenian · 06-10-2002, 05:41 PM

Ok Shao Long, I'm not sure where you get your info from, but my comments were based on questioning martial artists who were trained in Japan and Okinawa, and firsthand observation. I've studied traditional Aikido for years, and I've recently taken up westernized competitive Tae Kwan Do. I'm now sure how it is on the mainland US, or wherever you live, but in Hawaii there are many legitimate sensei in almost any eastern art you can think of.

Traditional eastern arts train you to set aside your instinctual reactions to combat, and move with grace and precision. It takes many many years of training simply to develop the discipline necessary to do this. Until you do, your training is mostly useless, and, possibly even a hinderance in combat. Aside from this, proficiency in combat is only partially the goal of most eastern arts. In some more "extreme" cases, such as Aikido or Tai Chi, proficiency in combat isn't a major goal at all, and is only achieved indirectly as a result of the exercises.

Western arts train you to hone and extend your instinctual reactions into effective combat responses. The sole goal of these arts is the ability to take someone down in a sparring match, or on the streets. Unless the eastern martial artist has achieved the discipline of mind required to utilize his art in a real combat situation, a match between an eastern and western martial artist will usually end with the western artist victorious.

This has nothing to do with the availability, or lack thereof, of qualified instructors.

06-10-2002, 05:41 PM	#67
thelenian Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Posts: 122	Ok Shao Long, I'm not sure where you get your info from, but my comments were based on questioning martial artists who were trained in Japan and Okinawa, and firsthand observation. I've studied traditional Aikido for years, and I've recently taken up westernized competitive Tae Kwan Do. I'm now sure how it is on the mainland US, or wherever you live, but in Hawaii there are many legitimate sensei in almost any eastern art you can think of. Traditional eastern arts train you to set aside your instinctual reactions to combat, and move with grace and precision. It takes many many years of training simply to develop the discipline necessary to do this. Until you do, your training is mostly useless, and, possibly even a hinderance in combat. Aside from this, proficiency in combat is only partially the goal of most eastern arts. In some more "extreme" cases, such as Aikido or Tai Chi, proficiency in combat isn't a major goal at all, and is only achieved indirectly as a result of the exercises. Western arts train you to hone and extend your instinctual reactions into effective combat responses. The sole goal of these arts is the ability to take someone down in a sparring match, or on the streets. Unless the eastern martial artist has achieved the discipline of mind required to utilize his art in a real combat situation, a match between an eastern and western martial artist will usually end with the western artist victorious. This has nothing to do with the availability, or lack thereof, of qualified instructors.