10 most practical martial art... (Page 2)

lookinside_2: Wow, there are a lot of idiots posting opinions based off of nothing but what they have heard or seen on TV.

What do you mean by practical? For defending yourself on the street or for sport fighting?

For street, any ground system is not practical. Most people don't fight on the ground on the streets. They go for big sucker punches to the face. So a system like Isshinryu Karate would be good to have (it's a traditional Japanese form) It has both submission with weapons and hands and feet. It is also good for tournament.

But others like Taekwondo are not good for street because they focus on only legs... what happens when you are fighting against a guy who has both hand and feet skills? What if they are a close range fighter??? well, there lies the problem.

feelhappy: Jeet Kune Do is not from USA but founded by Bruce Lee .Then it is China

sammy_sam87: nuthing could be better than boxer on the street fights , hands are the solution for u on the street fights. However I have respect for kung fu I love it and i wanna learn it one day.
and i have to agree with ''lookinside'' ground system are worth less on my option, and many people had till me this.

Daniel . .: practical . hmm . . aguy with some skill and a guy who dosnt have any skill . on dterrt fight or in bar the guy with no skill can win . . dosnt matter if yyoure Karate pro or something . .you will just do your karate kicks and stuff. and the other guy does his Ownstyle. .what means hell do anthing to knock you out ..theres no best martial arts. . cant be . .it just cant . .you say jiujitsu is best . i say muay thai is best . . if we go into a fight we have 50/50 chance win .

JeanYves72: Actually Jeet Kune Do is developed in America as Bruce Lee was there when he developed it. I am a student of the Bujinkan and I feel that it is a practical art but it is more the student than the art itself. There are great practitioners and bad ones. I am not comfortable with any style that is tournament focused or has the term play when they do it.

spiritualmaster: I see at number 7 you have Iaido ,That is not a martial art ,But Swordsmanship

JeanYves72: Are you saying that because it is not the combative jutsu way of Iai? Isn't any forms of traditional weapon training martial arts?

spiritualmaster: Jean it is open to interpretation swordsmanship, traditionally it was called millitary arts, at the time a lot of turmoil in Japan and wars, a sword was made that can be drawn quicker ,A lot of these arts were traditionally armed combat moves, called military art .The swordsmanship is a skill of iaido. Another modern day martial art. Also a military martial art is the Israeli system, Krav Maga..And a very good one .I can name more. The two Russian ones combined but traditionally they are not martial arts but millitary arts in armed to arm combat ..

JeanYves72: Interestingly I have discovered that samurai were mostly horsemen and archers during the warring states era. Since they were mostly horsemen they wore the tachi, edge down as it was of course easily drawn from the saddle. The katana was slow in gaining popularity but once it was discovered that it was quicker and easier edge up and to the side to be drawn quickly it gained popularity. I agree with Krav Maga as it is based on modern day and realistic attack scenerios. Yet the very word martial is indictive of warfare. From what I understand Iaido is a modernised Iaijutsu, based more on development of the mind and spirit rather than the more practical aspects of Iaijutsu.

spiritualmaster: You are right Jean if you look at the modern version yes it is .And that was my point .It depends on interpretations ,So many things have changed and been twisted around in the Martial arts world real tradition has gone out the door .In the Tamil country, the earliest martial arts known were Varma Kalai (pressure point attacks – similar to Tai Chi or Dim Mak), Kuttu Varisai (hand to hand combat – similar to Kung Fu and Karate), Malyutham (wrestling), Silambam (staff and weapons fighting – similar to the Filipino arts of Arnis, Kali, and Escrima), and Adithada (kickboxing).

Martial arts can also be seen in the classical dance of Bharatha Natayam. Through its rhythmic movements one can see a close resemblance to the stances, blocks, and strikes in martial arts. There is also a close affiliation to Yoga in the stretching and meditating exercises of almost every fighting art..The latest on Martial arts is it originated way before this time in India and
China .
Recently found artifacts in methatophia unsure of the spelling but it is Africa .The real meaning of the true sense of martial arts though is peace and martial arts were perfected by the budhists monks for meditation ,longevity ,health reasons ,From this Zen Buddhism eventuated and the only weapons were fighting sticks used for the purpose of defence and protection and training

Later down the track it spread to Japan who intertwined millitary combat and weapons into it and the true essence of martial art has been lost ever since

JeanYves72: I have to say it is a pleasant surprise to find someone online who understands that this is the true essence of martial arts. Not the weapons, feats of strength in breaking or combat but the development of the spirit, mind and internal health which we know affects the bodily health as well.

spiritualmaster: Jean that is the problem these days the true essence has been lost, Mostly comercial all claiming different and better ways . Truth is Martial arts was originally taught for the things you have stated .Plus meditation, @ wisdom for certain things like rest, peace of mind .People seen the skills of martial arts and used them skills for things they were never meant for .The reason books were not written on early martial arts was so they could not be coppied.

They were secrets handed down from generation to generation . Martial art schools these days are getting told stories that are not true .Though you do get your good schools and good teachers .It has become a commercial commodity that everyone thinks is for fighting and violence and millitary combat .The truth of the matter is, Martial arts is non violent .And was mastered for peace of mind health ,wisdom,long life,and defence against wild animals, and defence against criminals that travelled from India to China in them days .

JeanYves72: There is a reason why students had to prove their strength of character and determination through humility. Persistance, doing the so-called menial jobs, living as a deshi so to live the art. I think that's the problem in that it has become too westernised. Nothing wrong with adapting but not when it comes at the expense of the soul of the martial arts. It is in a lot of cases stuck in the first showy level of the physical. It takes an exceptional instructor to not just teach the art but also showing that they live it in their actions, words and demeanor.

spiritualmaster: Jean you are right The soul of it is destroyed ,in the western world. The character is lost and the principles of the art. What you said above is correct there is no spirit of mind,Internal health,or meditation taught these days .In 90 percent of cases there is not .Nite Jean nice talking to you

JeanYves72: Same here. Good night.

spiritualmaster: See aarondelo that is what I mean not many know the real meaning of martial arts anymore .Speed determination momentum i gathjer is to do with fighting .and fighting only .where is the philosophy ?
The health mindset? the wisdom?And all the other things that are what martial arts are realy about ?

spiritualmaster: Well aaron explain to me when you say momentum to overcome disadvantages and challenges in what way are you refering to as a example ? And determination is the motivation to never give up in defending yourself .I gather by your statement you mean by fighting .My point was that there is not much else to it but fighting .
As you state in your last sentence to survive and protect themselves .None of these statements would be used in a martial arts schooling or by a Sensei.
Yes health you may get fit by training and that may well be classed as healthy to a extent that would be true as most sports do ..That was not the type of health me and Jean Yves were referring to .
We were talking about the mind and a way of life and spiritual well being living longer through the outlook on life by having less stress meditation wisdom philosophy ,And a few other things .A lot of people are getting martial arts mixed up with sport and fighting as in MMA .
The principles do not exist though to be a martial art your sport has to have these principles or that is all it is a sport .

naresh_rko: thats really great

JeanYves72: Anyone can learn how to fight. The great, truly great masters learnt that fighting is the lowest level of the martial arts. Speed doesn't last as you grow older. Determination is a 2 edged blade as it can blinker you to what others have to show you. The problem with momentum is that it can, if not controlled, lead you to a crash. The philosophies were taught by those in the beginning by people who saw the futility in just learning to block, punch, kick and throw. It is a beginners mindset. The intermediate is the development of the mind as well as body. The third is the development of the heart/spirit as well as the mind and body. That takes time.

Look at Morihei Ueshiba aarondelo. Read about him. He was when he was young very proficient in martial arts. He knew about fighting. Then he had an epiphany where he learnt what the martial arts were really about. He founded Aikido. The greatest were the most humble. The greatest were the most spiritual. They lived they essence. I thought like you in the beginning of my studies. Most people no doubt do. But as we get older and what our Sensei teaches us becomes more ingrained we get an understanding of the spirit and it starts to permeate our bodies and heart if we are truly open to the real essence of the martial arts.

JeanYves72: And what happens when you grow old? Ueshiba Sensei said that he didn't really understand his art until he was in his 70's. We all age. The real masters move naturally. Natural speed. Angles. Timing. The body moves naturally and appear slow. All it takes is proper timing, distance and angle and you are in trouble. I have experienced this. Look at the masters on the net. Look at youtube old footage from past masters and present. Look at your response to me and Spiritual Master. You resist against a perceived attack on your own personal method of fighting. You feel the need to attack and defend against a perceived attack. That is ego. That is what causes conflict. 2 fragile egos clashing. A master is able to control the outcome most times with his attitude. Is able to avoid those kind of situations.

What happens when you grow old? Is your system eclectic like Bruce Lees Jeet Kune Do? He knew that each style had a strength and weakness in their physical aspects and was willing to learn and adapt it to his own style. But even he developed it's philosophy.

The techniques are the body of the art. The philosophy are the brain, heart and soul of the art. Without a philosophy that allows personal growth the art will die and become just another way of feeding a fragile and immature ego.