What Art is Good For Me? Now that’s a good question, what is a good art and what is a bad art? What are you looking for? Are you young, are you old, is it for an injury, can you afford it, etc.? These are all good questions. It’s just like trying on new clothes, you gotta get out there to see which one is going to fit your needs. Everyone is different, many schools have a trial class you can enroll in at no or very little cost. Just keep that in mind when you go out trying different schools, watch out for high pressure sales tactics. Let them know that in the beginning that you are shopping around and get all the information you can.
Trying It On. There are specific things to remember when searching for ,”THE RIGHT ONE” for you
- Was the teacher endorsed by a reputable instructor. Ask to see pictures of him/her with that instructor. Some times if the instructor learned from an old school instructor from the Orient there maybe no certificates, just an endorsement or a picture with him/her.
- How long did they train from that instructor? Do they keep in contact with that instructor? Are they still learning/training in the arts? how old where they when they started? How fit are they and what is the average age when people have to quit due to injuries? Look at someone who has been training in that art for 30+ years and see how fit they are. Ask them what injuries they have and how they got them.
Competitive Arts vs. Martial Arts:
- The Competitive Arts have lots of injuries. Usually these arts have an age range from 5-30yrs old due to the injuries. Injuries prevent them from competing and sometimes training in that specific art. They tend to stop because they have to work for a living and support their families. Older students with minimum injuries may keep training after the age of 30 and even start their own schools. Did I mention you will get injuries in these arts. It’s just a matter of time and how bad the injury is.
- Martial Arts will have screens or some other protective shielding to prevent spectators from watching students work out. Even if the spectator goes in they will be greeted by a trained person who will ask questions to find out what you are looking for. If the School does compete, sets only. A set is a series of movements that flow together to form a set or in a karate school it’s called a,”kata”. Martial art schools work out for longevity and over all good health, not just for a short period of time in their life. Some schools go into hiding because they don’t want to deal with the public. The only way you can be part of that school is either be a family member, a friend, get invited or by chance. Even then you are under watchful eyes to make sure you do not disgrace the Art. You can insult the person but not the Art. “Thems fighting words”.
Martial Arts in general got the bad end of the stick, The Shaolin Monasteries and all who practice theses arts from the Shaolin are usually in great shape. They know,” The mind, the Spirit, and the energy” will create a long enjoyable life. Practitioners often combine different kinds of arts and develop a customized system. Different arts develop different areas of strength. More time than not fast moving arts develop physical strength, while slow mythological ones develop internal strength, while none moving arts (meditative arts) cultivates the energy or Chi. I believe that competition fail to understand what the term, “MIXED MARTIAL ARTS” is. It gets mixed up with MMA, UFC and the like which gives the martial arts category a bad reputation for a well rounded health. Once you learn a real martial art you can practice it anywhere that you see fit. A real martial art is one that can be practiced for life not just till 30! The investment is well worth the time spent learning it. Once you learn it you don’t need to pay anymore money and you can pass it down to your children for generation to come.
Enjoy the journey,
Flowing Motion 