A question to martial artists.?

Question

If you answer this riddle correctly, then you can train in martial arts. If you can't answer it, then you should not be training in it. Here goes;

Martial arts are a complete and total waste of time. However, precisely because martial arts are a waste of time, that is why you waste time doing them to make them perfect. Why?

If you can answer the riddle, then you deserve your belt, if you can't answer it, then you should not be training. Also, this answer is not open for voting; there IS a correct answer, and if a correct answer is not given, this question will remain unresolved. Good luck solving my riddle.

Answer 1

this is really quite stupid...and mildly offensive.  

because to me and many many others, it isnt a waste of time. that is my answer. and that answer negates the rest of the riddle.

also...if you dont deserve your belt...shouldnt you be training MORE? not less.

i must agree with my fellow martial artists here...who are you to ask this question? your credentials? ...what book did you get that out of?

Answer 2

Go away you pretentious little troll.

Answer 3

Sure we are wasting our time because though we train and learn about ourselves and push our selves to the brink, we may never use what it is that we learn.

But then in that case what isn't a waste of time.

When you got that new PS3 game and played it for nearly 50hrs. was that a waste of time.

When you come home every-night and plop down in front of the TV, is that a waste of time.

When you surf the web trying to bring down people with whom you never met because you are unsatisfied with your life, isn't that a waste of time.

Look, as far as I'm concerned if it doesn't improve my life it's a waste of time, and martial arts has done great things for me. And you show me one person who doesn't "waste" any of his time and I'll show you Jesus!

Answer 4

Your syllogism is based on a logical fallacy: the 'petitio principii' (begging the question) assumption that:  "Martial arts are a complete and total waste of time".

You've immediately stated the martial arts are a waste of time without first proving they are a waste of time (that is called 'begging the question').

So why are the martial arts a waste of time?

Answer 5

Because the ultimate purpose in training, is to never use that which we are training for.  Therefore the more skilled the martial artist, the more useless the art, since the art becomes less likely to ever be used.

Answer 6

The answer is Blue.

Sorry had to give an answer.

Actually no offense intended but who are you to tell me since I can't(or more likely don't want to waste my time trying) solve your riddle I don't deserve the belt i have put 18 years of blood, sweat and tears into? Who are you to tell me that after all of the bruises, cuts, cracked ribs(twice), broken noses, sprains, pulled mucles, hairline fractures that I don't deserve my belt?

After succesfully defending myself from an attacker with a knife, what gives you the right to tell me that I don't deserve my belt?  

The fact is you quite honestly I don't know you, and you don't know me, so your opinion that I don't deserve my belt. because I choose not to answer your silly riddle, doesn't really bother me one way or another.



Plenty of people I respect think I deserve it, so that's good enough for me.

Answer 7

Riddle doesn't make sense to me because I don't believe the martial arts, ANY of the martial arts, are a waste of time.

Answer 8

the question bores me i do martial arts to learn knowledge not just physical with technique but of mind and body if me not caring about the riddle at this point makes me not deserve my belt...ill laugh like im doing and walk away....how could you say that in such a way?found it disrespectful yo just my theory i waste time because i like to and i deserve to waste time like everyone else that finds their art form fun.....

Answer 9

We train very hard to never use what we train for.

BTW this comes from an old Zen story.

Edit: The way you pose your question is a bit presumtive. Perhaps you could phrase it more respectfully. Since as Katana says we don't know you and We have great respect for the thing we do as our "waste of time".

Answer 10

Because martial artists look for value in what they do. They thus learn about the value of everything by paying respect to everything they do and by treating life as sacred.

P.S. I don't really care if YOU don't think it's the right answer. It's my answer and I'll keep training whether you accept it or not.

Answer 11

If you were Bunminjutsu, Pugpaws, Katana, Aaron, or any of the other really knowedgeable people here, I would get over my 'morning commute to work frustration', and ignore my 'presently pissing me off girlfiend' and take time to do Sanchin kata so I can unite my conflicts and answer your riddle...

TROLL!!!

Answer 12

I agree with Matthew, however I think you should reword your question..

Martial arts may seem like a waste of time because a good martial artist will never use their art.. However, combat and fighting is not the only part of the art..

Learning self-discipline, respect, honour, humility, loyalty and integrity has been an even bigger reward for me on my martial arts journey..

I think, especially in modern martial arts schools, people often forget what martial arts originally taught..

With advances in weaponry and increases in army sizes, martial arts would not be very practical, but the samurai still practiced them to gain all of those other lessons (which is why a lot of martial arts include meditation etc.)

But yeah - my answer to your riddle is the same as matthews.. :)

Answer 13

I think Mathew there is correct and I would also add it is not about time but more about a journey for a person to learn that never really stops.  During that journey they strive to better and master those things that they have learned to the finest point possible which is also never ending.  Time is nothing in all this.

Answer 14

Ok this is out of the blue but.

I waste my time perfecting what I waste my time at because I love wasting my time on what I waste my time on?

Really I think im off or something.

Answer 15

I assume you mean we are wasting our time because we are perfecting techniques which we are never supposed to use.

The more we learn, the more skills we acquire that we are forbidden to use. But we need to have them in the first place in order not to use them. Thats quite an old school way of thinking as personally I'm into competition fighting and put techniques to regular use.

I'm guessing there's a much simpler answer, I'm not very good at riddles

Will we get the real answer?