Do martial arts desensitise you to violence?

Question

Do you think it can make you kind of emotionally detached to the harm you could cause?

Answer 1

I think it can desensitize you a little and I know personally for me it had early in my martial arts training so I decided a long time ago to not react to my initial desire to want to hit someone just out of anger.  A certain amount of responsibility and self-control goes with your ability to hurt someone and I do think for some people they are emotionally detached no matter if they have training or not; the training just makes them more dangerous to others if they don't exercise the self-control that goes with it.

Answer 2

The people that I've known who are heavy into martial arts are some of the most violence-adverse folks that I've ever  met.

They have the training and the capability to neutralize almost any threatening situation but there's no way that they'd consider instigating trouble.

Answer 3

No, although it's often mistakenly interpereted that way. Rather, martial arts condition your instincts and instinctual responses, letting you maintain control in situations where fight or flight would normally take over.

So in a sense, they allow you to be less violent, should you so choose.

Answer 4

Maybe martial arts does de-sensitise you to violence. But that is sort of the object. It is so you don't freak out in a real street fight when maybe your life is on the line. You have to be ready and martial arts prepares you for violence. Because you never know. If someone attacks you on the street, you have to assume they're playing for keeps. Nice people don't attack you. You're attacker willingly forfeited their right to safety when they attacked you. They made a choice and you also have to. If it's the choice between your life and giving them a couple of broken bones, what do you choose?

The purpose of martial arts has always been for self-defense.

Some people will tell you that you have to wait to be hit for it to be self-defence. That is absolutely not true. If you know you're about to be in a fight and you can't get around it, strike first.

But there is another sort of moral rule. Once the other person is down, and you continue attacking, it is no longer self-defense. Once they stop you stop, that's it.

Answer 5

it depends really, traditional martial arts teaches discipline, but if u go to thai kick or boxing etc there is a lot less principles of using your skills and talents as well as gifts just for self defense (i meen lets face it when you've had a few beers down your local tensions always arise if your in this game) but tbh it really depends on the person, personally i dont think it does im just the same person i ever was, just a lot more confident but not cocky. but you have to be aware of your power and the damage you can cause and if you are aware there is no need to detach yourself and turn into a colder person.

Answer 6

No unless you are a sociopath and enjoy hurting, other wise you learn to respect the art and any power you have gained from it.I don;t think it desesitises you to violence, nothing like t.v. casue you aren't going into a class and actua;;y fighting on cement and stabing or shooting people like on t.v.  Moviwes like Good fellas desesitise people to violence, not martial arts or even MMA. You are trained to be a good sport and you don't try to kill someone after they are unconcsious, plus the ref wil break it up. That is unsportsman like conduct.

Answer 7

To a certain degree, yes it does desensitize you to violence, but if anything, it brings a hightened sense of awareness and understanding of the nature of violence.

The desensitization process of martial arts is a good thing. It teaches you to not freeze under the shock of violence, and helps train your "fight or flight" mechanisms. Coupled with the confidence and self control, the desentization process creates a net positive as a whole.

However, there are people who exist that takes what they learn from the desentization process to empower their cowardly souls and try to show off everywhere they go. But these people usually get humbled one way or another.

Answer 8

it depends on how you use it. tv and film desensitize you to violence more than any martial arts class ever will.

Answer 9

It probably depends (to some degree) on which martial art you learn.

The BIG factor is your teacher and your teacher's attitude.

e.g.; Are you taught to walk or run away first and only use your martial art as a LAST RESORT,

OR

Are you taught to bash your opponent's head in and show no mercy?

MY teachers were the first sort...

1. Avoid conflict in the first place.

2. Walk away

3. Run away

4. Call out and get assistance

5. Find a weapon for yourself.

6. If all else fails, use your martial art as a last resort.

.

Answer 10

no telivision did that to me

Answer 11

For me it has not desensitized my outlook on violence. If any thing the longer I train the more I hope I don't have to hurt anyone. There have been several times when I was forced to defend myself.  If anything I did less harm to the attackers than I might if I did not have the training. I am well trained but have nothing to prove and don't want to hurt anyone.

On the other hand I have seen some others get involved with the martial arts with the attitude from the beginning that they wanted to learn how to hurt someone. For a while I was alarmed at these types.  Over the years I've observed that most of these guys don't have the patience to stick to their training long enough to become a danger to others(Except in their own minds).  The few that did stick to the training changed their attitude and became better people.