What makes a person a Martial Artist?

Question

A answer on if you like MMA got me to thinking. The answer include "I can't believe these people call themselves Martial Artist." That was said about the fighters. So what makes you a martial artist? I think you can be a martial artist if you study for self defense, Teach, or use martial arts in the ring or in demonstrations. I understand what a lot of people think with self defense and fighting, but I also think that self defense is Fighting for your life, even if it is enough to get away from a bad situation. So let me know what YOU all think about it.

Answer 1

"Where the spirit does not work with the hand there is no art."

-Leonardo Da Vinci

"He who works with his hands is a laborer. He who works with his hands and his head is a craftsman. He who works with his hands and his head and his heart is an artist."

-St Fancis of Assisi

Mixed martial artists are not really martial artists because they are just stealing bits and pieces from real martial arts so they can learn it quicker and use it in SPORT fighting. A real martial artist will devote the time it takes to learn a real martial art, whether it be 2 years or a lifetime. I am a real martial artist. I take martial arts because I just can't help it. I've been in martial arts ever since I can remember. It's part of my life, just as my family and friends are. My life would not be the same if I were not learning something new.

MMA= Mediocre Martial Arts

Answer 2

Wow there Bujinkan Ninja, you're really not doing anything to build up any respect, or influence anybody to believe you know what you say you know. I'm not acting out of anger or hatred, but out of pity.

--------

A Martial Artist is somebody who studies physical combat, period. There are no ifs, ands, or buts about it. So that would include MMA, TMA, Boxers, Judoka, etc.

Now there may be different depths of a Martial Artist that people wish to discuss and discover.

Answer 3

At the most basic level, a martial artist is simply a person who is trained in martial arts. In this sense, all fighters regardless of origin and style are martial artists, because they are trained in the ways of combat. Thus a knight in full plate riding a charger is a martial artist, and indeed, in many settings he would be the definitive martial artist of his time. Similarly, an axe-wielding berserker is also a martial artist, and a highly dangerous one at that. These, however, aren’t usually the archetypes that come to people’s minds when they hear the words “martial artist”. In the popular imagination, the term has come to refer specifically to Asian martial arts, and Asian martial artists.

A martial artist is a warrior who emphasises finesse and precision over brute strength, and relies on speed, skill and agility instead of heavy armor. Within these boundaries, martial artists in real-life history and fiction are diverse, and the martial art class is correspondingly flexible. For example, a kung fu master, a Zen archer, and a wuxia swordsman could all be portrayed using this class. While many martial artists are famous for their unarmed combat skills, not all of them have to be so.

"Fighting and forms successes are only the external manifestations of the arts, which is needed at a certain step of the path of a Martial Artist".   "After all, the real goal of martial arts is a life-long journey of self-discovery and self-mastery. If you learn martial arts only for the purpose of fighting, you will probably lose interest at some point or another—you will have achieved mastery only over the first building block of our being, the body, but stop there. As you get older you will naturally be more concerned with health and longevity, and perhaps the goal of enlightenment (or at least intensive sitting or standing meditation) so that's where the other building blocks—mind, breathing, energy and spirit—come into play."

The martial arts journey is one in which you strike a balance between external and internal work and developing the mind and the body. By doing so, you will not only be on the right path to achieving great fighting powers, but maximum health and longevity and a better quality of life for you as well as the people around you.  

Answer 4

martial art is great for self defence and all but it is also a sport

and kinda workout that is what I think of martial art

Answer 5

Real martial arts have cultures, regulations, standards, and traditions that are universally understood regardless of the school the student belongs. For example, as a Black Belt in Taekwondo, our forms are understood by the students regardless of the school, instructor, or country they belong. In addition to self-defense, it is regarded as an art because they are also practiced as a sport.

These forms are incredibly well thought out and structured around the Korean culture and symbolism. I am certain that the other real martial arts such as Judo, Karate, and Tang Soo Doo are similar.

Without structure, discipline, culture, and continuity  you are simply fighting.

Answer 6

The definition of the word martial is of soldiers and war or warlike.

The definition of the word art is the creation of beautiful things by human endeavor rather than by nature.

The definition of martial arts is combat (fighting) technique - a system of combat and self-defense.

Therefore any sport fighting is not martial arts.

Martial Arts is a system, developed by humans, of fighting for the purpose of self defense that can be beautiful in its nature.

Answer 7

martial art, means war art or suitable for war art.

Answer 8

This is a very good question. Using the words "martial arts", is literally meaning "the ability to fight."

So the true answer to your question is, "what makes a person a martial artist is someone who has the ability to defend themselves." That is the simple way of putting it, and I think it is the right way to put it.

If you look at Wikipedia's definition of Martial Arts:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martial_art...

The have stated that "to defeat one or more people physically and to defend oneself or others from physical threat" is the meaning of martial arts. However, I do not see that saying defeating another person makes you a martial artist, it is really the way you look at it.

As much as I am not a fan of MMA, it IS a category of martial arts. They practice martial arts moves, even if they are not legitimate styles of karate, and they use it in a ring against an opponent. Traditional martial artist practice the same exact thing at tournaments but it is more formal with a training gi, belts, judges in suits, and actual styles of martial arts and ranks.

In the end, anyone who uses or teaches skills to fight, should be considered a martial artist.

Answer 9

What is art? What makes a dance any more significant than a series of convulsive movements?

First, a martial art never is created during times of war. The forms are created in times of peace to train future generations of warriors. Things may be taught, but are taught quickly and in simple form to the best of the teachers ability. The rest was up to the student.

A martial artist would be one who performs the acts of a martial art. The art of martial arts comes from technique, form, and finesse in combination with its execution. However, simply studying a martial art does not make one a martial artist. MMA borrows in incomplete form from various martial arts, strips it down to combative form, then applies rules to what can be used and can not be used in a controlled environment. At this point, we've removed the art from martial arts.

We should clarify: Not everything commonly called a martial art is one. Krav Maga is a fighting method. MMA is a combat sport. When you watch sparring tournaments, you're typically watching a combat sport as the prerequisites of being an art are quickly forgotten in a flurry of mindless punches and kicks.

To further clarify: Yes, Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu formed in this way (recombining traditions that had formed), but taijutsu is a blanket term.  Budo taijutsu was a term to refer to any combat techniques used by warriors in Japan. From here, individual disciplines splintered into schools -- some taught grappling, some taught striking, some taught weapons. All taught a portion of Budo taijutsu.

Mixed Martial Arts may eventually become a martial art, but it takes time and development, and it's simply not there yet. The unique techniques need time to form and develop a method for teaching that can be passed down through forms.

Hope this makes sense. Good question.

Answer 10

Sport fighting is just that. Its a sport.  

As Chuck Norris once said "Its a second cousin to the martial arts".

Martial Arts encompass character, art, philosophy, and way of life. You take those things away and you're just an aggressor.

It's better to say that MMA fighters are professional fighters.  

Martial Artists encompass a greater scope where training benefits themselves positively in every other aspect of their life. A Martial Artist will avoid fighting but has the tools to defend should it be required.    

Answer 11

Hi there

I personally think its just something you are. On the surface it may seem like its all about the arts you practice but really it's not. It's much more deeply rooted.

There are of course different types of artists just as there are races in people or religions.

The training and study just brings it out and makes it physical. But it was always there in the person to begin with. Thats why people who take up martial arts for all the wrong reasons dont last very long. You cant be a martial artist if you just want to get fit or you go training because your best mate wants you to go with him?

Its in the blood and in your soul. Its what makes you the person you are.

We all start out as rough dimonds but training provides the polish!

Best wishes

idai

Answer 12

In my mind, a Martial Artist is a person who studies the martial arts and applies their teachings in body, mind, and spirit.