| You first must ask yourself why you are training in the | | | | with a gun can easily take out the current Ultimate |
| martial arts. Many people begin martial arts training | | | | Fighting Champion if he doesn't have one, so even |
| after being inspired by a specific sporting event or | | | | "Reality Fighting" is still a sport. In some cases, the rules |
| athlete; it is their intention to compete in this sport. | | | | may cause what was once a martial art to become |
| Boxing is a type of martial art, but not a complete one | | | | more of a sport. We can see this with Judo, where it |
| by itself; alone it is just a sport and a way to practice | | | | began as a collection of Jiu-jitsu styles and was quite |
| your striking skills. Even within striking itself, the rules of | | | | effective in all ranges of unarmed combat; addressing |
| the actual sport make it incomplete as a self defense | | | | strikes, throws and groundwork. Now, it has become |
| art. So you have to ask yourself whether you are an | | | | known as primarily a throwing sport and not taken as |
| athlete first or a martial artist first. If you are a martial | | | | seriously as a complete and well rounded self defense |
| artist first, you will view sports as training tools for | | | | system. When too many rules are added to a martial |
| specific types of fighting. In that case, it will not be | | | | art in its practice, it will become more of a sport and |
| necessary for you to chase after medals or trophies | | | | lose much of its value as a martial art. |
| at tournaments, simply practicing in that sportive | | | | Ideology |
| manner at the school or dojo will be enough for you to | | | | A True Martial Artist is humble and without ego, does |
| enhance your training. | | | | into boast or brag and is generally unassuming. In an |
| Pros | | | | ideal and perfect world, a true competitor should have |
| For all martial artists, sportive versions of any martial | | | | some of these qualities, but the reality is that most do |
| style have their benefits. As a Jiu-jitsu teacher, I can tell | | | | not and it is the nature of sports in general to be |
| you that the sport of Brazilian Jiu-jitsu is an excellent | | | | associated with just the opposite. This has always |
| instructional tool for beginners because it teaches them | | | | been the problem with sports and martial arts; getting |
| the importance of position and places a value on each | | | | oil and water to mix. The greatest hypocrisy in the |
| movement. It will also promote safe daily practice that | | | | Martial Arts instructional industry is when a teacher |
| allows you to train more and get better faster. Let's | | | | asks you to leave your ego at the door, but |
| face it, you can't go 100% all of the time, so sport | | | | prominently displays his competition record for all to |
| (sportive practice) is a nice happy medium between | | | | see. |
| going nuts and unrealistic cooperative training. | | | | The question you have to ask yourself is, "are you are |
| Cons | | | | martial artist or an athlete first?", then train accordingly. |
| The biggest problem with sport martial arts is that quite | | | | If you are a "Self Defense" guy, realize that a little |
| often, people who do them feel as if they are a | | | | sportive training (not necessarily tournament, but at |
| complete martial artist and 'street ready'. Even in a | | | | least opening yourself up to practicing that way) can |
| sport like Mixed Martial Arts fighting, where it is as | | | | accelerate your skills and if you are a "Sport Guy", |
| close as it gets to reality, it still isn't 'real' fighting. If you | | | | know that its not for everyone and make sure you |
| do not balance your training, you are apt to become | | | | are balancing your training with real martial arts; don't |
| delusional and not realize that you are not as prepared | | | | get carried away with an ego or the 80 year old |
| as a well-rounded martial artist. An 80 year old woman | | | | woman with the gun might disagree. |