Blog Post the First

Oh, hello everybody. I didn’t see you there. You shouldn’t creep on me like that, though. I could’ve accidentally killed you with a pressure point punch or some shit like that. Your heart would explode and everyone would laugh and it would be super embarassing. Okay I’m just making stuff up, sorry. The point of this post, really, is so I don’t have to look at the sample text that comes with this WordPress template. Well, also to get this site started. So, here we go! 🙂

I started this site because, quite simply, I love Martial Arts. I felt it prudent to create an online outlet for my thoughts on Martial Arts history, philosophy and technique. Also, humor. I think a lot of people see the Arts and Combat Sports in general as a serious thing, but hey, humor is totally allowed and encouraged in this dojo. Martial Arts, Combat Sports, however you want to look at it, is a reflection of life. In many ways, they can become a perfect metaphor for life. Yes, we must do things in ernest. We must pursue our passions and our disciplines with devotion, humility and respect. But we also need to laugh.

Another thing you might notice, in my writing I alternate between the terms Martial Arts and Combat Sports. To me, these concepts are interchangable, but this may or may not be a point of semantics-related contention for other practitioners. I believe that all viable fighting styles have both a sport and an art aspect to them. Two sides of the same coin.

For example, when I train Muay Thai, the sport aspect conditions us to be more athletic; better cardio, flexibility, movement, etc. It also trains us to fight under a specific set of rules. But the art aspect teaches us the movements, and the ability to analyze the possible outcomes of any of our movements. It teaches us to read our opponents, and to be several steps ahead of them. We can take these disparate elements, and put them together in unfamiliar situations, or at least situations that have more variables than an athletic contest. Same thing when I train in Jiu Jitsu, sure, I am training for athletic competition, but my mind is also learning the art of applying certain movements in a variety of situations. We have the presence of mind to know what works in a tournament might not work in the street, and what works on the street might not be appropriate for a tournament. We also are aware that there is a significant overlap between these techniques and the scenarios you can use them in. After all, a punch is a punch, whether in a ring or on the street. A choke is choke, whether on the mats or in a public space.

So this is why I use terms like Martial Arts and Combat Sports interchangeably, because I feel the best learning is when you embrace both the art and sport aspects of whatever fighting discipline you have chosen.

Since we’re wading into the waters of semantics, I would also like to point out that I consider Wrestling, Boxing and Fencing as Martial Arts. Some people insist these are sports and not arts, but I find that ludicrous and petty. Boxing absolutely has an art to it! Just as Karate and Tae Kwon Do have a sport element to them. Wrestling is as much an art as it is a sport, just like Judo. All of these styles require technical acumen as well as athletic discipline, if you wish to be truly effective.

Anyway, whoever you are, whatever style you are pursuing, I sincerely hope that you find value in this blog. One of the most powerful things about the Arts is, if you allow it, they have the potential to make you better. Not just as a fighter or an athlete, but as a human being. Yes, there are high level practitioners out there who are shitty people. Every demographic has shitty people. But, I would contend that these people did not fully allow the Arts to change them for the better. They allowed themselves to fall victim to their own personal demons, and it’s a damn shame. However, thankfully, the majority of Martial Artists I’ve met are amazing people, and I stand by my assertion that embarking on this journey can absolutely help you transform into a better version of yourself.

So, with these words in mind, go forth and do the thing. Happy training, my friends.