When I think of the martial arts I think of something very different then what the average person thinks of.
The average person might tell you the arts are about punching and kicking or people throwing other people around and manipulating their limbs while screaming. Others might tell you they are about competition and aggression.
Some martial artists might say they practice their art to get a workout or to feel more self confident and better about themselves.
Some love competing while others want to defend themselves from potential threats.
Secretly some want to feel superior to others and even to intimidate and bully others.
This is something seen increasingly in martial arts today.
When I look at competitive circles, be they MMA, Grappling or even Kickboxing, what I notice is that many competitors carry themselves with an over inflated ego and arrogance. This obviously is an attempt to appeal to the masses that watch some of these events and although I am generalizing; yes, there still are those that watch MMA for the technical aspects, athleticism and level of proficiency that competition can bring, (I'm one of those people).
I think a huge amount of the people following these events are pulled in by the action and are watching for the brutality, not the martial arts and what's supposed to go along with them.
Things like honor, humility, courage, confidence, camaraderie and most importantly, respect.
Self respect and respect for others.
I don't want to come across as preachy but I think you should ask yourself, how much do these characteristics mean to you?
How closely do you relate them to your martial arts training and how far do you go to demonstrate them in your daily life?
When I look at much that is related to the martial arts today I see a growing gap between the two.
I think it's time for us all to hold ourselves to a higher standard, in fact the highest standard we can.
Not only in our martial training but in the way we demonstrate the character traits developed through our physical skills and training.
Can we develop higher level skills without being honest with ourselves, as well shouldn't we bring that honesty to all the areas of our lives even in dealing with others?
How else can we demonstrate our level of honor in our daily lives?
How about humility, courage, confidence, focus, camaraderie and respect?
Can we look to how we can help others?
Be more courageous?
Show our confidence in ourselves, our abilities and what's good in the potential of others?
Can we use the focus and discipline gained through our training to advance other areas of our lives?
How about using our network and camaraderie of those we train with?
Can we help others further their goals and better their lives as well?
Lastly, there is the demonstration of respect.
How can we show a greater respect to those around us and demand it for ourselves?
I think it's time we started to hold ourselves to higher degrees of these standards as well as close the gap being formed between these standards and the physical aspects of the martial arts themselves. Be they combat sport oriented or not.
Let's all show the world what it really means to be martial artists.
Kosta Megas
