Categories
Articles
What is the difference between a martial sports and a martial arts?
Most experts would define a martial sport as being an athletic activity which emphasises competitive fighting or competitive forms (kata). Techniques practiced in the classroom are the same techniques authorized competitions. Unauthorized techniques (eye-jabs, for example) would not be practiced in the classroom as they serve no purpose in the competitive arena. Fencing, Olympic-style Tae Kwon Do, Greco-Roman wrestling and Judo are examples of martial sports.
A martial art is a combat method whose primary objective is the development of self-defence capability. Frequently these martial art systems develop into complex methods with a great variety of movements and even weapons training. Although some of their techniques would be suitable for competitive fighting, these would represent but a small percentage of the overall method. Although many martial arts schools do not practice with an eye for competitive trials, the latter can be considered of some benefit as they may help develop a better knowledge of ones abilities and weaknesses. Aikido, Iai-jutsu, traditional Kung Fu and traditional Karate are examples of martial art systems.
In the modern era, many martial arts systems are undergoing a profound change: Many traditional Karate and Kung Fu systems are slowly mutating into martial sports or into gymnastic disciplines. Some Judo federations have gone so far as to re-institute traditional Ju Jitsu in an effort to conserve some of the more martial aspects of their art. This because competitive Judo was somewhat neglecting some of the arts original ideas and methods One of the negative aspects of competitive fighting is the fact that such venues tend to considerably reduce the quantity of techniques being utilised in combat. A karate or Tae Kwon Do club that focus 90% of its time on competitive training can be defined as a martial sports club. One that would that would relegate competitive training to a special class while continuing to train traditional techniques ought to be considered a martial arts club.
Article created: 2006-10-07 -- It was read 2501 times
COMMENTS
Sokaku said ...
Bull....A martial art can also be a martial sport just because an art has also a competition part doesnīt mean that itīs only a martial sport (altough I would have to agree on that part when weīre talking about form competition and non full-contact competitions). In fact thereīs nothing more martial than practicing an art realisticaly against a resistant partner and in a full-contact way. In the old days people would fight each other probably with less rules but thatīs because society allowed it. Now wars are fought with guns we canīt provoke people into a fight and therefore to keep the good martial arts alive and to still have a realistic training full contact competitions exist so that we wouldnīt just be left with forms or drills against partners that donīt attack back.
2006-12-17 11:16:10
2006-12-17 11:16:10
2006-12-17
A anonymous user said ...
I understand you mean sokaku but I do not agree with it. Not entirely. Truly an art can be both martial AND sport. But like explained in the article many martial arts are now way too point scoring oriented in their teaching. Like Judo which I abandoned because of that. You would have a hard time finding a judo shcool that is still teahcing the ancient form. Why? Because the quality of the school and the teachers are (wrongly) based on a medals won statitstics. And no this form of judo is not martial anymore.
To put it in simple term Iīd say that when you execute your techniques i you are thinking in terms of rules or points you are practicing a sport not a artial art. And if you are honest you will agree that when you are in competition you are thinking like that not about winning the fight in itsself wich would include strategies like exhaustion and maiming techniques. You will concentrate on what can earn you points. And correct me if I am wrong but when a samourai was fighting an ennemy I donīt think he was giving much concern about getting some points. He was only focused on the best technique to win according to the situation. Like in karate when you hit your opponent on the nose the points you would have scored goes to your opponents... Tell me where is the martial side in that? I donīt need any full contact competition to know if I master my own art (aikibudo). I always saw competition as a way to fight (read use violence) with an excuse to do so for the feebleminded type of martial art practitioners. You cannot prove ANYTHING in a fight that is bound with rules and points since most of the techniques are not allowed. All you can prove is that you are a better brawler than someone else. Not that you master a certain art better than your opponent who could maybe kill you right on the spot with unallowed technique that your competition oriented sensei did not taught you because he thinks publicity and medals.
To put it in simple term Iīd say that when you execute your techniques i you are thinking in terms of rules or points you are practicing a sport not a artial art. And if you are honest you will agree that when you are in competition you are thinking like that not about winning the fight in itsself wich would include strategies like exhaustion and maiming techniques. You will concentrate on what can earn you points. And correct me if I am wrong but when a samourai was fighting an ennemy I donīt think he was giving much concern about getting some points. He was only focused on the best technique to win according to the situation. Like in karate when you hit your opponent on the nose the points you would have scored goes to your opponents... Tell me where is the martial side in that? I donīt need any full contact competition to know if I master my own art (aikibudo). I always saw competition as a way to fight (read use violence) with an excuse to do so for the feebleminded type of martial art practitioners. You cannot prove ANYTHING in a fight that is bound with rules and points since most of the techniques are not allowed. All you can prove is that you are a better brawler than someone else. Not that you master a certain art better than your opponent who could maybe kill you right on the spot with unallowed technique that your competition oriented sensei did not taught you because he thinks publicity and medals.
2008-03-22