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Your No Good Unless You're Fighting
"What's old is new", so goes the saying. The great Bruce Lee was accused of not being able to fight his way out of a paper bag because he didn't fight in tournaments. Competent martial arts instructors have since been maligned if they don't do tournaments. The "old wine in a new bottle" is "if this guy is so good, why doesn't he step into the cage?" So nowadays, if your teacher doesn't compete in mixed martial arts, he's no good!
Success in tournament fighting requires an aggressive, fight-oriented attitude. Remember The Karate Kid? The Cobra Kai was all about fighting, aggression and causing trouble. The instructor was a troublemaker who produced troublemakers. Schools and instructors that are too focused on the physical aspects of the martial arts miss the boat. The balanced martial artist is not about garnering trophies and competitive rankings. It's about developing skill and character.
How did we get to this point in the martial arts? There are many excellent instructors who've never stepped into the ring to fight competitively. Does this make them lousy martial artists? These individuals have created and sustained successful martial arts businesses because they've built a reputation in the community for offering quality services. Parents aren't interested in sending their children to a school that's going to turn them into bullies. Most sane adults who train in the martial arts want a school that's going to challenge them, not send them to the hospital in an ambulance.
As in all sports there are also great teachers who have not competed at the highest level, but teach the high level athletes that do. Vise versa there are many great athletes who couldn't "teach" their way out of a paper bag! The same is true for the martial arts and MMA. Sure maybe a teacher who hasn't stepped in the ring can't give advice based on experience to a fighter. But does that mean that teacher can't put together training regiments, drills, exercises, and strategy for a fighter to be successful in the ring? Of course not!
While training for tournaments or combat sports requires a lot of work and discipline, it is not the ultimate goal of a good martial arts instructor. A skilled martial artist instructor does not have to step into the ring to prove something. The traits of a true teacher are not only skill, but also humility, courtesy and respect. This is what a true teacher should pass on to his students. Trophies tarnish, but character lives on.
About the Author Calasanz has been training fighters successfully for over 30 years. To see videos of his unique training sign up for a free week at: http://www.interdojo.com
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