Attention

Navy Corpsman being Awarded Silver Star

Petty Officer 1st Class Kevin D. Baskin, a special amphibious reconnaissance corpsman with 3rd Marine Special Operations Battalion, Marine Special Operations Regiment, U.S. Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command, will be awarded the Silver Star Medal for his heroic actions while deployed to Afghanistan in 2013.

What Defines a Martial Artist?

I was researching a podcast and found where a :

Young man that had described himself with a few belts in different styles, and several years of practice asked a question.

What is the general opinion of what defines a martial artist? Belt ranking? Length of practice? Tournaments participated in? Competitions won? certification?

First defining what a ‘martial art’ is actually argued? Combat is, MMA Not? MMA is Karate Forms Not? Hitting is, training your mind is not?

Some of the responses were humorous, others thoughtful..

Highlights of Responses

'Anyone from a white belt to black belt who is putting in the effort.'

'Everyone knows true martial arts comes from waxing cars, painting fences, toting milk on poles, and carrying huge tortoise shells on their back.'

'You must have some animal form or technique.'

'Anyone who pursues a life dedicated to something and uses martial arts as the framework of that pursuit.'

What Definitions Exist of a Martial Artist?

Dictionary.com says :

"any of the traditional forms of Oriental self-defense or combat that utilize physical skill and coordination without weapons, as karate, aikido, judo, or kung fu, often practiced as sport."

Wow.. that is very narrow.. oriental only? Many european and greek arts go way further back. No Weapons? Martial arts is only hand to hand combat? I liked the other responses better than the scholarly definition..

Wiki says :

Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practices, which are practiced for a variety of reasons: self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, entertainment, as well as mental, physical, and spiritual development.

Every Martial Artist will have 3 things that you can observe

Do you have to practice for violence to be a martial artist?

Gandi said:

"I do believe that, where there is only a choice between cowardice and violence, I would advise violence…

The world is not entirely governed by logic. Life itself involves some kind of violence and we have to choose the path of least violence.”

How do I define a martial artist?

Episode 26 at Kungfu Podcasts.com is about the Marine Corp Martial Arts Program... in detail..

Certainly it must have a structure.. seems that it must include :

An objective : hunting, combat, solo combat, group combat, attack, defend, competition, survival, etc.

Ways to think : strategies, awareness and context

Ways to Move : exercises and training that provides progression techniques that execute the strategies,

Every martial art that I know of has an aim, objective in a context of which it answers ‘why’ you are practicing or training.

Artwork: Popeye Martial Arts by ExNinja

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Categories Posted in Athletic Performance , Chinese Martial Arts , Podcasts , Self Defense
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