Martial Arts
Essence of Martial Arts
What distinguishes random patterns of attack & defense that arise spontaneously as a natural reaction to threats in the untrained from the actions & reactions of a trained fighter?
The trained fighter applies certain principles to the bodily movements of unarmed combat. When these principles form the basis of the interactions, then these actions are elevated to the level of ART, and thus called Martial Arts.
The understanding and application of basic natural principles allows someone to continuously improve and refine their skills. This “knowing’’ manifests itself in specific techniques.
The Art of applying these techniques makes it possible for the physically weaker individual to successfully defend and defeat the larger and/or stronger opponent in a fight, which could be the definition of martial arts as a sport.
