All Different People and Skills in the Martial Arts

I posted this at the Ultimate Kenpo Alliance Website. (That is the link to their message board which I enjoy reading.) There was a post regarding Women in the Arts as far as their rankings pondering if they should be held to the same standard as men.

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This is an expansion on the post Women in the Arts.



When I read the post about Women in the Martial Arts at first, I was thinking about all the many different kinds of people who study martial arts. At the school I attended, all were welcome. Not only are adult men and women studying but also children. That does not describe the full range either. People who have a variety of disabilities, including mildly retarded people studied. One woman was missing a limb. I also read a magazine article about a special class for people in wheel chairs being taught in the arts.

I often wondered about this since you have the same rankings but not the same way of being ranked. A child blackbelt is not the same, most likely, as an adult blackbelt. A adult male blackbelt is probably not the same as a woman blackbelt also. That is pretty much life. In any class of any subject you have people who have a range of skills and abilities. So then you ask, "How they are ranked?"

After I consider the ranges, I see why it is easy to not wear a ranking, although I always liked seeing the goal of the next belt. I have often pondered this question and it was once answered to a degree by my first teacher who states he watches the student develop from what he or she started from to where they have progressed. In what we are lies our true talent and we work to bring that to the surface.

I was never taught that fighting was just head on swing, kick and hit power. In some fights it can be. There are people who use many other tactics along with their physical skills. Timing and placement are important. A great fighter may be able to not ever have to fight.

One man I know who is quite loved by everyone (and loves everyone back too!) was lured into a dangerous situation and recognized the leader of the gang. He gave his great big smile, and friendly boisterous wave, and yelled, "HEY BILL!" Bill said, "WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU DOING HERE!!!?" and sent him and his friend off. He used his greatest skill in a very difficult situation without a thought.

In determining what your goal is, you may find different skills in the class more useful than the star in the ring if you do not believe that there will be a head on collision of fists. For instance, a beautiful woman friend of mine works for a detective. She is very useful in collecting information from people. (Wink, wink, nudge, nudge.)

Lets face it, we use our martial arts skills every day to live our lives. There are the fights which I am taught are for only when they cannot be avoided. Often we can change the energy of the situation. Sometimes we may appear differently than we are. (How many movies have we seen where the hero is pretending he has some great skill, weapon, or back up that is not there?) A person who is disabled may be able to use the balance and peace that can come from the arts every day to live better and happier against some of the odds they up against. So can any of us.