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Of Winning and
Losing
Is winning a bad thing?
I believe the original impetuous for martial
arts training had very little to do with winning or loosing. Historical
development was centered on survival skills which, once the immediate
requirements of food and safety were satisfied could be expanded into a
system of exercise and self-defense. Martial art techniques were developed
by individuals or families and often included only one or two techniques
that were closely guarded secrets. The need for secrecy was crucial as the
survival of the family or village may depend on this one technique and the
skill of the practitioner. Friendly Competition with such techniques was
impractical, as the only measure of success was severe disability or death.
Although martial arts were not originally
developed as a sport, competition has become an increasingly important
aspect of current training methods. The trend toward competitive training
techniques and the emphasis placed on winning began almost simultaneously
with the introduction of Martial Arts to North America
in the late forties and early fifties. There was at the time and continues
to be a basic philosophical difference between traditional Asian martial
arts training and the training methods employed in North
America. There’s a good reason for this. All of us are a
function of the societies in which we were raised. North American culture
values competition as an excellent and necessary media for demonstrating
personal prowess and achievement. We are a competitive society! Traditional
Asian training on the other hand is more internally focused, and values
self-improvement and the development of inner strength. Two fairly
divergent concepts! Martial arts competitions were the answer. It allowed
the use of some traditional training techniques and satisfied our need to
compete. Without competition the number of people practicing Martial Arts
worldwide would be dramatically reduced and vast numbers of individuals
would not have been exposed to the many benefits of training.
There are however dangers with an
increasing emphasis on competition. Without the discipline and emotional
maturity which is the cornerstone of traditional martial arts training we
teach only the physical aspects of our art. We are building strong bodies
without emphasis on the ethical constraints necessary to build a strong
mind and ensure intelligent use of the techniques. If winning competitions
is the primary goal of training it becomes increasingly difficult to
recognize the importance of a well-rounded approach to martial art
practice. We need a training approach, which encompasses both the Asian and
North American emphasis.
Is winning always better than loosing,
Probably not, but having the depth of character to examine the issue
requires more than just physical training! The concept of Yin and Yang is
more than just a black and white pattern. It is the representation of the
circular nature of the universe. There are both good and bad inherent in
all things. If we teach only the physical/external/Yang portions of the
Martial Arts we shortchange our students. Eventually all competitors loose,
as good instructors it is our responsibility to ensure they have the
strength of character to survive a lose, and to
cope with the many other trials that life will throw at them.
After all, this is the primary reason we teach!
Sa Bum Nim
Jon Simonds
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