A Hypothetical Conversation with a Martial Arts Student
“How long does it take to get a black belt?” asked the prospective student.
“Five seconds,” said the teacher.
“Really?”
“Yes. All I have to do is hand it to you. But it takes much longer to earn one.”
"Maybe I can earn it faster than most people."
"Well, we don't do black belts. We do sashes, and a black sash doesn't mean very much, really. We only have those because in America, people seem to need it. A black sash doesn't really mean anything."
"It means you are deadly," the student said.
The teacher laughed. "No. It means you have just begun to learn. There are a lot of black belts who know very little and can do even less."
“Oh. Well, I want to be able to use Taiji to fight.”
“Why?”
The student asked, “If I am in a bar and get attacked, will I be able to use Taiji to fight?”
“You can use Taiji to stay away from a bar where fighting may occur,” said the teacher.
“Have you ever had to use Taiji in a fight?”
“No.”
“How about Bagua or Xingyi?”
“No. I have not been in a real fight since I was 18.”
“Why not?”
“I grew up,” said the teacher.
“So what would you do if someone attacked you on the street?” asked the student.
“I would get off the street.”
“If a big guy sucker punched you without a warning, what would you do?”
“I would probably get hit.”
“Would you be able to take him out with one punch?”
“Probably. And he could do the same to me. When grownups fight, it is very dangerous. You have heard of hospitals and lawsuits, haven't you?”
“Seriously. What would you do? Would you use Taiji or Bagua or Xingyi to take him out? Which one would you use?”
“If I am ever unfortunate enough to be in that situation, my response would depend upon the attack. The last thing on my mind would be to justify an art.”
"Would you break his arm?"
"Not if I could avoid it."
The young man was confused. "But how can I be the best fighter I can be?"
"By mastering yourself," said the teacher. "You believe that studying a martial art is about learning to fight."
"Isn't it?"
"We use martial arts to become better people," explained the teacher. "We use the techniques and hard work to build our discipline and learn how to connect with the world around us. Self-defense techniques are important. Learning to see deeply into movements, learning to unlock the technique within a form, learning to respond with speed, body mechanics, power and skill -- it is fascinating, but after a while you learn it is not the main goal."
“But what good is a martial art if you aren’t going to use it on the street?” asked the student.
“Young man, if you have to ask that question, then these arts are not for you. I think I can suggest another place to train.”
--by Ken Gullette
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Author - Instructor
Ken Gullette
I have practiced martial arts since 1973 and began studying the internal arts in 1987. My goal is to cut years off your development time by coaching you in the real skills for high-quality Tai Chi, Xingyi, Bagua. To see more about my bio, click the "About Ken" link on the menu at the top of this page.
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