What is Martial Spirit to you?

What is Martial Arts Spirit to you?

Some of us do so for the love of the art, the cool buzz we get from doing it, from learning and understanding its many and varied aspects. Yes even for life-protection/self-defence. Some do it to discover more about themselves, to perfect character, to enjoy the "spirit" of the arts. It is not a prerequisite of the arts to go around punching people. The defensive/offensive aspects have there place but need not be the only reason to study it. There is martial arts spirit, there are martial arts fighting, there is martial arts forms, there are many aspects to the martial arts. Simply look at Sword study, the end aim is not to go around cutting people up into bite size pieces, to slice and dice them! If violence is all one seeks then what type of life is that?

After all if your only need or desire is to cause the maximum damage you can to someone then why not use a gun? This is in my view a self-limiting view of the martial arts in its entirety.

__________________
Shifu
"I do not know what I know. I feel it., unlike those who think they know yet know not"
http://www.whitecranefist.co.nr

I guess my interpretation of martial arts spirit would be "Go down swinging".

__________________
Cling to nothing, except your Lego...

Well then you have your views & we all have our own. Moot point except for arguing.

But let's look at the first word used... martial...

__________________
Terrorists aren't overseas. They're at the gas pump.
********
I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand. -- Kung Fu-tzu (Confucius)

Brotherhood

__________________
Blessed be the lord my strength which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight ...Psalms 144.1

To cultivate and harness the primal savageness of he reptilian brain, to train technique and logic from a practical system, and to combine murderous intent and sheer violence with cold calculating technical ability. And to crush the enemy.

Can I do all that? No, and I probably won't be able to my entire life. I really don't wanna have to kill someone.

But what is MY system designed for? War and killing. What's the point of hiding such a fact?

__________________

“	Originally Posted By: KungFuMan I also learned a praying mantis fist style from watching the actual insect itself. This was before I actually learned some seven star mantis.	”

i fink there is something about some one having fire in their belly went they fight

for me intent and martial spirit go hand in hand

i see so many people who start of in a club really timid

no fighting spirit at all

then one day they get it (or they've left)

and suddenly their techiques have more in them

so for me martial spirit is tied up with intent

__________________
grapple - looks like an apple tastes like a grape

“	Originally Posted By: CLF Devil And to crush the enemy.	”

Is there anything in there about lamentations of the women? I missed that lesson...

__________________
Terrorists aren't overseas. They're at the gas pump.
********
I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand. -- Kung Fu-tzu (Confucius)

My understanding ties in somewhat to Wingnut's.

Martial spirit as I have learned it is about ALWAYS giving everything in your practice everything you have and even a little more than you think you have.

Every move is done with full intention and energy as if your life depends on it and you are striking an opponent who is out to hurt you.

If you are tiring out in class, then it is time to reach within and sink a little lower in that stance, yell a little louder, hit a little harder than you did at the beginning of class when you were fresh.

If you are scared to do a tournament, then all the more reason to sign up and do it and face that fear.

If you are really feeling lazy and not in the mood to work out, you make yourself go do it anyways.

And it is always stressed in my school that this martial spirit attitude can and should be applied to other areas of life.

__________________
I must not fear.Fear is the mind-killer.Fear is the little death that brings total obliteration.I will face my fear.I will permit it to pass over me & through me.& when it has gone I will turn to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing.Only I will remain.F.Herbert

I had this quote in my sig on another forum a long time ago, that kind of summed up maybe the reason we train MA, even if it doesn't define martial spirit:

"There is a great streak of violence in every human being. If it is not channeled and understood, it will break out in war or in madness. ~Sam Peckinpah"

Martial spirit, as posts above show, isn't precisely definable. Is it about domination, or simply a refusal to submit? Is it about being physically brave, or having emotional or moral courage?

For example: A person who is physically weak or grossly overweight, or otherwise wouldn't be a good candidate, might be passed over as a ring fighter (MMA, Muay Thai, etc.). But that person goes and finds a school that will take him, works steadily, and overcomes his physical problems -- yet still is not a good or talented fighter. Would that person have martial spirit even if he can't win a single sparring match?

__________________
"Pain can be a great teacher of compassion and humility."~ Unkotare-san

"Whatever the case, it proves that countless disasters can be prevented by simply assuming everyone you're working with is a moron." ~ Adam Brown, 5 Tiny Mistakes...

as a person is a resemblance of the physically weak/ untalentated/ uncooradanted person who pushed them self as far as she could every day (admittedly until I stopped going to classes for unrelated reasons) and though i did everything i could to push my self and learn/ improve myself and my physical abilities you speak of i can honestly say yes i believe that person can still have martial spirit even if they cant win a single sparring match. its not all about the physical out come of what you learn the spirit is about what you get out of it mentally. its a lifestyle and a system of beliefs and sure the physical techniques but you need to understand the theory and if you work at it more i believe you get more out of it.

if the physical aspect of it comes naturally to you and you're a good fighter who always wins because you have strength and can overpower your opponents buts thats all you do is fight does that mean that you have martial spirit?

I think its a mix of both. you need to understand the techniques, how and why they work, and the mental side of it too. there is a lot more to martial arts than fighting. its the mix of both that determines your martial spirit. and i believe more of it comes from the internal/ non fighting aspects of martial arts.

__________________
~Me

To me, Martial Spirit is to dig down deep inside yourself, when you think you have nothing left, and surpass your self-imposed limitations.

__________________
"To alcohol ! The cause of, and solution to, all of life's problems" - Homer Simpson

“	"There is a great streak of violence in every human being. If it is not channeled and understood, it will break out in war or in madness. ~Sam Peckinpah"	”

This is greatly disputed by many modern Psychologists, but I tend to agree with the quote.

__________________
"To alcohol ! The cause of, and solution to, all of life's problems" - Homer Simpson

“	For example: A person who is physically weak or grossly overweight, or otherwise wouldn't be a good candidate, might be passed over as a ring fighter (MMA, Muay Thai, etc.). But that person goes and finds a school that will take him, works steadily, and overcomes his physical problems -- yet still is not a good or talented fighter. Would that person have martial spirit even if he can't win a single sparring match?	”

I would certainly say so. I think my first response in this thread applies to what you are saying here.

__________________
"To alcohol ! The cause of, and solution to, all of life's problems" - Homer Simpson

“	Originally Posted By: clfsean Is there anything in there about lamentations of the women? I missed that lesson...	”

I prey upon self-disrespecting women like a wolf in sheep's clothing.

__________________

“	Originally Posted By: KungFuMan I also learned a praying mantis fist style from watching the actual insect itself. This was before I actually learned some seven star mantis.	”

Also, Martial Spirit is doing what you know is right, even though inside, you are scared s***less.

__________________
"To alcohol ! The cause of, and solution to, all of life's problems" - Homer Simpson