Martial Arts Thug

How can people like this be stopped from taking up MA? It's turning evil people into evil,dangerous people.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/allnews/page.cfm?objectid=15259738&method=full&siteid=50143

 

Yeah, I read that article this morning and was absolutly shocked by it! I cannot say how angry I am to see a member of the MA community using MA for such thing, and kickboxing to boot, it really does sicken me.

 

I think that's where the spiritual aspect of MA comes into play. Whether or not someone believes in the existense of spiritual states, any reasonable person will agree that the purpose MA is not about hurting others. Training only the body is not enough, inner wisdom also needs to be cultivated.

 

Thats exactly what I was gonna say, Peace. People wonder why I preach so much about the mental/spiritual side of martial arts. Thats why.

 

Actually, I think the 'spiritual side of martial arts' attracts just that sort of undesirable person- for the reason that it fosters delusions.

 

lol, oh... Yes, damn those peace-preaching martial artists, causing so much rukus.

 

BTW, whats an OAP?

 

Unfortunatly you cant really stop a person wanting to get into MA, but you can stop him coming to class, well the Trainer/coach/sifu can.

The other thing is, you dont really know what other students do in their spare time or what they are like outside of class, unless you get together on a regular basis and become mates.

This Swann fella, got 2.5 years for admitted manslaughter. Not much we can do about it, but hope that those 2.5 years he gets are hard.

 

I'd rather someone be peaceful and not cause harm to others due to "spirituality", than someone train sparring everyday to knock out old people on the street.

There needs to be a balance between physical training and mental training or some sense of morality in the arts. It sounds like a cliché, but MA is for Self-Defence only.

 

peace-preaching? you mean the same idiots who go on about turning your body into a weapon and seem to have this unhealthy obsession with violence, even to the point of claiming that for them it's a 'way of life'?
OAP= old age pensioner.

 

OAP=Old Aged Pensioner.

 

I don't think that preaching spirituality at people is going to change things. People are people regardless of what you try to teach them and if people are going to be thugs they are going to be thugs.

 

Your right I can agree with that. But are you saying that if he was learning, say, Aikido, from a good instructor, then he would have done the same thing? And by learning I mean taking in all the aspects of Aikido, which a good instructor would know if he was or not.

 

what a jerk. how cool did this person feel when he was bragging to people that he suckered an OAP.

 

People like him wouldn't take in all aspects of Aikido.

 

Actually, no I have no idea what your talking about. People can argue that the style I take is one of the most violent arts around, which it CAN be. But we are taught (at least i am) the differences between certain things. Say, killing a man, or walking away. Or perhaps when someone comes up from behind you and grabs you, not to automatically ram his face in the ground cuz, who knows, it could be a friend of yours pulling a joke. Perhaps we train in such a way where a police officer doesnt have to break the guys arm, but instead controls him so he can put the cuffs on (and without a nice lawsuit). Control. Decsion-making. RIGHT AND WRONG. These things are taught, these things are ALL OVER the MA most of us practice. You cant turn 5 pages of a decent book without reading about one of these principles. Which takes us full circle alway back to my orginal statement, which u all aptly told me i was dumb for saying: Martial arts is more than fighting.

 

Yes, he would. Moral preaching isn't confined merely to TMA dojos, we get it all our lives from people all over the place. If parents, school, friends, other family members, police or whoever weren't able to get through to him, I don't see why an aikido sensei would.

The reason I put "from a good instructor" in bold is because it's so easy to just say "oh well he must have been a bad instructor" when things like this happen.

 

Tim is right

 

Your right. But it wouldnt hurt to hear some of its principles would it? It might actually take hold. If I was the instructor of this kid I would be so embarassed and ashamed I would quit teaching.

 

I think Siphus has a point. How much responsibility should instructors take wehn they "teach" MA? Should they only show techniques and how to harm, or should they try to give them moral guidance, preach non-violence and avoidance?

I think the Chinese arts have a good attitude as traditionally practitioners learn not only to maim and kill but also to heal and cure through TCM (traditional Chinese Medicine).

Maybe this is a topic for a new thread?