My Thoughts
For the past 30 years or so the hot topic of conversation in the Martial Arts world has been “What is the best fighting art?”, but the question is incomplete. It should be, “What is the best fighting art for my purposes? What do I want to get from my training and which path is going to take me there?” I think the question is one of goals and priorities. Since my background is in Karate, I will concern myself with Karate vs MMA. This is not to discount the other fighting arts. It is just an acknowledgement of my own limits. MMA and Karate are 2 different activities with similarities, but ultimately different underlying principals.
My understanding of MMA may be incomplete, but this is how I see it. MMA is an amalgam of different fighting arts. It is an effort to find and use only those concepts and techniques that apply to the fight your are training for; street fight, cage fight, etc. If you are a competition fighter, once your competitive career is over, you might stop training. “I’m the Champion!! There’s nothing else to accomplish. I will move on to other things in my life.” Or, “I’ve been working hard on my MMA training for over a year now and I am just not very talented. I think I will have more fun playing basketball or surfing.” If your are training for street fighting, once you are the baddest dude on the block, you might get complacent. Once the reputation is established, it is easy to rest on your laurels. If you never become the baddest, you might be injured, crippled or dead.
Karate’s aim seems to be at odds with this whole concept. Karate, as I have been taught and as I teach it, is a defensive art. Its ultimate goal isn’t to become the baddest dude on the block. It is not there to pump up the karateka’s ego. Its purpose is not to get ready for one big fight. Avoiding the fight is the best defense. Karate’s goal is for self-improvement and defense. It is not a competition, other than the student’s competition with him or her self to improve each day and be better than they were yesterday.
A true karateka would never train just to become the baddest dude on the block. It is a life-style of peace that can be practiced anywhere, alone or in a group, fully able-bodied or physically challenged. “It is better to be a warrior in a garden than a gardener in a war.” The training has value beyond the combat applications. It’s not just about fighting
A karateka might enter tournaments or even an MMA event, but the underlying structure is different. The karateka is there to learn or instruct. The actual outcome is not so very important. Yes, the karateka wants to win, but if learning happens, the competition was valuable.
I know there are many true karateka that compete and enjoy tournaments and MMA events. I have been one of those karateka. I am saying that the wrong question is being asked. The question, “What is the best fighting art?” is incomplete. It should be, “What is the best fighting art for my purposes? What do I want to get from my training and which path is going to take me there?” Of course, this presupposes that the potential student actually knows what he/she hopes to gain from the training, and knows the differences in the array of choices available. There are different “types” of Karate. For an excellent and informative article, click here
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