Why?

So why learn martial arts?
The usual answers are;
  for self-defense
  for exercise
  for discipline

Let’s see. Self-defense? I started in Karate in 1982. Since then I’ve spent about thousands of hours practicing, and been in exactly zero fights.

In fact, I’ve been punched, kicked and choked many times, but all during practice. In spending a considerable amount of time learning to fight, I’ve managed to get smacked around a fair amount, and yet have done so preparing for a fight that has never happened.

Exercise? As I understand it, exercise is supposed to make you healthy. I guess one acquires general fitness, but there are much more pleasant routes than martial arts. Yoga seems lovely, or how about going for a dip in a pool. I run, and get a better workout from that than I get from kicking and punching.

One should also deduct all the injuries that happen along the route. I can’t imagine getting a cracked rib from Yoga, or repeatedly busted toes from swimming. Never gotten a black eye from swimming either.

I guess martial arts are really about discipline. Really? Does it mean the army kind, where you line up straight and some guy yells at you? This does happen, but I don’t see a lot of value in it, and I was in the army.

Maybe it means self-discipline. The discipline to get yourself to training, and to practice with full effort and concentration. I guess, but don’t you have to get to other activities on time? If I started going to music lessons, and managed to get myself there and did sufficient practice I would be demonstrating self-discipline much more than I show at Karate.

So why do we go to the Dojo, and train hard to achieve and perfect combat skills we’ll never use, even at the cost of occasional injury.

Because martial arts are cool, of course.