Where is the "art" in the martial arts today?

In Chenjiagou there is a Tai Chi museum that contains a mural of two people. The first one is young, dark, angry and looks fierce. His many hands hold many weapons used in Tai Chi/Kung Fu. The second person is an older man. He is white, looks gentle and kind and his many hands show the many empty hand positions in Tai Chi. The mural is interpreted as opposites (yin and yang if you want). When we all start out in martial arts we are hard. All our moves are focused externally and executed using much strength. We want to fight everybody and look for our strength and superiority in this. As we mature in our martial art we become softer and the techniques become more internally even for external martial arts but by no means less effective in our ability to defend ourselves. Actually quite the opposite is true. As we learn to apply our techniques more internally the more lethal they become. We see things differently and respond to attacks accordingly and we acquire the wisdom to pick our fights rather than try to fight everybody who just looks at us like a lot of these high school kids do, wanting to fight this person and that one trying to establish their pecking order. Somewhere along this path when the wisdom sets in and we learn to balance our fierceness with gentleness and kindness and our moves become more internal is where your martial art acquires the art part.

Different people get to this point differently but most people just never get it at all because they do not spend enough time to learn. MMA and UFC have nothing to do with the art part. They are fighting styles and that is their purpose. The kids here who ask which martial art is best are after a fighting style NOT a martial art.

When you understand that martial arts can heal as well as hurt you understand that there is a balance that needs to be maintained for one's own sake. How many western schools teach this? How many MMA people here know how to take care of something as simple as a bruise let alone the more advanced TCM?

When you find that martial art can help you recover from a really bad injury or disease (like cancer) that even amazes the doctors, that it can help timid kids become leaders and people with problems find strength and overcome these problems that's when you understand the art part. Being a fighter is not just for the ring but in your daily life. I have met great fighters when it came to confrontations but was surprised when they could not take on the hardships of daily life and I wondered where their fighting spirit went. When you understand that it is not about who is the best fighter but that it is all about you and being the best YOU can be that's when you understand the art part.

This is a great question. I've actually been thinking about this recently. I have been studying and training in Taekwondo for the past 4 years. I recently received my black belt. For most of my training, I saw Taekwondo as nothing more than a sport and physical defense system. Until about a year before I got my black belt, I did not implement a lifestyle change.

My black belt test was very difficult. I failed part of the test the first time. It's almost as if failing it has taught me something. That without the "art" in martial arts, all that is left is fighting. And my Master was not going to promote me to black belt if I only believed in fighting. I got my act together, and finally passed the test once I retook it later.

Martial arts is my life now. I work at my Dojang and wish I could live there too. I am in charge of supervising the young children and white belts, and cleaning the Dojang. Everything I do is under the supervision of my Master and instructors.

I believe that many martial arts have moved away from the "art". Many styles now have replaced meditation and studying with backflips and cartwheels. When people find out I am a black belt, they ask me if I can beat people up and if I have ever been in a fight. That's not what black belt is about. Black belt means you have overcome the MENTAL obstacles in addition to the physical ones.

I do not think it is fair to say that certain styles as a whole have diverted away from the art side of martial arts. I think that it is up to the instructor in each school. Lousy instructor, lousy students.

I hope I helped. Good luck.

My students are asked to learn first aid and are expected to carry out community service such as cleaning local parks, helping local schools and such, so I hope I do offer development to them as individuals, but that isn't for everyone.

The life change still happens if people are learning for their own purposes, they can achieve positive goals, fitness, dedication, willpower, confidence and more. Those schools teaching defence or sport are both teaching art in their own way, and their students will change in theirs.

It has always been that way, it is not a new development, the way of life and spirituality (where does the life change come from if not spiritual, philosophical or physical?) of different levels have become involved for a thousand reasons at a thousand different levels, from those who train as monks to those for whom a sensei is an extra parental like figure, there to offer guidance, to someone there to train you physically, still giving you the benefit of their knowledge and character by proxy.

How would I discern the art within my art?

Someone who reaches the theoretical peak would be able to kick the *** of anyone on earth just as much as they would never need or want to do so. They should also have an in depth knowledge of human body.

Good question! I agree, the actual art is buried deep within the martial art. The way you move your body, and are able to change your wight distribution, to be in complete control of yourself and any situation that might arise. Martial arts are made for war, that's where the name comes from, but they are still as much art as a painting or a sculpture.

Hope you find the answers you are looking for.

I believe people find it harder to see the art in martial arts today because not many train long enough to reach the level of skill that makes it possible. The fast food mentality is one of the main culprits. How can you expect to get a gourmet dish from a fastfood joint served in under 15 minutes? You want gourmet meals, you go to a first class restaurant and wait for the chef to cook you one even if it takes an hour to do so.

even though its a hard thing to see today, the "art" still exists. there is still beauty in executing a technique just the way it was intended to be, whether it be in a dojo or in an octagon. I find great amusement in judoka performing great submissions while seemingly being overtaken in the MMA. THe martial arts artistry doesnt lie in the time of day. It really just lies in the artist who puts forth the effort to fully exert himself in an artistic way. there is great art in olympic taekwondo matches. the fighter waits, waits, and when we feels like the other fighter drops his guard...wam! spinning back kick. And lets not forget about kata. Kata performed today is just as amazing as yesterdays kata. the nice, precise movement of the artist flowing and emphatically moving with meaning is overwhelmingly artistic still. it is there but one must look.

when you start to make things competition orientated, you lost some sense of artistry. you lose what I would call noble artistry. this type of artistry that doesnt call upon others for reassurance. a type of artistry that one finds within himself, a quiet type of art. when you start to "put your art on display" than...you must show off. you must make yourself the dealer, the known person who IS great so that you gain recognition. and while you're out there in the museum (octagon, dojo) showing others what you've done, your sense of artistry is redirected now to a place where you want to fulfill your place in a history book that means something totally different...but not better.

Many things can be called arts, like football too or whatever.Time has changed, and many people looking for money or to know how to fight so to exploitative someone.But there are many people looking for martial arts because they want to explore and learn some things in this life.

actually a couple of people in the UFC are still martial artist like GSP and Lyoto Machida

I see where you're heading with this friend, I think things like UFC are an insult to martial arts. That is all I have to say.............That should tell you exactly how I feel and what I truly think about the art of Martial arts

its an art because there is no science on it