The Ultimate Martial Arts Q&A Web Page

Martial Arts Q & A

Welcome to the Ultimate Martial Arts Q&A web page!

Have you ever wondered...

What the first, original martial art style was?

Why martial arts students bow to their instructors?

What breaking boards has to do with self-defense?

Well, you’ve come to the right place!

The fifty questions and answers that follow are just a sampling of the 750 that are found in
The Ultimate Martial Arts Q&A Book by John Corcoran and John Graden.

The publisher, Contemporary Books, has granted permission to reprint these questions and answers on this web site.

So read on….Whether you’re a martial arts veteran or a newbie, you’ll find this information fascinating!

The Ultimate Martial Arts Q&A

Basic Martial Arts

Martial Arts Q&A: Basic Martial Arts

1. Where did the martial arts come from?

Where
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Many historians believe that the first martial arts came from India. Though recorded history is sketchy, there are ancient writings, legends, and statues indicating that as early as 1000 B.C., India’s warrior caste, the Kshatriya, practiced a fighting system whose primary weapon was the closed fist. It was called Vajramushti. This system, or parts of it, was transmitted to different parts of Asia.

However, a twentieth-century archaeological dig at the Beni Hassan tomb in Egypt unearthed a spectacular series of color wall murals depicting wrestling and stick-fighting techniques. These murals predate any other pre-Christian evidence of systemized fighting arts.

Probably the most important contribution to the Asian fighting arts was made by the Indian prince Bodhidharma, who brought both Zen Buddhism and an Indian fighting system to China in the fifth century A.D. Many of the kung-fu systems from China, Southeast Asia, and the karate systems of Okinawa and Japan descended from Bodhidharma’s teaching at China’s Shaolin Monastery. (Return To Menu)

2. What is karate?

What
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Originally, karate (meaning “empty hand” in Japanese) was a term used to describe the martial arts of Okinawa. These arts were a blend of Chinese kung-fu and indigenous Okinawan fighting arts such as Okinawa Te. These sixth-century striking arts emphasized hand strikes, foot strikes, blocks, evasive movements, and a limited number of grappling techniques. These karate systems differed somewhat from region to region. In the early 1900s, they spread to Japan. (Return To Menu)

Today, the word karate has become a generic term used to describe just about any striking system that emphasizes hand and foot strikes. We now see taekwondo and tang soo do sometimes referred to as “Korean karate,” Chinese kenpo referred to as “Chinese karate” or “Hawaiian karate,” and even some eclectic systems referred to as “American karate.” (Return To Menu)

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3. What is kung-fu?

Kung-fu, the popular generic term for hundreds of the Chinese martial arts, simply means “skill” or “ability.” Kung-fu, which is the forerunner of all the Asian martial arts, encompasses systems that can be classified into three main types: for combat, for show, and for health. There have been over four hundred types of kung-fu throughout China’s history. (Return To Menu)

4. How were…implements used as both farm tools and weapons?

(photo source) Sai
The sai was a tool used to make furrows in the ground for seed planting. It was a pronged truncheon with a main stem about fifteen to twenty inches long and tapered to a sharp point. On both sides of the main stem are shorter prongs that are about three inches long and two inches apart from the main prong. The sai could be used to strike or stab. The shorter prongs could also be used to catch a sword blade or spear shaft. At times, the sai was also thrown like a knife.

Bo Staff (photo source)

The bo was a six-foot staff used as a walking stick or balanced across the shoulders to carry a bucket or buckets at both ends. As a weapon it was used to strike, block, poke, and trip an attacker.

The kama was a sickle-type bladed tool used to cut rice or other grains. As a weapon it was used to block, slash, and stab. Kama-Weapon
Kama (photo source)

The nunchaku consisted of two sticks that were approximately twelve inches long and connected by a cord of three to six inches. As a farm tool it was used to flail rice. As a weapon it was used to strike, block, seize, and strangle.
A variety of nunchaku. (photo source)

The tonfa was the handle of a millstone. It was approximately twenty-four inches long and had a handle set in the side about six inches from the end. It was used to block, strike, poke, and catch. The modern-day side-handle batons used by police officers descend from the early tonfa. (Return To Menu)
Tonfas (photo source)

5. Why do students bow so often in martial arts schools?

Bowing is an ancient custom used as a greeting or to show respect. When entering and leaving a martial arts school, a student will bow to show respect for the place of learning. Once inside the school, students will bow to the instructors and other students both to show respect and as a greeting.

If there are pictures of the system’s founders or masters on the wall, they are normally bowed to at the beginning and the end of class. (Return To Menu)

6. What is a grandmaster?

In the early days of the martial arts, the term grandmaster was used to describe the head or founder of a particular system. Because of that there were very few grandmasters.

Today, the term is commonly used to denote an instructor of advanced rank, no matter what age or experience level. Some Korean systems have applied the term to instructors as low as sixth-degree black belt.

In response to the many modern grandmasters, some individuals have embellished the title by prefacing it with words such as great, supreme, or senior. (Return To Menu)

7. Martial arts students wear a wide variety of colored belts. What do the colors of the belts mean?

karate-belt-colors Originally, no colored belts were used in the martial arts. Tradition tells us that students usually wore light-colored belts to hold their uniforms together. These belts were never washed, so as time went on they darkened and became more soiled. Thus, it was evident how long a student had been training.

The modern use of colored belts probably comes from the judo system, which was founded by Jigoro Kano in 1882. judo practitioners were awarded belts of varying colors as symbols of rank advancement.

The belt colors used today vary from system to system, but those most commonly used are in the following order: white, yellow, orange, purple, blue, green, brown, and black. In Korean systems, the red belt is used at a level equivalent to the brown belt. In other systems, the red belt is used to denote a high-ranking black belt. (Return To Menu)

8. What was the first American martial art?

Kajukenbo, America’s first martial arts system, was founded in Hawaii in 1949. Kajukenbo’s inception came about in 1947 when five Hawaiian martial arts masters, calling themselves the Black Belt Society, cooperated on a project to develop a complete self-defense system.
Using Chinese kenpo as a base, kajukenbo incorporates techniques from various martial arts into a complete system: tang soo do kicks, jujutsu joint-locks, judo throws and ground fighting, and the circular techniques of sil-lum pai kung-fu. The name kajukenbo derives from the combination of the names of the arts that merged to form it: ka for karate, ju for judo and jujutsu, ken for kenpo, and bo for Chinese boxing (kung-fu).

Like most karate systems, kajukenbo has kata or forms. These fourteen kata are known as the Palama Sets 1 through 14.

Kajukenbo’s self-defense techniques are arranged and categorized into fifteen grab-arts, twenty-one punch counters, nine two-and three-man attack counters, and twenty-six advanced alphabet techniques.

Today, over 100,000 people practice kajukenbo in fourteen countries. (Return To Menu)

9. Can women become proficient at the martial arts despite their small statures?

Many of Asia’s martial arts masters are as small or smaller than the average American woman. Some of the strengths of a martial artist are the use of balance, use of leverage, and the ability to use as many muscle groups as possible when executing a technique. This allows a person of small stature to generate more power than some larger and stronger people.
One characteristic of martial arts such as karate and kung-fu is their highly systemized methods of “dirty” fighting. Self-defense techniques like groin kicks, knee breaks, eye pokes, and strikes to the throat require very little strength to make them highly effective.
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If a smaller person concentrates on attacking the eyes, throat, and groin, that person can successfully defeat a larger attacker. (Return To Menu)

10. Were any martial arts systems founded by women?

In early China it was not uncommon for Buddhist nuns to be proficient at kung-fu, just as Buddhist monks were. The popular Wing Chun style of kung-fu was founded in China in the late 1700s by a Buddhist nun named Yim Wing Chun. She had received her instruction from another Buddhist nun named Ng Mui, who trained at the famed Shaolin Temple in the henna province of China.

A popular Indonesian legend credits the founding of pentjak silat to a Sumatran peasant woman. According to this legend, while at a stream fetching water this woman observed a tiger and a large bird fight for several hours. As the woman was preparing to return home, her angry husband arrived at the stream and scolded her for taking so long. When he tried to punish her, she evaded his strike with a technique she had seen the animals use. Later on, she taught the techniques to her husband, and thus pentjak silat was born. (Return To Menu)

11. What mental quality is most critical for a warrior’s survival in real combat situations?

Acuity—keenness of thought and vision—is most critical for a warrior in combat. A warrior needs to be able to size up situations instantly, and make accurate assessments of their immediate surroundings. (Return To Menu)

12. What is the single most important physical attribute a warrior requires in order to prevail in a street encounter?

The protracted duels that moviegoers watch are strictly products of an industry dedicated to providing visual stimulation. What really happens when angry people go after each other is neither stimulating nor terribly visual. Most genuine violent conflicts last anywhere from four to fourteen seconds. If you blink, you miss it. The outcome usually is determined almost instantly. For this reason, the most critical quality could be best described as sustained explosiveness.

If one were to compare fighters to automobiles, the car that can accelerate from 0 to 120 miles per hour the fastest, and stay at that level the longest, has the greatest chance for success (all other factors being equal). Traditionally, professional warriors have always trained for endurance—to last however many rounds the particular contest required.
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In the real world, the advantage is less with the aerobically fit individual and more the anaerobically prepared participant. (Return To Menu)

13. What is the difference between a hard style and a soft style?

Hard styles, or external systems, use hard, powerful techniques primarily executed in linear patterns. Although hard style is used in reference to Chinese systems, Japanese systems like Shotokan karate and Korean systems like taekwondo are also considered hard styles.

Soft styles, or internal systems, stress circular techniques that flow with soft fluidity. They are referred to as internal because they stress the use of chi (internal energy). (Return To Menu)

14. What is chi?

Although some scientists believe there is no such thing as chi, others believe it is a bio-physical energy generated through breathing techniques, such as those practiced in the martial arts.
Many martial artists believe that the development of chi is much more important than the development of physical technique. They believe chi greatly enhances both the power of physical techniques and the ability to with stand physical punishment. (Return To Menu)
(photo source)

15. Was there really a Shaolin Temple?

Yes. The Shaolin Temple (Young Forest Temple) located in the Henan province of China is considered the birthplace of today’s martial arts. Emperor Hsiao Wen built this temple during the Northern Wei dynasty (A.D. 386-534). Martial arts have been practiced there, starting with their introduction by the Indian monk Bodhidharma in about A.D. 502, up to the present time.
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In its early days, the Shaolin monks made up a formidable army that was used by the emperor for both training purposes and warfare. This army of monks was said to number five thousand at one time.

Although the Shaolin Temple has been destroyed and rebuilt on a number of occasions over the centuries, it is still in existence today and is now a popular tourist attraction. Monks are still trained in martial arts there. (Return To Menu)

Martial Arts Q&A: Martial Arts Myths

16. A kenpo master claims to have knowledge of a one-punch killing technique that can destroy a person’s skeletal and nervous system. Is this possible?

This sounds like a variation of Shotokan karate’s ikken hisatsu. A good question to ask of people claiming to know such a technique is whether they have ever applied it in combat. Because unless they have, they don’t know whether the technique will work. (Return To Menu)
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17. Is it possible for a martial artist to use a spear hand to plunge into someone’s chest and pull the heart out?

This is a complete fabrication. If you’re not convinced, try thrusting your fingers into a slab of raw meat. It won’t take much to figure out that this is just a silly myth. (Return To Menu)

18. Can martial artists really defeat armed attackers?

Martial arts movies, demonstrations, and books are replete with images of practitioners handily defeating attackers armed with knives, machetes, katana, and even firearms. Don’t buy it: disarming a foe with a bladed weapon is hazardous at best.Opposing a blade-wielding opponent, even under controlled conditions, often leads to injuries. Imagine a crazed attacker intent on disemboweling or decapitating you and you’ll get the idea. For obvious reasons, firearms pose an even worse proposition. (Return To Menu)

19. Are there any documented accounts of martial artists defeating an attacking animal?

A documented account of not a martial artist but possibly untrained woman surfaced in early 1992, when a 120-pound Navajo woman from Texas was attacked by her pet, a 130-pound wolf-malamute hybrid. When she received a leg wound from the wolf-dog’s teeth, she first tried to conceal the cut to prevent the animal from getting more enraged. The wolf-dog was unrelenting, however, and the woman soon found herself fighting for her life. With unusual presence of mind, she wrapped her legs around the wolf-dog’s mid-section, grabbed it by the throat, and started squeezing. It took over four tortuous minutes, but she succeeded in rendering the animal unconscious, whereupon she used its collar to gain control. She did kill it.

Martial artists will recognize this defensive action as the jujutsu and judo techniques where the practitioner wraps his or her legs around the opponent and chokes the opponent out. The practitioner may simply retain the opponent in the scissorlike hold while applying the choke, or else use the legs to squeeze the subject’s ribs in the technique known as dojime (trunk constriction). Dojime is forbidden in sport judo, but is part of the older, combat-oriented jujutsu tradition.

It is not clear whether the Navjo woman was a martial artist, but she clearly demonstrated ideals normally displayed by only advanced martial arts practitioners: fortitude, poise, determination, and above all, the ability to gain victory.
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She also expressed deep concern for the wolf-dog, indicating that she did not engage the animal for publicity purposes as perhaps some of today’s martial artists might do. (Return To Menu)

20. With martial arts training, can people develop the ability to sense an opponent’s presence without looking?

Although some practitioners claim to have developed extrasensory powers from their martial arts training, many resort to tricks, such as strategically placed mirrors, see-behind glasses, and radio transmitters.Some of the best people to learn awareness from, however, are peripherally involved in martial arts practice: law enforcement officers, military combat personnel, and ex-convicts. As a general rule, these people possess the uncanny ability to ready body language and to sense imminent danger before the average person can perceive it. (Return To Menu)

21. Do black belts really have to register their hands?

This myth seems to have circulated widely among the uninformed. But here’s how this one started and to what end it has evolved.

This misconception started in the 1960’s with U.S. Marines stationed in Okinawa who trained in karate. According to retired world heavyweight karate champion Joe Lewis, a former U.S. Marine who trained there, marines training in karate in Okinawa were required by the Marine Corps to register as karate students.

This rule was due to the many fights that broke out involving off-duty marines on the island. The military police could then be informed whether any rowdies were trained in karate and thus might be more difficult to deal with on a physical level.

The myth further evolved with some unknown black belt warning his opponent, “My hands are licensed weapons,” in an effort to scare him away.

There is no known law, as of this writing, that requires black belts to register their hands with any state or federal law enforcement agencies. Be aware, however, that most state laws cite that you can only defend yourself with a force equal to the attack. So if a bully was just calling you names and you cripple him for life, you could be held responsible. Use common sense in all self-defense situations. (Return To Menu)

Martial Arts Q&A: Japan & Okinawa

22. What are kata, and do all of the budo have them?

Kata means “shape” or “form” in Japanese. All the budo have them. All the arts of Japan, including the tea ceremony, flower arranging, and the martial arts and Ways, have kata as a central precept.

Kata, the idea of a set form, is endemic in Japanese civilization. In the budo, kata consist of predetermined movements—sequences of action that may be thought of as the grammar of combat. Some kata may be practiced solo; others are done in pairs, with an attacker and a defender. (Return To Menu)

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23. Is karate purely Okinawan, or is it the result of…outside influences?

Okinawan karate is most likely about 40 percent native in its origins and 40 percent from Chinese influences. The remaining 20 percent may be traced to other Southeast Asian combative arts.(Return To Menu)

Martial Arts Q&A: American Martial Arts

24.What exactly is American karate?

Karate is a Japanese word meaning “empty hand.” But in the United States, karate has become a generic, catchall term referring to any striking-type martial art from Shotokan (the first modern karate style) to taekwondo (the popular Korean martial system). Thus, many martial arts teachers in America, even those from a Korean background, use the word karate.

The American approach to martial arts training has typically been to take elements from several disciplines and combine them into an eclectic method. Karate pioneer and actor Chuck Norris, quoted in The Development of American Karate by Jerry Beasley (Bemjo Martial Arts Library, 983), states, “American karate is a conglomeration uniting all styles together…We utilize all ideas in our system and the techniques continue to improve in quality because they are much more versatile.”

American karate is thus an approach to the martial arts rather than a specific style. (Return To Menu)

25. What is the best Martial Arts style taught in America?

That is an impossible question to answer, not only because different styles emphasize different techniques and strategies, but because it really is true that, as the old saying goes, “The individual makes the style, the style doesn’t make the individual.” In other words, a supremely gifted athlete is going to be good no matter what style he or she practices.

Most experts will also agree that your teacher’s ability is probably more important than the particular style you practice. (Return To Menu)

26. How do I go about finding a good karate teacher?

The same way you would go about finding a good teacher in any activity. If you want to find a good music teacher or tennis coach or art instructor, you ask for references. You check the Better Business Bureau. You examine each teacher’s qualifications and educational background, and, perhaps most important, you watch each one teach.

Do they have a way of communicating and teaching that would enable you or your child to learn? Do they seem like someone you can relate to and someone you would enjoy training under? (Return To Menu)

27. What is the youngest age at which a person can earn a black belt in America?

In the early days of karate in America, most instructors would never consider awarding a black belt to anyone under the age of seventeen. Today, however, with more and more kids taking martial arts, many children have the technical knowledge and physical skills necessary for a black belt. Therefore, many schools have lowered the age requirements to thirteen or, even in some cases, as young as nine.
Emotional maturity is still an important part of being a black belt, however. So extremely young black belts should be an exception rather than the rule. (Return To Menu)
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28. Can a child really defend her—or himself against an adult who wishes to do the child harm?

In most cases, a child does not have the physical size and thus the strength needed to inflict pain on an adult attacker. However, a good teacher will make sure the younger students learn and practice certain techniques that can be exceptions to this rule. Such blows are kicks to the knees and fingers to the eyes. Of course, screaming for help and running are often the best self-defense against a molester or kidnapper. (Return To Menu)

29. Where did the emphasis on board-breaking come from?

According to martial arts historian Keith D. Yates in his book, Warrior Secrets (Paladin Press, 1985), “Karate master Mas Oyama first demonstrated karate to American audiences during a tour of the U.S.A. in 1952. The Americans seemed more amused than impressed until Oyama began his barehanded breaking of boards and bricks. Although breaking is a very small part of a karate education, there are still those who think that is all we do and they expect you to be able to smash through several inches of wood or concrete. (Return To Menu)”
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30. Who was or is the most famous martial artist in the world?

That lofty status is closely contested between two people, both Americans. Even though many people may think of Bruce Lee as the most famous martial artist In the world, there is one man who was probably even more famous: Elvis Presley. While Elvis might win the fame game, there’s no contest in terms of technical skill. The incomparable Bruce Lee was superior on a scale requiring light-year measurement.

Presley started studying Chito-ryu karate while stationed in Germany in the 1950s. He obtained the rank of black belt in this system before leaving the U.S. Army. Throughout his adult life, he studied various styles of karate as well as taekwondo. His instructors included kenpo karate’s Ed Parker, taikwondo’s Kang Rhee, and for just three weeks, kickboxing world champion Bill Wallace.
Bruce Lee (photo source)

Presley always said that karate was his favorite interest second only to his music. Anyone who has seen his stage and screen performances would have noticed his incorporation of karate moves. He also financed some commercial martial arts ventures, including a martial arts documentary that was only partially completed.
Elvis Presley's Karate Uniform
(photo source)

In view of his Hollywood film success in recent years, Hong King action star and martial artist Jackie Chan has rocketed to global popularity. He is already cited as the best-known Chinese person in the world and could ultimately tie or even surpass both Lee and Presley in fame. (Return To Menu)

31. What are the main benefits of studying the martial arts?

Physical fitness, already cited, is one big benefit. Another is self-defense. Outside of carrying a gun around with you, the martial arts are perhaps the best means of self-defense ever devised. And while someone can take your gun away from you, they can’t take your martial arts skills away and use them against you.

Some people see karate tournaments in movies, on TV, or even in person and decide they like the competition aspect. Martial sports are fine endeavors for those who might take a little longer to develop athletically, because they are individual rather than team activities. If you lose a match, you aren’t “letting the team down.”

Many people also take up the martial arts because of the intangible benefits of increased concentration, self-confidence, and character-building. (Return To Menu)

32. America is one of the most violent societies in the world. Don’t martial arts teach a violent response to confrontation?

Actually, it’s just the opposite. Studies have shown that if you have the confidence to defend yourself, you are much less likely to participate in a confrontation. All martial arts instructors tell the students the first thing to do is to avoid a fight, even if that means running away. Running or talking your way out of a confrontation is using your martial arts training.

33. Should I hold back when defending myself in a real fight for fear of later legal repercussions?

There’s an old saying in America, “I’d rather be judged by twelve than carried by six.” It means that you’d rather be tried by a jury of your peers for the crime of manslaughter than laid to rest by coffin-bearers.

The most important thing in a self-defense situation is your life and the lives of your loved ones. For that reason, you should do whatever you feel you need to do to protect yourself. Remember that if you don’t finish the fight, your attacker probably will. Also, remember that he could have friends lurking in the shadows. You don’t have time to “take it easy.”On the other hand, after the danger is over and your attacker is lying on the ground, you cannot legally walk over and cause him any further harm. Get out of there and call the police. (Return To Menu)

Martial Arts Q&A: Korean Martial Arts

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34. What was the first form of hand-to-hand combat devised in Korea?

The first form of hand-to-hand combat historically proven to have existed in Korea is su bak. (Return To Menu)

35. When was su bak developed?

Dating the origin of this system of martial arts relies predominantly upon legend. Korean historians often place su bak’s development during the legendary rule of King Tan’gun, in approximately 2333 B.C. Though this may have been the case, no historical data substantiates the fact that su bak existed during this ancient time. There are, however, historic records of su bak’s existence during the fourth century A.D. (Return To Menu)

36. What was su bak?

It was a hard-style form of hand-to-hand combat, which also employed the various weapons of the era including the sword, staff, lance, and bow and arrow. (Return To Menu)

37. What exactly is taekwondo?

Taekwondo roughly translates as “hand-foot way,” meaning the “way of the fist and foot.” The Korean word tae refers to the hand or fist. The Korean word kwon means “foot” or “kick.” And do means “way” or “the way of.” The term taekwondo is also commonly presented in two other variations: tae kwon do and taekwon-do.

Taekwondo is a Korean martial art well-known mostly for its extensive arsenal of kicking techniques. Essentially it is a discipline of mind, spirit, and body molded through a systematic training regimen that allows an individual to refine his or her training through competition with others, while preserving the competition with oneself as its most valuable tool. (Return To Menu)

38. How did taekwondo originate?

What is known today as taekwondo originated in 1955 when several schools or kwans of the modern Korean martial arts came together and merged under one banner. It was not until 1961, however, that the leaders of the various kwans fully formalized into one body. This affiliation became known as the Korea Taekwondo Association and General Hong-Hi Choi was elected its inaugural president.

39. What is Hapkido?

Hapkido, meaning “the way of internal power,” is unique among the modern Korean martial arts in that it emphasizes deflection as opposed to forceful blocking. Hapkido is known for its extensive arsenal of joint-locks, throws, and advanced kicking techniques. (Return To Menu)

40. What is Tang Soo Do?

Tang Soo Do is one of the original Korean kwans created in Korea in the 1940s. Tang soo do literally means “way of the China hand,” which is the Korean translation of the original word karate. (The Japanese translation of karate was later changed to “way of the empty hand.”)

The name su bak do was interchangeable with the early schools of tang soo do. This name was used as a means to draw upon Korea’s ancient martial art of su bak. Therefore, su bak do means “way of the su bak warriors.” (Return To Menu)

Martial Arts Q&A: Chinese Martial Arts

41. What is the difference between kung-fu and karate?

Kung-fu is the popular term for the martial arts of China, while karate came from Okinawa and Japan. Although there are many similarities, the styles look very different when practiced. Generally, kung-fu styles favor a circular approach, while karate styles subscribe to a more linear method. (Return To Menu)

42. Why do kung-fu practitioners salute with an extended fist and palm?

This “bow” is different from that commonly used by other martial artists. The fist symbolizes strength and physical power, while the palm means control and mental discipline. Together the hand forms signify the unity of yin and yang—mind and body. (Return To Menu)

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43. Is Tai Chi a real martial art?

Many exponents of Tai Chi practice it for its proven health benefits. The Journal of the American Medical Association listed results of studies showing the wonderful effects of regular Tai Chi practice on senior’s ability to balance. But the fundamentals of Tai Chi retain their martial purposes, including striking, kicking, grappling, and joint-locking. The techniques of real Tai Chi are very much applicable in combat, both for the bare-handed and the weapons forms. (Return To Menu)

Martial Arts Q&A: The Higher Values Of Martial Arts

44. Does martial arts training develop discipline in children, even undisciplined ones?

Yes, martial arts, first of all, creates a disciplined environment. Children are told what to do, and they begin to take pride in the results that they witness in themselves. This trains them to adopt this strategy, even in everyday life.

It is important for children to have patterns of discipline to follow. If not given patterns, children become overwhelmed and almost fearful of having to create their own patterns, or routines, in life. The martial arts gives them a positive pattern to follow and thus a sense of security, because this pattern basically never changes. Their training remains constant, even though other aspects of their lives may not. (Return To Menu)

45. As a martial artist or fighter, how can I learn to control my natural fear?

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First, you need to understand what you are up against….It’s essential for you to understand the problem before you can effect a remedy.

Second, you need to find a solution to the problem. There is a solution, and it must be worked at in stages. So third, you must learn the stages that a fighter will normally need to improve his or her level of bravery, and you must then, systematically, follow them.

There are three stages to the process of overcoming natural fear and increasing your courage. But every stage of this solution will be a very difficult challenge for anyone who has not traveled this path before. Of course, what worthwhile goal in this world isn’t difficult? (Return To Menu)

46. Where do I start the process of learning to overcome fear?

Stage one starts in the gym, dojo, or studio. The training there should be rugged and demanding, sometimes even brutal and intimidating. And it often is, especially so in the case of boxing gyms, judo dojo, and wrestling and sambo halls. In fact, if the training isn’t tough and hard, you may as well forget about becoming a real fighter.

Instead, you will simply be and remain a wannabe, with only dreams and wishes. Because in any lesser or weaker atmosphere—found in the run-of-the-mill or average karate, aikido, kung-fu, and taekwondo schools—you will develop a considerably lesser amount of actual fighting ability and warrior-like attitude. Worse, you may develop false confidence. False confidence will always betray you when you need the real warrior’s attitude, which is gained only from true confidence.It’s very simple. If you want to swim, you will have to get wet. To be a champion swimmer, you will also get tired, cold, and half-drowned—regularly. And if you are forced to swim with sharks, you better be trained for it as if your very life depends on it—because usually it does! (Return To Menu)

47. What would be required of me in that kind of tough training environment?

In the tough gym or dojo, you must attend classes, practice sessions, and workouts regularly and consistently. Don’t permit yourself excuses for missing practice, unless your reasons are honest and legitimate (injury, illness).

Preferably, you must train daily, or at least every other day. You must work hard and train hard. You must work through
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fatigue, discomfort, and all obstacles except potentially disabling injuries and mental stress.

Further, you should never slack off. You must be willing to shed sweat, blood, and even tears.

You should organize a schedule and a curriculum that is more demanding than you think you can endure, and stick to it. Then increase it. You must train yourself to be tough before you can be tough. The tougher and rougher you train, the rougher and tougher you will become.Tough and consistent training is the first step in overcoming fear. Learn to overcome the fear of work, regimentation, discomfort, pain, and frustration. Take any setbacks In stride and overcome them as quickly as possible.

To put it in brutally frank terms, strive to reach the point where you simply cannot, will not, and do not accept failure! (Return To Menu)

48. Three stages are cited in this process of overcoming fear. Wouldn’t stage one—rugged training—accomplish this alone?

No. Now you must put your training skills to the test. Robin Webb, a former British heavyweight boxing champion and a former sparring partner of Muhammad Ali, once said, “no coward steps into the ring twice.” To successfully build courage, you will have to step into the ring for perhaps the first time in your life, and no matter what happens, step into it again and again.

Stage two involves competition on the mat, in the ring, and in the arena. Having the determination to prepare as well as possible, and the fortitude to show up and do the job as well as you can, is the mind-set necessary to overcome your natural, inherited adrenal dispersal—no matter how it is proportioned. It is a matter of mind over fear. Courage!

So after you have prepared (stage one), you must systematically test yourself sometime against a worthy opponent in a competitive environment. That takes courage. Then you must continue to select or challenge more and more worthy opponents. Each time you choose a worthy opponent, it will require more courage of you. But be careful: there’s an old saying, “Don’t bite off more than you can chew, but don’t spit it out if you do!” (Return To Menu)

49. What is the third and final stage in this process?

Stage three involves the street or combat zone. Tournaments and ring fights are always planned in advance; you know the date and even the approximate time that you will fight. Consequently, you have plenty of time to think and to worry about the possibility of losing.

Street fights, however, are spontaneous eruptions and consequently you have little if any time to anticipate them and little time for the fight adrenaline to activate. In most self-defense situations, you now only that there is impending danger. If a law-enforcement officer, you usually realize when a combat situation might develop—but not always. In military combat, and certainly with a SAD team, you now that combat is definitely impending; it’s just a matter of when.

In police situations and military combat, you also know that there’s a very likely chance you will be wounded, crippled, or killed. In the sport ring, of course, the chance of injury, and especially death, is much more remote.

Therefore, two different types of fear are involved in these two different environments. The fear of humiliation and possible injury in the sport context versus the fear of serious injury and possible death in the others.

In competition, ring fights to the knock-out are more decisive, but they still are conducted with restricting rules and by a referee who can stop the fight. In combat, it’s a fight for life or death, with no rules and no referee, only your brains, skill, experience, conditioning, determination, and luck. Without rules, the man with the best ability to improvise, and who will take the greater risk, is usually the winner—providing that lady Luck doesn’t interfere. But even then, you can sometimes outsmart her, or better yet, win her favor with courage and boldness. (Return To Menu)

50. How do I find a good instructor?

There are many sources for locating instructors. Martial arts equipment store owners, friends who are martial arts students, and even the Yellow Pages can get you started I locating a school.

Once having located a school, a prospective student should watch classes of various levels. Observe the way the instructor and students conduct themselves. Does the instructor actually instruct and physically perform techniques skillfully? Talk with the instructor and some students. Do they have the enthusiasm and attitude that you want to acquire? Is the instructor teaching what you want to learn?

To the untrained eye, a marginally skilled martial artist might look impressive and there fore can be deceiving. So never sign up with the first school you look at. Visit as many schools as it takes for you to find one that fits your need. (Return To Menu)

Do These 50 Questions & Answers Fascinate You? Do You Want To Learn More?

The Ultimate Martial Arts Q&A Book , by John Corcoran and John Graden.

“From choosing a martial art and finding a school to earning your black belt—and everything in between—this unique book offers expert answers to your questions, satisfying your curiosity while it builds your martial-arts knowledge and enhances your practice. Every chapter is packed with information about major martial arts and uses a question-and-answer format that is both quick to read and fun to browse…

…With 750 expert answers, this book is an engaging and essential resource for anyone interested in the martial arts.”

About the Authors:

John Corcoran is one of the world's leading martial arts authors and journalists and is currently editor of Martial Arts Professional.

John Graden is an athlete, a publisher, and a martial arts innovator. He founded the National Association of Professional Martial Artists and the American Council on Martial Arts.

All text on this web page is copyrighted.

These fifty questions and answers are excerpted from the book, The Ultimate Martial Arts Q&A Book, by John Corcoran and John Graden, © 2001 by John Corcoran and John Graden, published by Contemporary Books, a division of McGraw-Hill Companies, New York, NY.

Permission to print these excerpts from The Ultimate Martial Arts Q&A Book was granted by the publisher to the webmaster. No part of this web page may be duplicated, copied or electronically transmitted without the written permission of Contemporary Books.