The Benefits of Traditional Martial Arts

Martial arts practice has been going through something of a revival over the past few years, with record numbers of people attending martial arts classes and new clubs popping up all over the place. This is largely due to the growing popularity of mixed martial arts (MMA) competitions such as the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), which is the main tournament in America, and other tournaments worldwide such as Cage Rage in the UK. These competitions grew out of Vale Tudo no holds barred cage fights in which martial artists from many different styles and traditions came together to test their skill, and their style, against one another. These bare knuckle fights soon evolved into the modern, more highly regulated, sport of MMA cage fighting.

The popularity of this new sport has lead to an increase in new martial arts students and to the new phenomena of dedicated MMA clubs and classes teaching the style of fighting that has proved most successful in the cage. As a martial artist myself I believe very strongly in the benefits of practicing martial arts, and I am glad to see such a surge in popularity, but it also worries me to see so many students choosing to learn 'MMA' fighting rather than traditional martial arts such as kung fu and karate. Traditional styles such as these, and the traditional training methods that go with them, have many benefits that you simply do not get from MMA clubs.

The first benefit of traditional martial arts is the ability to defend yourself against an aggressor if you are attacked. Many people mistakenly believe that the martial arts style that is most effective in cage fights has therefore proved itself to be the best and would be the most effective one for them to learn. But this is forgetting one crucial fact: MMA is a sport, with gloves and rules and a referee. What you learn in an MMA class are the techniques most useful in this specific context, which is very different from any street encounter. Traditional martial arts, which take into consideration the possibilities of multiple assailants, armed attackers, dirty fighting (such as groin attacks or eye gouges) and so on, as well as how to fight without gloves and how to extricate yourself from a dangerous situation and get to safety, rather than trying to get a submission hold which would trap you as much as them (no referee to stop the fight remember), are much more effective for self-defense.

It is also true that traditional martial arts have a strong emphasis on discipline, self-control and personal growth. Kung fu, for example, has a highly evolved concept of 'Wude' or martial morality, which is instills in the student through the training program; it is no coincidence that the most highly regarded practitioners of kung fu are the Buddhist monks of the Shaolin temple. MMA classes, on the other hand, are generally focused on competition and aggression - on beating people up rather than self defense and personal development.

Sending a troubled and ill behaved youth to a traditional martial arts class is a great way to introduce them to a form of discipline that they will be less inclined to rebel against, as well as instilling self-control, confidence, a sense of right and wrong, and so on. Many young trouble makers have been put back on the straight and narrow path by martial arts. Sending a child to an MMA class, on the other hand, is just as likely to encourage them to go around beating people up.

Traditional martial arts can also encourage an interest in history or in a foreign culture which can have wonderful educational benefits, as well as giving a sense of belonging and of being part of something great. Finally, many traditional martial arts contain exercises specifically designed for their general health benefits, which is not the case with modern styles such as 'MMA'.

Of course there will always be a place for MMA - I love watching the competitions myself - but anyone who is considering taking up martial arts, or sending their child to a martial arts class, should seriously consider what they hope to get out of it before choosing a club, and I would urge you to take into account the unique benefits of traditional martial arts.