Published in the Taekwon-Do Times September 2002
Various magazine articles and commentaries continues the debate over what is, and what is not a "Martial Art."
Some authors would have us believe that the exclusive reason to study a martial art is to defend yourself or others and develop the ability to destroy or control your opponent. The apparent belief of these "Experts" is that nothing more or less need be learned or developed for a Martial Art.
Why stop there? Following this logic any system calling itself a Martial Art would be required to include all skills necessary for survival on the battlefield, which would include proficiency in every weapon imaginable as well as weaponless striking and grappling.
Certain authors question an instructor's ability to teach if the instructor has not experienced a large number of fights.
One article even stated:
"Anybody who has been in fewer than 1000 fights isn't qualified to teach anyone else how to fight."
This would severely limit the available instructor pool, and how would one chronicle their experience level? Is an altercation with any drunken bum considered a "Fight?"
One complaint from the critics is that they don't get real answers to questions concerning why things are done a certain way. Perhaps the problem is not that there are no answers, but that some instructors don't know the answers, and the critic does not know where to find the answer.
A common example from these "Experts" is that they don't understand why martial artists move a certain way when boxers don't move that way. They further question artificial restrictions imposed by sparring and some have made unfounded generalizations like "Taekwon-Do prohibits head punches."
How is it that Boxers are looked at as an example of "Real Fighting" when they are at least as severely restricted as other Martial Arts competitors? Although Taekwon-Do is wrongly criticized as not allowing head punches (Original, authentic Taekwon-Do permits head punches, there is merely an Olympic sport calling itself Taekwon-Do that prohibits head punches) no similar fault is found with Boxing which doesn't allow kicks.
The debate over whether any particular system is a Martial Art will continue until there is an accepted universal definition. Perhaps the enlightened already understand the definition and it is time for leading authorities and forums such as Black Belt Magazine to establish such a definition for those who are less well informed. Then, people can decide for themselves how to properly characterize a system or activity.
To facilitate such standards I offer the following terms as a starting point to establish accepted definitions:
A. Martial Sport
B. Martial Science
C. Martial Exercise
D. Martial Art
Martial Sport
A Martial Sport is a physical activity which uses striking techniques and/or grappling (which may include weapons, and joint or pressure point manipulation) and has as its primary objective competition either performed individually or as a member of a team. The activity is closely regulated by established rules and standards. A winner, loser or draw is determined by judges decision, score, ruling, or an opponent defeating or triumphing over another opponent. Certain esthetic criteria may also be established.
A Martial Sport places little or no emphasis on Moral or Philosophical goals or value judgements, since the primary ( if not exclusive) goal is to achieve a higher score than your opponent
Martial Science
A Martial Science is a physical activity which uses striking techniques and/or grappling (which may include weapons, and joint or pressure point manipulation) and is solely concerned with skills necessary for surviving a physical threat, protection of ones self or others, and/or the ability to destroy or control an opponent as efficiently as possible.
Rules and Judging are irrelevant, as is any esthetic standard for the activity. Competition is unimportant since anything other than "First Place" is unacceptable. There are no moral or philosophical goals or value judgements. They would be irrelevant since survival is the exclusive goal. By way of example, I once asked an Israeli gentleman about military training in the martial art of Krav Maga. His response was very interesting since he said that this was not a martial art since there was nothing artistic about the techniques.
