THE streets they say present the cruel reality.
It’s the real combat venue, it has no rules, and it does not recognize rank. All of which are true in the real world and does not conform to rules, identify to ranks and could be chaotic as you can imagine.
Is martial arts ready for the streets? Or is martial arts effective in the streets?
Questions that challenges martial arts is always naively answered with “Yes!” followed by explanations and demonstrations on how to attack an opponent or counter an attack from an opponent.
This is the reason why we see martial arts schools and instructors identify their lessons as combat martial arts, street self-defense and practical self-defense.
Martial arts is martial arts. Its essence is not how it is applied in the streets or the real world because it is already for the real world. It is already for the streets.
If your martial arts is not for the streets or the real world, then, yours is not martial arts.
If the understanding of martial arts essence is to be used for violence either offensively or for defense, it is not martial arts at all.
Martial arts came about for the purpose of peace and physical wellness and follow the path of being one with nature and humanity for harmony and peace. Martial arts teaches the values of respect and discipline to overshadow the sprout of violence.
It is like owning a gun. When we own a gun, it does not mean we should go out and start shooting, right? We own a gun to know how to respect life with the hope of not having to use it but if it will be the last and remaining option, then it should be used to protect life.
Primarily, martial arts is an art or a discipline of values and living in its principles, one cannot go wrong.