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Kevin Leavitt · 09-19-2005, 11:41 AM

lots of assumptions and concepts floating around about "street fighting". ... What is street fighting? I am really curious to see what parameters, paradigms, and assumptions that everyone has about what street fighitng is all about, and what/when do you see yourself involved in them?

I find it interesting that aikido people spend a great deal of time trying to "let go" of assumptions/presumptions that are formed in their mind when trying to "do" or react to an attacker (establishing mushin)...but you mention the words "STREET FIGHT" and everything goes out the window!

We seem to establish an emotion around the concept of street fighting and develop scenarios in our mind that we fear or think that we might end up in. Then we judge our martial art, or other arts against the situations/emotions we make in our minds.

I have found most of them to be irrational and wrong. Therefore establishing our judgements about our training and effectiveness as wrong.

Think about it....could your whole emotional context and framework about what you think your martial skills are based on could be WRONG???

To me, it really meditating hard on conflict and engagement really turned my perspective around on martial arts and why we need to study them.

So, what do you really see as STREET FIGHTING?

09-19-2005, 11:41 AM	#291
Kevin Leavitt Dojo: Team Combat USA Location: Olympia, Washington Join Date: Jul 2002 Posts: 4,376 Offline	Re: Aikido does not work at all in a fight. lots of assumptions and concepts floating around about "street fighting". ... What is street fighting? I am really curious to see what parameters, paradigms, and assumptions that everyone has about what street fighitng is all about, and what/when do you see yourself involved in them? I find it interesting that aikido people spend a great deal of time trying to "let go" of assumptions/presumptions that are formed in their mind when trying to "do" or react to an attacker (establishing mushin)...but you mention the words "STREET FIGHT" and everything goes out the window! We seem to establish an emotion around the concept of street fighting and develop scenarios in our mind that we fear or think that we might end up in. Then we judge our martial art, or other arts against the situations/emotions we make in our minds. I have found most of them to be irrational and wrong. Therefore establishing our judgements about our training and effectiveness as wrong. Think about it....could your whole emotional context and framework about what you think your martial skills are based on could be WRONG??? To me, it really meditating hard on conflict and engagement really turned my perspective around on martial arts and why we need to study them. So, what do you really see as STREET FIGHTING?