Quote:
Dave de Vos wrote:
I guess that indeed many martial artists like play fighting to some level of intenstity (randori, sparring or even matches), but if one likes to fight for real, I'd say doing aikido or MMA or whatever martial art won't do at all. For example, joining a gang of hard core soccer hooligans would be much better to fulfill ones needs
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It's a bizarre mismatch to learn something you don't want to do. Hooligans aren't particularly good fighters though, they don't love fighting enough to train for it; they don't build their lives around it, it doesn't drive them to seek perfection, it's just a rush at the weekend.Their fighting is pointless because done just for the excitement. Nothing comes of it, nothing is affirmed by it because they don't love it, they just love the thrill.
I love fighting and paradoxically this means I don't do it all that often in the same way that foodies don't spend their whole time stuffing their faces and real ale lovers aren't in an alcholic daze their whole lives. I love fighting so much I've found a system that refines it into an art and way of life that pervades everything I do and is at the centre of my being. That means that when I do actually fight it's in circumstances which give it meaning and dignity not just for my own self-gratification.
Which is why I don't like combat sports. Spending years training so that you can gratify yourself by beating someone up for a trinket that'll be passed on to someone else when they beat you up doesn't strike me as having much meaning which means the person doing it doesn't have much meaning either.