What's the point of martial arts?

[everything]

for all or almost all the things you mentioned (except for maybe pro bodyguard), there are safer, better, more lucrative, more popular, more fun (subjectively and objectively by sheer participation #s) alternatives.

for example, self defense holistically should start with mental, physical, financial safety. far better to be, say, a doctor living in a safe neighborhood at a safe job than worrying about unarmed violence. etc., etc. for pro sports, there are FAR BETTER options and always will be. if for some reason you really think combat sports are the most fun sports, objectively you're obviously in a niche, but subjectively, not sure how you missed out on all the really popular sports out there ... for emergency preparedness, there are many other things up to the point of being a paranoid prepper. but if that's your reason for MA, you're already on the "prepper" path. etc., etc., etc. ....

but at the end of the day, there's just something fascinating about hand to hand fighting. none of those other things have whatever that is.

[Kelley Graham]

Modern Self Defense and combat is about guns. Martial Arts are about self-cultivation, creativity and survival. Whatever that means for each individual.

[Peacedog]

I'd say combat is guns. But it is also bombs, missiles, fire and apparently directed energy weapons in some circles.

Self defense. It depends on where you live and what you are practicing. MMA translates over pretty well to self defense. Most tai chi not so much.

Law abiding citizens with something the government can take are effectively disarmed in places like London or NYC. Notice I didn't say criminals. They will have firearms regardless of civil law. Now starting a fight with a random citizen in a place like Plano, Texas will get you shot.

I would also add that martial arts can have a sport component. Karate forms competitions and MMA in the Octagon come to mind.

[shawnsegler]

"To crush your enemies, to see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentations of their women."

IPPON!!!

S

[everything]

lolol. the organized crime money seems to be in hacking these days.

unless you want to be a hedge fund manager or a reddit momentum investor.

far better "crush your enemies" pursuits than LARP/MA.

[cloudz]

personal development, mental and physical. spiritual too for those inclined.
honing a skill
having fun
challenging oneself

[johnwang]

When someone swings his Guan Do toward his opponent's head, it's difficult for me to think that he is training for

- self-cultivation,
- inner peace,
- being a better person,
- the world peace.



In the following conversation, does the teacher

- tell the truth,
- lie to his student, or
- make a joke?

A: Dear teacher! Why do you ask me to smash the head of my dummy on the ground 100 times daily?
B: This training will make you to be a better person.
A:

[GrahamB]

lol. John Wang always has the best answers.

[Quigga]

As Mr. Wang said, martial arts are there to kill people when the situation is appropriate / requires such an action. Needless violence is abhorrent. First, develop the ability to save yourself. Then worry about others.

[GrahamB]

No. That's just one of the things "marital arts" can be used for. For example. martial arts have been used as a form of entertainment in the royal court in many Chinese dynasties. Or as a kind of street theatre - busking for money. You can't say the point of that was to kill people. On the other hand real martial arts might be viewed as what soldiers do.

It's complicated

[wiesiek]

nah,
rather simple :
"martial art" has the Art branch (with lot of divisions, of c., which Artists usually do )
It doesn`t mean, that they are separated, more like - interconnected and mixed in different proportions.
This gives >systematizationist< hard time.