Why is there so much negative feeling on the forum re martial arts
All people want to do is slag off others.
And when it gets to doing positive things no one wants to know???

I like to think I usually stay pretty unbiased.

Unfortunatly there is a lot of *my style/club is better than yours* stuff going on. I guess people dont like to think they are wasting their time with their style.

Well if they tried to stick to one or 2 threads it might help, rather than 1 thread for each type of punch thrown.

Lol yep might help having a thread for them just to call each other lol

This is soemthing we've noticed from a Moderating / Admin point of view as well.

It would be much nicer all around if people involved could agree to disagree sensibly, rather than get in to name calling and bickering - because that's the point we get invoilved.

We've become aware of some distinct 'needle' between some posters, which makes the place unpleasant for others.

Hope you can get it setttled!

so do i
a little fun is ok but god it can go on and on

being new to the forum i've noticed a lot of antagonistic posts already - some of the questions/statements are bound to be found provocative - the moment you start asking 'which is the best club?' or 'which is the best style?' there's bound to be some needle, but unfortunately it does seem to be common to specialised martial arts forums too. shame though :(

being new to the forum i've noticed a lot of antagonistic posts already - some of the questions/statements are bound to be found provocative - the moment you start asking 'which is the best club?' or 'which is the best style?' there's bound to be some needle, but unfortunately it does seem to be common to specialised martial arts forums too. shame though :(

I agree completely with all the above statements.
Personally I'd like to think I make a lot of effort to "break down the barriers" so to speak.
Examples:

1.I get on with Davemantis who does Kung FU (very different from sports based full contact styles that i am more interested in).

2. BJJ= I have regular contact with Royce Gracie BJJ. Many members of RGBJJ school train at AFK for their stand up.

3. Various Karate schools :
Examples= Marsdens all styles, I have trained with the marsden brothers and taken my own students to their club too.

There are other examples but my mind draws a blank so far,...
All 3 of the above support my full contact events. The BJJ and the Kung Fu lot always book the best seats in the house at my events.

Now when it comes to other clubs, there was once a couple of posters trying to stir up bad blood between AFK and Black Dragons.

If they had any intelligence at all, the same people would realise that I have refereed on a regular basis and also actively manage fighters such as Lewis "The Eliminator" Stokes, Daniel Renshaw and also Richard Mayo.
All 3 of the above are Black Dragons fighters and I enjoy a good working relationship with all of them. In fact 2 of the 3 named above introduced me to their respective families at the last show!
I also get on very well with Black Dragons spokesperson Robert Kelsall and am looking forward to getting him a fair match soon.

Sadly though, the work im doing for the sport gets pulled down by petty, jealous individuals who are trying their best to bring up barriers that really dont need to be there.

I agree with farahd, break down the barriers, with a karate chop a jujitsu throw or whatever. I have trained with Farahd, Marsdens, I also train bjj @ a particually good bjj club in sheff. All of these clubs are good in different ways. I enjoy training, why can't ppl gain experiences from other clubs with out the rivelry? I have even known ppl in the past train at 2 clubs and not tell their instructors that they go to the other club. because of this crazyness! anyway keep livin the martial arts dream. :)

Oh **** someones released THE RAGE LOL!!!!!

A lot of it usually comes from 2 clubs of the same/similar style, where students try to knock the other club to make their club more popular (not realising it's having an opposite affect).
As long as we dont rise to the bait and support eachother's clubs, they'll soon get bored. :thumbsup:

I'm liking this discussion. Some very good points have been brought up.

I deffinatly think that its simply a few that bring down the whole. I'm fairly new to actually joining the forum - looking rather than contributing (bit like wikipedia really), but i've noticed that some of you seem to be giving positive advice and not only about whatever it is that your involved in, and then a few seem to just stick the jibes in and offer little constructive info and are usually way off thread. Maybe i am :hihi:

Personally, i think people should be encouraged to try out any of the clubs they feel may be for them. Thats the only way to find out what you'll enjoy and if you like the teaching.

Also I guess doing more that one sport (martial arts in this case) can add to your perfomance in the other. It would depend on your attitude to training, and self control (possibly to do with sporting rules), as long as there is a possitive atmosphere to learning, teaching and passing on the benifits to beginners then it should all be good. There is always much more to martial arts rather than it becoming a street fighting class and a question of who would win in a fight.

I started for personal developement and a bit of socialising when i moved to Sheffield. It just happened that i also love the discipline, competition, teaching and the rest of the package too.

Do you think that it is that some people have a lack of understanding of the other disciplines (and possible an over confident attitude towards their level of knowlege of the disciplines), a bad attitude towards the martial arts in general, or are just armchair pundits??

Some people feel that to justify their own style they have to rubbish other styles. It's pretty childish behaviour and often backfires.
Personally if people ask me what martial art to do I tell them to try as many as possible and pick whatever they enjoy the most.

Do you think that it is that some people have a lack of understanding of the other disciplines
Definatly IMO!
I'm amazed at some of the things people say about stuff, while clearly knowing nothing about a game. I once had someone tell me Judo (my main sport) is no good because it's all about the groundwork...I tried to explain but he was having none of it. :confused:

or are just armchair pundits??
Another favourite ( :suspect: ) MA expert of mine. Nothing wrong with doing some research about styles, but don't expect to be able to put into practice techniques you may have read about.
Another thing I see alot, particularly with those that have done a little bit (eg. a first grading) then done a little reading around.

I read that if I tickle you in the right spot you can be pinned as easily as a little girl :D

I read that if I tickle you in the right spot you can be pinned as easily as a little girl :D
But would you want to tickle that spot? :love:

dont go there lol

But would you want to tickle that spot? :love:

Not if you're going to look at me like that. Where's the throwing up smiley? :gag: that'll do.

Hi
I started practising Gojyu-Ryu, 3 years ago as a means of keeping fit.
http://www.imgka.com/

I enjoy going and at no time have I heard anyone talk badly of another form of MA. As with all things, what one likes another doesn't.
Do what suits you and acccept that there are other choices available.
I don't seriously believe that anyone who truly embraces the ethics of MA would disrespect any form.
Healthy rivalry is fine, no need to go further.

Wouldn't it be nice if we could all get together and have a nice cup of tea while sharing our views on martial arts without any raising of voices or quickening of heart rates.

Unfortunately that isn't the way Martial Arts work. It is perfectly impossible for martial artist to "get on" due to embarassingly simple, though slightly historical reasons.

Martial arts, unlike cricket, are something pedominantly designed to be used to maim thine enemy upon ye olde battle field. Methods of ancient warfare, like their modern counterparts, were kept secret from the oposing faction in order to increase their effectiveness. Thus, on the antiquated planes of Asia it would have been nigh on impossible for for our young Martial Arts' enthusiast to dabble in a bit of wing chun on a tuesday, partake of a little Xing yi on a thursday and work up a sweat with the Ba Gua Zhang Boys after lunch on a sunday.

Thus, one would develop an instinctual loyalty to the effectiveness of ones own art.

Furthermore. Martial Arts are not a democracy. In pre-20th century Asia, Martial Arts were a vocation, a career, not a hobby. And once a martial artist had entered upon his path to mastery, deviation was dealt with severely.

This is core to Eastern culture.

Martial arts in the west are to most a hobby. So none of the above will apply. You have 7 days in a week, giving you the possibility of practicing a different martial art per day. You can do this because it is your hobby, and not your neck that you are playing with.

If you are serious you will practice one martial art, and you should probably go and see how they do it where it was created, most likely Asia. As a result you should also develop a healthy hatred for all other Martial Arts. However, seeing as we are not serious Martial Artists none of this matters, and we can all go and have that cup of tea!

Wouldn't it be nice if we could all get together and have a nice cup of tea while sharing our views on martial arts without any raising of voices or quickening of heart rates.

Tried to sort a night out a couple of time s but no one is interested  lol

Wouldn't it be nice if we could all get together and have a nice cup of tea while sharing our views on martial arts without any raising of voices or quickening of heart rates.

Unfortunately that isn't the way Martial Arts work. It is perfectly impossible for martial artist to "get on" due to embarassingly simple, though slightly historical reasons.

Martial arts, unlike cricket, are something pedominantly designed to be used to maim thine enemy upon ye olde battle field. Methods of ancient warfare, like their modern counterparts, were kept secret from the oposing faction in order to increase their effectiveness. Thus, on the antiquated planes of Asia it would have been nigh on impossible for for our young Martial Arts' enthusiast to dabble in a bit of wing chun on a tuesday, partake of a little Xing yi on a thursday and work up a sweat with the Ba Gua Zhang Boys after lunch on a sunday.

Thus, one would develop an instinctual loyalty to the effectiveness of ones own art.

Furthermore. Martial Arts are not a democracy. In pre-20th century Asia, Martial Arts were a vocation, a career, not a hobby. And once a martial artist had entered upon his path to mastery, deviation was dealt with severely.

This is core to Eastern culture.

Martial arts in the west are to most a hobby. So none of the above will apply. You have 7 days in a week, giving you the possibility of practicing a different martial art per day. You can do this because it is your hobby, and not your neck that you are playing with.

If you are serious you will practice one martial art, and you should probably go and see how they do it where it was created, most likely Asia. As a result you should also develop a healthy hatred for all other Martial Arts. However, seeing as we are not serious Martial Artists none of this matters, and we can all go and have that cup of tea!

Good post :)

Although, I'd disagree about absolute, unwavering faithfulness to a single art. Some of the best martial artists of the modern age have utilised the freedom to cross-train to formulate a mixed style which works perfectly for them - for theeir body shape, strategy and temperament. Bruce Lee helped to initiate this idea with the Jeet Kune Do philosophy of taking a little of what works from each place that you visit.

Mixed martial arts is now a dynamic sport that has come to resemble an art in itself, with a set of commonly taught techniques that have been tried and tested in the octagon. The emphasis is on precision of technique, physical power and the understanding of concepts of human mechanics, as well as the cultivation of an individual game - all tested through regular full resistance training, which is an effective way of ironing out things that don't work so well.

I don't think there'll ever be a one-size-fits-all 'perfect style', but for that reason I'd say it's good to try a few disparate classes so that you can build a personal repertoire. I understand why people do stick to a single style though for artistic reasons - I do a few capoiera classes every now and then and although I couldn't ever imagine it being as effective as MMA in terms of the goal of defeating a single opponent in unarmed combat, it's a beautiful way of movement and philosophy.

But yeah, tea sounds good. I'm going to try and make it down to AFK kickboxing on wellington street on friday, maybe whoever fancies it could come there and then pop out for a meal or something.

Good post :)

Although, I'd disagree about absolute, unwavering faithfulness to a single art. Some of the best martial artists of the modern age have utilised the freedom to cross-train to formulate a mixed style which works perfectly for them - for theeir body shape, strategy and temperament. Bruce Lee helped to initiate this idea with the Jeet Kune Do philosophy of taking a little of what works from each place that you visit.

Mixed martial arts is now a dynamic sport that has come to resemble an art in itself, with a set of commonly taught techniques that have been tried and tested in the octagon. The emphasis is on precision of technique, physical power and the understanding of concepts of human mechanics, as well as the cultivation of an individual game - all tested through regular full resistance training, which is an effective way of ironing out things that don't work so well.

I don't think there'll ever be a one-size-fits-all 'perfect style', but for that reason I'd say it's good to try a few disparate classes so that you can build a personal repertoire. I understand why people do stick to a single style though for artistic reasons - I do a few capoiera classes every now and then and although I couldn't ever imagine it being as effective as MMA in terms of the goal of defeating a single opponent in unarmed combat, it's a beautiful way of movement and philosophy.

But yeah, tea sounds good. I'm going to try and make it down to AFK kickboxing on wellington street on friday, maybe whoever fancies it could come there and then pop out for a meal or something.


HEY CRAYFISH!!!

Friday night after AFK sounds like a great plan!
Who is up for it?

Will do, once I get my pay sorted!:rant:

im off to the plug on friday to c a band ;-(

HEY CRAYFISH!!!

Friday night after AFK sounds like a great plan!
Who is up for it?

Great :) I'll look forward to it! Be ace to put a face to the name for dafoot too if you manage to make it out.

Be ace to put a face to the name for dafoot too
Then mash it repeatedly eh? ;) :thumbsup:

Great :) I'll look forward to it! Be ace to put a face to the name for dafoot too if you manage to make it out.

put your foot on his face, that's just not polite. Buy him a beer first.