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Does It Float? (page 1)
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When dealing with the “arts” part of the martial arts, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Just as in other arts, such as dancing, where some people enjoy ballet and others like to hip-hop, people have different likes and dislikes within the martial arts. Some people move quickly and gracefully so they enjoy soft styles that use graceful movements. Some people move slowly and powerfully, so they enjoy hard styles that use powerful movements.
When it comes to the arts, there is no best art, only the art that best pleases the beholder or practitioner of the art. Each martial art may have its own unique theories, movements, and techniques, which may or may not be effective in fighting, but as long as the art’s practitioners enjoy practicing the art of the martial art, that is all that matters.
Minimums
However, dealing with the “martial” part of the martial arts is a different story. No matter how beautiful the art, how relaxing it is, or how much fun it is to train in the art, the techniques promoted by the art must be able to be used simply, effectively, and efficiently:
By anyone (large or small, fat or skinny, man or woman, etc.)
Under any conditions (wearing gym clothes or a tuxedo, wearing a tee shirt or a winter coat, in the sun or in the rain, against a single attacker or multiple attackers etc.), or
- In any location (alone in an alley or on a crowded bus, on a smooth tiled floor or in glass strewn alley, etc.)
Self-defense is not complicated; it has been used by mankind since Adam and Eve. However, it is not always effective; remember what happened to Able when Cain attacked him.
If I want to know if an object someone is trying to sell me will float, I do not need to measure it, weight it, or analyze it; I just throw it into the water and see if it floats. The seller may make all kinds of claims, show me the history of the object, tell me how it has floated in the past, tell me how well it performs in the water, and tell me how beautiful it is, but the bottom line is, when I throw the object into water, does it float?
When evaluating a martial art, you should consider
What results do you seek?
Are you looking for a hobby or are you interested in staying fit, learning to defend yourself, or competing in ring, or are you just seeking some type of self satisfaction to build your ego?
Is it safe to use?
Can you use the art safely? Are the results predictable? Is it easy to unintentionally kill or seriously injure an opponent? Do the techniques put you in danger?
Does it work?
The martial art my be impressive in demonstrations or in controlled situations, such as in class or in the ring, but does the martial art work when used in real-life situations?
Is it worthwhile?
Does all the training, effort, money, and time spent learning the art justify the results as compared to the results you were seeking?
Float Test
The true test of a martial art is—does it float? When it is thrown into the water and put to the test against an angry assailant who is intent on harming you, will the techniques you have learned from the martial art keep you from sinking.
To float, a martial art must:
Make full use of all your natural weapons, such as hand, feet, elbows, knees, etc. This includes using the weapons for all types of fighting, such as striking, grappling, throwing, choking, locks, pins, etc.
Be effective and efficient in its use with no wasted motion or useless techniques.
Be logical, instinctive, and easy to learn and apply.
Be capable of lethality and yet offer a full-range of response options so that the level of force used in a specific situation may be appropriate for the circumstances.
Provide reasonable survivability against numerically or physically superior opponents without the outcome becoming a “Pyrrhic victory.” A Pyrrhic victory is when the victory costs more than it was worth to win; for example, when gunman confronts you and your family and you overpower the gunman, but your family dies during the struggle, you may have won the victory but ruined your life.
Be instinctive and reactionary instead of requiring conscious thought. Since most attacks come as a surprise, come hard and fast, and are numerous, there is no time to think.
- Provide predictable results that are repeatable under varying circumstances.
What is the water test used to evaluate the soundness of a martial arts? One may think it is whether the martial art works in street confrontations, but this is not a reliable test since there are not enough data on street confrontation available from which to draw any significant conclusions. Violent street self-defense confrontations that involve the public are very rare, and confrontations that involve a trained martial artist are extremely rare. There are certainly people who thrive on violence, such as gang members, violent drunks, and the mentally ill, but their confrontations are rarely documented and when the fighters talk amongst themselves, the truth is rarely spoken. Losers, or winners for that matter, will not speak favorably of the effectiveness of their opponents’ techniques or be critical of their own techniques.
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