Deadly Arts

 

If indeed there is a “deadly” martial art, then how do you safely train in it, and what good is it in the real world if all it teaches you to do is kill. What do you do when an obnoxious drunk is bothering your wife? What do you do when a teenager snatches your purse? Alternatively, what do you do when an irate motorist is raging out of control after a minor traffic accident? What do you do—kill them all! If you have control over your art enough that you may use it in situations that do not require or permit deadly force, then why do you not have enough control over it that you may spar with opponents of other martial arts?   

Whenever a person claims his or her martial art is too deadly to be used in the ring or in a sparring session with another martial art, what he or she is really saying is, “I do not have the skill or confidence to use my martial art safely” or “I know my martial art is phony and I would be embarrassed if I tried to use it against your martial art.” Firearm enthusiasts safely fire their weapons in competition all the time with no injuries or deaths. Ultimate fighters train with their friends everyday using their “deadly” techniques, without harming each other.

No empty hand martial art is inherently “deadly.” An empty hand technique is only deadly when the user intends to make it deadly, or is so incompetent in the use of the technique that it becomes deadly. A warning that a technique or martial art may be dangerous or deadly if it is used improperly or it is used properly with the intention to cause harm is justified. However, a statement that a technique or martial art is “deadly” is just hype by someone who is either ignorant or a fraud.