ANST - Martial Arts

[CraigCC]

Hmm... this is question I have long pondered.  It does seem that many (but
certainly not all) of the more successful fighters I have known throughout the
known world were also martial artists.  How about some further questions:


1.   Did the fighter excell in chivalric/rapier combat due to prior training
in stance, balance, footwork, striking another human, etc... OR does the
inborn physicallity and   mindset of ANY person who might engage in a
traditional martial art lead to excellence in our martial art?


2.  Can we "officially" label what we do a martial art in the modern sense?

(BTW...I would answer this an unquallified yes-  I would say that the fact
that we are one of the very few full-contact fighting genres far outbalances
the sport-type label we might be stuck with due to our inability to strike ANY
area of the body (ie. the knees and below).


3.   What are the most valuable items, both mental and physical, a martial
artist can  bring with him/her when starting an SCA fighting career?

(I would submit-  the ability to take/give a hit, training regimen and
technique, balance, foot speed, and stance.)


4.   Doesn't it seem odd that a lot of die-hard martial artists seem to move
away from their traditional martial arts and devote most, if not all, of their
training time to our Chivalric/Rapier fighting?  Why might that be?

(personally, the adversarial nature of the training in most dojos can't come
near to comparing with the comeraderie, honor, and espirit de corps that we
can take for granted in the SCA.)



With Respect and Love to my Fighting Brethren,


Alaric Drake
Baron of Bonwicke
(and PREVIOUS practitioner of Tae Kwon Do, Shito-Ryu, Danzan Ryu Jiu-Jutsu,
Brazilian Jiu-Jutsu, Kenpo, Jeet Kune Do, blah blah blah blah.....)
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