I have found that when the average American hears the words martial artist, more often than not, an image of "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" comes to mind. Men and women, despite their size or muscle build, are still capable of amazing feats of acrobatics. Little does the same average American realize that martial arts can be used by all.
There are several individuals at UB currently studying the art of self-defense. Some had simple reasons for taking up the belt and gi (uniform), such as Peter Choy, a senior majoring in marketing and human resources, who said students should "check out what (his) friend, Cam, does in the aerobics room. But I started picking it up because it was fun." He also said it would be a good idea for others to get involved.
"You could learn a lot about yourself, plus, if your ever in a tight spot it'll be useful," he said.
Already, there seems to be another way to look at martial arts other than impressive moves and flashy fight scenes. A certain amount of recreation can be found, as well. I have been taking a martial arts class since my second semester of freshman year. Overall, I enjoy myself thoroughly, and if nothing else, it ends up as a definite workout for the body.
Everyone has different reasons for taking self-defense classes, though no one really has any reason not to. For example, Cory Hotnit, a senior majoring in accounting, is involved in martial arts for a reason most would not expect to hear from him.
Cory is around 6'6" tall and is close to 200 pounds of muscle. Yet, when asked why he began learning self-defense, he answered, "I wanted to become a stronger person, to be able to protect myself and my loved ones."
This need to protect himself came from an incident in his earlier youth, where he was overwhelmed by a large number of people. Hotnit learned one of the world's more painful lessons: numbers overcome size and strength. He took up martial arts to prevent this from happening again, but once involved, he discovered the lesson that I see as being the core part of martial arts.
"I've found that the longer I've trained, the more I realized there is not really a true goal. Sure, I reach certain levels of accomplishment, but with each challenge I overcome, there is always another one to replace it," he said. "I started off wanting to be able to protect others and myself, and now that I can do that somewhat, I'm actually more on a journey of self-discovery."
Through martial arts - something most see as men and women running around clobbering each other into the ground - Hotnit found a way to not only grow physically stronger, but to grow in a larger sense. That's what I believe is the most important part of martial arts. It teaches you not so much about how to beat off attackers and such, though it will do that. Instead, it allows a person to discover things about themselves that nothing else would ever show them and at the same time, assists in becoming a better person altogether. It bettered Choy in one way, just as it bettered Hotnit in another, and just like it's bettered me differently.
The art of protection is not constrained to only small, elderly, Asian men and people who would, at first, seem incapable of preventing harm to themselves. It has assisted many in discovering things about themselves and the world around them.
Not everyone who puts on a gi and practices forms knows or believes that there is more to training than learning how to decimate people. What those people and everyone else could learn from martial arts are the deeper dimensions. It is not simply a hobby or a tool, but, in part, a way of life - a path to self-improvement that would do everyone well to walk.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
