Also many people hold black belts in today's world that are not worthy of holding them simply because many styles have been plagued by fake schools opening to make money from them.
As for your topic of sport well that is 100% true. If you train for sports purposes then you will learn some skills to defend yourself but you will not learn the real life self defense application. This is why i am 100% against tournament and the sports element within martial arts. The only reason for the sports is that the war like element faded so it piggy backed onto the sports world to continue its existence.
As for your argument about black belts being beaten on the street. I too have seen this but let me tell you right now, they are not legitimate black belts at any quality academy or dojo or they have spent too much time training for sports purposes.. I have seen someone get there black belt in 2 months and i am not kidding, it was a complete joke. I have also seen many get theirs in a few years or earn them as a child. These tend to be the worst of the martial artists. BUT any legitimate martial artist who earned their black belt over 8-10 years of solid hard work will not be beaten in a street situation unless they make the worst of errors. It will be more a situation of they lost the fight rather than they were beaten.
I have 19 years training in TKD and am a 3rd Dan. I agree with Shaeeck. There are no universal standards for awarding belts, so some schools are just about making money and teach junk. Belts are meaningless outside the dojo. However, in class, belts help instructors and students recognize performance levels. You don't want a beginner sparring an experienced student, for example, unless it is in an instructional capacity. Ranking also helps the class line up in a way that you can teach multiple levels of ability simultaneously. The less experienced students, in the back, can be given a less technical drill than those in front. You can teach several versions of the same move, at the same time, by adding follow up moves and complexity. The beginners might do one kick, while the black belts are doing a more technical kick, in combination with several other moves. This way, everybody gets a good workout that pushes them.
Belts are indicative of where someone is at in there learning, a black belt is only indicative that the practitioner should have a handle on being ready to really start their learning, it is not mastery or a guarantee of anything, there is so much misunderstanding out there and there are half ar$e schools/clubs that but a spin on being a blackbelt for monetary purposes.
For me If you're wearing a Gi your training from a traditional based art /style. If no traditional uniform them your in a gym or system. Style/system are two different things.
Traditional Martial Arts were born out of Self Defence/warfare not sport.
I personally feel sparring is just indicative of skill and a bit of fun, its not the epiphany of mastery but a good training tool. Fighting is only a small part of martial arts there are more to them than that.
I don't take a class or do tournaments, but martial arts really does help you in real life. Belts can be seen as your rank, but I know someone with a red belt who whupped black belts, so its not everything. As for real life encounters, most people will use a sloppy fighting style. You can use their uncoordinated moves against them with real moves, and some martial arts moves can really hurt them, such as the spinning wheel kick (tornado kick). The strategies you learn in kung fu, jiu jitzu, ninjitzu (if somehow your a real life ninja) or my own style, Tae Kwon Do, can always give you the upper hand in a fight, whether you're a body builder, or a super small guy.
hi.. now I aint trying to disrespect martial arts but at the same time what are some problems that YOU have with a martial art or fighting style?
one thing I find myself shaking my head at is BELTS.. why the belts? belts mean NOTHING in my opinion. ive scene varies black belts beaten in street fights. ive heard plenty of black belts never being in a street encounter at ALL.. so whats that black belt mean? now I know u don't wanna fight anyways and I respect that, but I just don't get the belts and the gis.. also the tourniments such as karate, does that point hunting really repair u for a enouncter? its a sport and im sorry to say the sport is very very different then real life,so I don't see how that prepaires u as well.. and I am not the only one who questioned some of the arts bruce lee did as well!...
