I watched some of the 2024 Olympic taekwondo coverage and it got me thinking about something that happened to me a few years ago,
On my website TKDTutor, I discuss what a warrior is and that a true martial artist must also be a warrior. However, I have found this to not be the case among “smart” martial artists.
Mensa is the largest and oldest high-IQ society in the world. The only entry requirement is that you score in the top 2% on a standardized, supervised intelligence test. I’m a member of Mensa but currently, I’m not an active member.
During my active years, I was a member of the Martial Arts SIG (Special Interest Group). One day, during an online discussion in the group, the question arose as to whether black belts should defend others from being physically attacked. People in the group said that while they would defend their families and maybe their friends, they would not defend other people being attacked. I argued that a true martial artist is a warrior who feels he or she has a personal duty to defend others being attacked. True martial artists would regret, for the rest of their lives, not defending or rescuing another person when they were in peril. My argument was not well received within this group of “smart” martial artists.
Apparently, I had hurt the feelings of some of the “black belts” so I was cautioned about casting aspersions against other group members because of their personal beliefs. This attitude reflects the state of many if not most, martial artists today—they have become “blackish belts.” If you are a black belt and are afraid of words, I doubt you could effectively defend yourself, since you would be afraid of offending that person or others.
Traditionally, martial arts are defined as hand-to-hand combat training methods and practices developed and practiced in military environments. The term "martial" comes from the Latin word "martialis" meaning "of Mars," the Roman god of war, and refers to the historical association with warfare and military hand-to-hand combat. The term "arts" comes from the Greek word “artisan” and implies learned skills, such as riding a bicycle or taekwondo, rather than innate skills, such as walking or punching. So the term “martial arts” refers to the refined, specialized skills, techniques, practices, and traditions of the various hand-to-hand fighting styles. Thus martial artists are those who train to become warriors. I trained in different martial arts to become a warrior and am a retired Navy master chief who spent 26 years defending the country.
Nowadays, many martial arts have become sports, such as Olympic taekwondo, which is governed by the World Taekwondo (WT). In this style of taekwondo sparring, a punch to the head is prohibited and a punch to the body protector earns one point. Kicks to the head or body protector earn from two to five points. Penalties are awarded for using your leg to block or to kick the opponent's leg. Thus, since hand attacks are risky and earn only one point, they rarely are used.
In the early years of Olympic taekwondo, the two competitors fought at long range, bouncing up and down, with their arms at their sides, and periodically attacked with kicks, while seldomly blocking or attacking with their hands. They looked like Irish river dancers. Nowadays, the two competitors stand closer with their arms still down and use continuous mid-to-high kicks. Hand attacks are still rare. They now look like they are leg fencing. This WT style of taekwondo has become popular worldwide due to its connection to the Olympics.
In a real-life hand-to-hand fighting situation, your instincts are to fight as you have trained, thus this WT style of taekwondo training limits your ability to defend yourself or others. WT “taekwondoins” have become players in the sport of taekwondo instead of becoming taekwondo warriors.
Thus the problems I had when conversing with “smart” Mesenan martial artists about martial artists being warriors who will fight to defend themselves and others. Warriors defend others because to do otherwise would be disgraceful.
To understand what it’s like to be a warrior, read about Commander Howard Walter Gilmore.
