| Since the popularity of the UFC and other fighting | | | | art, a punch was no longer a punch, a kick no longer |
| organizations, Mixed Martial Arts (also known as | | | | a kick. Now that I understand the art, a punch is just |
| MMA) schools are popping up like weeds in every | | | | a punch, a kick is just a kick.- Bruce Lee from Tao of |
| major city. Charging high amounts for training in this | | | | Jeet Kune Do |
| "special art" that is nothing more than the traditional | | | | So what does this mean? Its my belief when you |
| styles taught by Bruce Lee under the concept of | | | | have no knowledge of something its all the same. |
| Jeet Kune Do. | | | | After spending years studying the arts, you learn |
| Remember in the 80's when every school was either | | | | that every move has a name and purpose. Some |
| Tae Kwon Do, Juijitsu, Hapkido, Boxing, or some | | | | arts have similar moves with a different name, but |
| other specialty? After the UFC all these so called | | | | you learn them, study them, and respect them. After |
| MMA experts popped up claiming they know all this | | | | years of practice you learn what works for you and |
| different forms of martial arts when most never | | | | your body responds naturally under situations. You |
| have studied more than one or two. Now there are a | | | | may naturally react with leading hook kick towards a |
| few exceptions, I studied 4 arts and boxing | | | | particular situation but to you its just a kick. |
| personally but to this day will never disrespect them | | | | The problem is when greed sets in and instructors, |
| with the claim of just MMA. But the almighty dollar in | | | | professors, sensai, sifu, whatever they want to call |
| the economy led thousands to claim they were | | | | themselves don't take the student beyond the first |
| something they were not. | | | | part because they have never taken the time to |
| BUT WAIT! Maybe they watched an hour long video | | | | study it themselves. They use the term MMA and tell |
| on the training so obviously they are proficient in the | | | | the students they now know all these different |
| art. Right? Wrong. But they claim they know it after | | | | styles. Popularity loses out to the respect we should |
| watching a video. So now they are an expert. I have | | | | be giving these arts. |
| worked with people who have been trained | | | | So if you are considering joining a school, do your |
| extensively but had little knowledge in the particular | | | | research. On the instructor AND assistant instructors. |
| art of nothing more than a white or yellow belt | | | | Verify the information as well. Just because they say, |
| ranking. I'd like to reference a quote from a book | | | | they know this or that, verify where they learned it |
| that most who have studied martial arts have read. | | | | and the instructors and school name. You'd be |
| Before I studied the art, a punch to me was a just a | | | | surprised to find out just how many LEGIT |
| punch, a kick was just a kick. After I'd studied the | | | | instructors are out there. |