MARTIAL ARTS QUOTES II
quotations about martial arts
In martial arts, as in life, you quickly learn not to think too much. You have to do. While you're thinking, you open spaces where an opponent can successfully strike at you. The more you think, the more vulnerable you become.
JOSEPH CARDILLO
Be Like Water
Martial arts are seen all the time in action movies. The courageous hero throws a few punches, kicks around the bad guys and then saves the damsel in distress. There are a few problems with this picture. The first is that there is no need for a damsel in distress because she can save herself with some of those punches.
EMILY TORRES
"The Value of Martial Arts", The Free Press, March 4, 2017
The Art of Karate as an Art of self-defense is an ethical approach to the resolution of conflict, because it is a discipline that develops the confidence to neutralize hostility by alternative, non-violent means.
TERRENCE WEBSTER-DOYLE
Karate: The Art of the Empty Self
Martial artists who avoid definitions probably think this whole line of thought is absurd. Why even bother trying to pin down things as dynamic as truth and art and fighting? I can give only this answer: Living in complete freedom from the past and reshaping the martial arts world according to your personal vision is fine if you're one of the masters of our age. But unless you're the second incarnation of Bruce Lee, total freedom is just total chaos. The first step toward understanding anything is to define it.
KEITH VARGO
"Way of the Warrior", Black Belt Magazine, December 1999
Boards don't hit back.
BRUCE LEE
Enter the Dragon
Spirit is wonderful, but it can't replace technical skill. Want to become good at karate? Practice karate.
DAVE LOWRY
Blackbelt Magazine, December 2007
Achieving a state devoid of doubt is the essence of martial arts.
KAZUMI TABATA
Secret Tactics
Masters of the martial arts believe that a strong body and mind go together: you can't improve one without working on the other.
LAURA SCANDIFFIO
The Martial Arts Book
However keen you may be to begin your study, before you venture on to the mat and attempt any of the basic techniques it is necessary to know something of the principles that govern aikido, for unless you do understand a little about posture, movement, balance, gentleness and courtesy, you will not be a satisfactory pupil.
SADAMI YAMADA
Principles and Practice of Aikido
Rather than being confined to a separate dimension, martial arts should be an extension of our way of living, of our philosophies, of the way we educate our children, of the job we devote so much of our time to, of the relationships we cultivate, and of the choices we make every day.
DANIELE BOLELLI
On the Warrior's Path
When you're talking about fighting, as it is, with no rules, well then, baby you'd better train every part of your body!
BRUCE LEE
Bruce Lee: The Lost Interview, 1971
The martial arts are a safe channel for aggression and frustration, to train your mind with your body, and to enhance your skill and mental acuity in every other sport and physical activity. You can practice it for the rest of your life. You also won't be afraid of the dark or anyone in business meetings, big cities, and foreign countries.
BARBARA KING
Business Black Belt
Martial arts use all planes of motion and numerous movement patterns, which is great for injury prevention.
ERIN GREGORY
"Why Every Woman Should Add Martial Arts to Her Fitness Routine", Shape, November 13, 2017
There is no doubt that times are changing, and the type of person who practices the martial arts is changing as well. The reasons people train are also changing. More people are training to improve their health and fitness. The martial arts are no longer only for those in need of self-defense skills; they can also serve as tools for people of all ages to better themselves and gain control of their life. More parents are bringing their sons and daughters into taekwondo dojang to learn these skills.
HERB PEREZ
"Taekwondo's Popularity Will Not Increase", Black Belt Magazine, October 1998
There is no set standard for what makes a warrior. You don't have to be able to throw people over your shoulder or endure a fifty-mile forced march. That's not what being a warrior means. Being a warrior means living with courage and integrity, and facing difficulties with dignity and finding joy even in sorrow.
JENNIFER LAWLER
Dojo Wisdom
People who think of the martial arts as wholly practical are the flip side of the coin. Looking at the martial arts this way implies that all ideals are useless and maybe even false. Saying that a martial art is only about "what works" means that why you fight or what you fight for is not that important--or at least that these are questions that can't be answered.
KEITH VARGO
"Way of the Warrior", Black Belt Magazine, December 1999
When we think of martial arts, we conjure up images of highly physical contact sports. But, as with so many things in life, not all martial arts are created equal.
ALIX RASSEL
"The Gentler Martial Arts", Delano, November 25, 2017
The best fighter is never angry.
LAO TZU
The Tao of Motherhood
Martial arts are just as much about building character as about learning to fight.
DAN ROBERTS
"Why Every Woman Should Add Martial Arts to Her Fitness Routine", Shape, November 13, 2017
When the martial arts are viewed as just a sport or just a means of self defense, then the essence of the art has been destroyed and we are left with a shoddy commercialism that exploits the ignorance of the young.
HOWARD CINTRON
Black Belt Magazine, July 1976