Would you consider me a Martial artist?

I hope this is the only time I will toss out this info. I am really curious weather people consider me a martial artist or not. I hear that I'm not alot, just wondering.





-1- I know 0 kata, think they are worthless.


-2- I'm sure that an average 10yr old could beat me in a point tourn. nowdays


-3- Cage Rage 4 Middle Weight Champion (mma)


-4- Was once a U.S.K.K. national point karate champion 1990


-5- Train in Aikido, Escrima/Kali, BJJ, MMA


-6- don't want to admit it but I do have a black belt in Keijutskukai Aikido (I know I down belts alot, wasn't my idea instructor tossed a guilt trip on me)


-7- Training in martial arts for 28 years


-8- Always consider myself a student first, in any style I choose to train in.


-9- I do teach Aikido classes at a Sho Rin Ryu Karate dojo in my town.


-10- As well I teach and train BJJ / MMa in the "basement and garage" atmostpher.





In a nut shell I consider myself very eclectic and try to find the "truth" in any style.

Would you consider me a Martial artist?
I've trained martial arts for 7 years, anybody who's trained for so long as you i can only Imagine the vast knowledge you have.





You ARE a martial artist, it doesn't matter what people consider you to be, it is what it is.





Keep it up man
Reply:I would hope you would be a martial artist, wut else can u be? Lol
Reply:You are a great warrior, thats for sure, as for a martial artist... I could not tell.





A martial artist is someone who decides to live his own way, to follow his own path, to find and upper quality of living not understood by the rest of the world. Someone who finds peace through the war and understands the human being. And to do so, a martial artist train himself in body, mind and spirit, knowing the pain and the miracles in little things.





Not everyone who trains martial arts is a martial artist!
Reply:Ummmmm yes, you would be considered a martial artist. anyone who studies MA and practices is a martial artist in my book. however, their attitude and commitment to it just shows what kind they are. i do completely agree with you about katas being worthless. sure they're "pretty" and you must learn in many schools to advance, but other than that....they're worthless. i was ecstatic when my instructor finally decided to no longer test on katas. he just kept them for tradition sake and then decided that it just took too much time away from things that are a lot more practical and important. and if i lived in your town, i would want to train with you myself for the fact that i'm a "garage/basement" practioner myself. sounds like you do things very similar to my instructor and have much of the same attitude that he does towards martial arts.
Reply:A martial artist is somebody that practices martial arts, and dude... you BE A MARTIAL ARTIST!!!





Where do you train?
Reply:you seem to train in martial arts. To me training in martial arts or teaching martial arts doesn't make you a martial artist. An artist creates. You certainly are a student of martial arts. I'm sure I wouldn't want to get into a fight with you. I wonder how you can teach martial arts without imbuing the passion and/or know how to foster creativity. I would guess that you are a martial artist, but I could not know. Please tell us what you have created?
Reply:nope.
Reply:Anyone who trains in the Martial Arts for 28 years IS, without a doubt, a Martial Artist.
Reply:you did karatie and a black belt in keijuts whatever that word is than yes iv been doing tae-kwon-do for about almost 2 years no and 1 year away from my black.
Reply:This must be some kind of rhetorical question if you have studied MA for as long as you have. I know people that watch MMA and all of a sudden they think their Matt hughes or Chuck Liddell, its really quite funny.





Bottom line your a martial artist. i've only been training hard for five years but i l'd like to think of myself as being somewhat of a martial artist. I'm not Bruce Lee by any means but I am very confident that i can handle myself in just about any situation that I'm stupid enought to subject myself to
Reply:If you have to ask, the answer is obviously no.
Reply:Allow me to quote your own question:








"Train in Aikido, Escrima/Kali, BJJ, MMA" - I notice present tense...this makes you a martial artist. Perhaps your question is, what kind, or how good, or to what end...but in any case...you are a martial artist.





"Always consider myself a student first..." - This is the part that makes you a good one. :)





"I do teach Aikido" ... - Here we see that you have accumulated at least some benefit; enough at least to pass some on.











In short, yes you are. Glad to know you. You may of course ALSO be known as a friend, poet, philosopher and/or tutor among other things. Concurrent with your label : Martial Artist.
Reply:no....you are a MIXED Martial Artist. not a Martial Artist.





you take the "truth" from the styles you have learnt, so I take it that you use whats effective for you from different styles.





a Martial Artist only trains in one style?
Reply:Totally why even have any doubts? You do any teaching? cause you should
Reply:Mate; it will depend on YOUR definition of Martial Artist. Most people think "if you practice Martial Arts, then you are a martial artist. But would you call yourself a musician if you were learning the piano/guitar or only if you were at professional standard?


Focus on the word "artist". To me that means you are striving for perfection in some art. To my mind you are only a martial artist if you have dedicated all your energy to achieving the highest standard. If, like me, you train to pick what is useful out of numerous different systems for a strictly self defence application YOU ARE NOT A MARTIAL ARTIST


but someone who practices martial arts. Does that make sense?
Reply:Are you looking for someone to pet your ego? I consider you a martial artist, and from your experience you'd have to know that "kata" don't make martial artists.
Reply:I would consider you a martial artist.


Why are you concerned what other people think?


Just have confidence in your training methods. Don't worry about the words of others, they lack value.
Reply:Your bio is quite impressive. You said you are an eclectic-it seems that's true. Being such you can't help but be creative.


If therefore creativity is the bases for being an artist, then you my friend are a martial artist. I would not concern myself with what others think. As long as you train with the do or die intent and commitment that has brought you to this level, nothing else matters. Forge on!
Reply:I feel, that you must stay in the frame of mind that you are in as you train in class when you are outside of class, you understand...See, if you are one person in class and then go out and get drunk or smoke dope or get into truble then no, that is not a MA. But, if you stay true to one's self and the system that you preach then yes you are a MA...I feel that way in my hart I try to stay as true as I can in all ways you know. You train like a MA yes, if your hart is true then yes I would say deffinetly your are a MA. :)
Reply:What makes you question that you are a martial artist? The only thing that makes me think you're not is your lack of humility.