There are basically 5 types of martial artists:
1. Fighters:
These are people who are interested in the raw data and have become attuned to few simple but very effective series of tools and strategies. They may or may not be articulate, but it doesn't matter to them, because the final result of a fight speaks for itself and they don't have to explain it, defend it, or articulate it. These individuals are the first life-blood of martial arts. Through their efforts we can see, first hand the reality of what happens during their application of strategies, evasions and attacks. We learn about the consequences of a type of footwork, distance control and countless other variables and their interactions with each other.
2. Technicians:
These martial artists are not fighters necessarily. They like the nuances in techniques and the biomechanics of movements and how they fit into each other. They are also very good at why they should be executed a certain way and what makes something work or fail to work. A [genuine] technician is very valuable in martial arts community, even though they are not professional fighters. The reason is, a [genuine] technician aside from at least sparring with various quality fighters on their own, they also possess a very sharp and unusual sense of observation that even professional fighters at times [may] be lacking. Quite often, technicians are able to provide valuable insight and feedback for many of us. I know this may appear to be counter-intuitive to many of you, but it's a fact once you examine the history of martial arts both during the ancient and contemporary times. Most of us can name several renown martial artists who were and are genuine technicians, and have played a key role in the advancement of the arts. To expand the mind of the readers I mention one individual from outside of the field of martial arts namely, Dr. Einstein. The man never ever went into space, but provided so much valuable information for theoretical physicists about the space and its verities. There are hundreds of examples from so many different fields that I can mention in which numerous individuals, men or women were theorists or in martial language sometimes we call them technicians, in which they played a huge role in unlocking countless new concepts and principles.
3. Philosophers:
These martial arts philosophers are divided into several branches of Mystics, Greek philosophy of logic , Pantheists, Sufi thought, Theosophists, Persian Illuminati, New Age thought, tribal vision and wisdom, and asiatic philosophies which consists of several other distinct branches within it. We won't name them or go into the details of their histories here in order to keep this article as short and as concise as possible.
Sadly, most of the above fields of thought and philosophies have diverted from their original themes and purposes, and countless number of superstitions and useless traditions have creeped into the fabric of their substance, and have brought about many contradictions and conflicting ideas to grow within their teaching parameters. Understandably, we can't rule out everything, but the logical and rational segments of those philosophies——that is if we choose to utilize only those sources——are the only reliable portion left for martial artists to build a practical thinking platform.
Regrettably, most martial artists who are heavily involved with philosophies, have approached this field sentimentally with their hearts and emotions rather than with their minds. That is why martial arts philosophers, instead of using philosophy to understand and strengthen the bases and logic of their systems, have diverted into a sort of cloudy make-believe pseudoscience field of thought. Philosophy is supposed to broaden and strengthen rational thought which in turn is supposed to lead to practical intellectual development. But not so........take it from me, martial artists who are truly solid in philosophical fields are very rarely to come by, but when you do find them, hang on to them because they are like rare gem stones. They are the main engines of martial arts intellect. One last note on philosophy: when I say philosophy, I don’t really mean for you to visualize a guy in a comfortable chair with a cup of coffee in his hand. Not at all——a big portion of my own philosophical growth or reflection has been taking place right during my sparring, clinching and rolling, not when I am sitting down necessarily.
4. Nostalgists or retrophiles:
These types of martial artists are attached to some segment of the past history. He or she is under the assumption that the pure truth is only found in the origin and the further you go back, the more pure the martial art system. This is their thought and conviction. They travel everywhere——in deserts, caves, jungles, islands——you name it!
These martial artists are very valuable, because they get to know the history well and they get a real feel for the way of life in those regions. They may also pick up some of the ancient wisdom in those areas and why they think the way they do.
The only draw back I have observed or one that we need to be cautious about, is when a martial artist of this type assumes that the measure of the effectiveness, and potency of a system is directly proportional to its historical originality. This equation is completely false and has been refuted through direct experience. One may search and find a group of people in a distant and isolated land and find out an art that has been passed down the ages in its original pure form maybe; but this purity and originality, although commendable and interesting; does not mean it’s relative to our age and the settings of our times. The best gladiators of the Roman Empire may be the poor fighters of our age. Therefore, such assumptions of purity and originality are usually formulated on a weak and biased logic, and are often concluded on the basis of pure emotionalism, exceptionalism, and sensationalism. Similar false assumptions have also been concluded when it comes to lineage unfortunately! But that’s for another day.
In short, nostalgists or retrophile martial artists have had a positive impact on martial arts communities and have been a source of expansion in knowledge and history of various systems associated with different cultures. They also add to beauty and flavor of martial arts and help us look at problems from different angles.
5. Polymathic:
A polymathic martial artist is a very knowledgeable adapter whose vast insight makes it easier for him or her to adapt. This individual can be any of the four previous martial artists, if the occasion demands it! They are well-balanced, organized, focused, and greatly aware of the subtleties. They can fight; they can teach the technical aspects of self-preservation in great detail as relative to our current world; they love and value history in its appropriate real setting, and they can demonstrate and explain its evolution from distant past to modern day world; and lastly they can also explain the philosophy of the art and the rational behind the connectivity and association of numerous variables and attributes within different arts and cultures. This type of martial artist is like a bright torch in martial arts communities and we should seek them out, support them, and build friendships with them any chance we get.
Thank you.
SHAHRAM MOOSAVI
480-489-7202
Photo: (Shahram, in a cave in northern regions of Philippines, 2017)