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In principle, I want to agree. In practice, I think the vast majority of martial arts schools are nothing more than glorified day care facilities with a side of calisthenics.

They don't constructively do anything to actually teach those issues of control and discipline to the students. It's not enough to give people the skills and then expect them to learn from experience the restraint necessary to not use it. They don't do anything at all to prepare their students for the realities of what it means to use violence against another human being. It is an emotionally traumatizing experience.

Nothing like that was ever mentioned in any of the schools across multiple styles that I attended. All that was discussed was the potential of an "unfair" legal ruling if your attacker decided to press battery chargers against you. There was always an implication of "be careful when looking for a place to use these skills", not "avoid it completely, except on completely unavoidable threat to life and limb."



"They don't constructively do anything to actually teach those issues of control and discipline to the students."

At least when I was growing up, it was always the kids who took karate that were quick to fight, or talk smack. So I think I agree. Although one caveat is that it's not appropriate for everyone, or that some kids need to be much older than others. So maybe it has to do with the parents and facilities not denying those kids based on their ability to control themselves.

On a side note, if a kid uses martial arts skills in real life, it could result in increased liability. That's something people don't think about.




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