Fighter vs. Martial Artist
THE MARTIAL ARTIST
I have a long history in Martial Arts. And even so it has taken many years to finally realize what a Martial Artist is. Some things in life take years to define. Some ideas elude us because we are not looking for the answer. And sometimes you need to step outside of yourself to see the true meaning in what you are doing. For me I realized what a Martial Artists is just recently.
MARTIAL ARTIST:Is a person that values respect, honor, and determination. And uses these values as a framework to learn and teach self-defense while positively influencing others.
You can write a 100-page paper on what it means to be a Martial Artist. There are so many great examples in history. So many great experiences accrued through MA training. In my lifetime I have had the privilege of learning from some of the best. I have talked to people like Flavio Canto and Marcelo Garcia. And it took me a while to understand why, after those experiences, my life changed and I became a better person because of it.
And then it hit me.
There seems to be a primal urge for humans to want to fight. In a sense we are animals. In Another sense we are intelligent animals. We build social norms in society to quiet our beastly ambitions. So there is a conflict. It is an internal one. On one hand we applaud violence, and on the other we respect civilization. So with this comes my epiphany.
Using Marcelo Garcia as an example: He represents both sides of the coin. His ability to use a fighting system to excel in competition satisfies one part of our intellect. And his incredibly humble nature satisfies another. And that is why he can positively influence so many.
Now go back and read my definition of a martial Artist. Marcelo fits the mold perfectly.
THE FIGHTER
With my experiences I have also been privileged enough to meet and train with many fighters. And in my career as an MMA trainer I have come to realize my definition of the quintessential fighter.
FIGHTER: Is a Person that fights for a living. They respect the fight to a high degree.
The main difference between the two is at times the fighter forgets to display a high degree of honor and respect. They also forget that the path to learning lies in these values.
A simple conclusion you can derive from this is that the Martial Artist who fights has a better chance of, not only reaching their full potential, but also positively influencing others to a high degree.
-Reaching Full Potential: Respect and honor drives the Martial Artist to never stop learning and listen to trainers and fellow students.
-Influencing others: When a Martial Artist speaks, they greatly represent themselves, their school and the art.
There are many great examples of Martial Artists who also happen to be fighters. Among them are some of the greatest influences in my life. Kenny Florian, Jon Fitch, GSP, Anderson Silva.
For those who understand what it means to be a Martial Artist, I bow, For those who are fighters and strive to be a Martial Artist, I bow, for those who understand the importance of Martial Artists’ influence in MMA, I bow. And for those who applaud the fact that a Martial Artist defeated a fighter in the Light Heavy Weight Division last Saturday, I bow.
I don’t believe Lyoto’s UFC title was a great accomplishment for Machida as much as it was a great accomplishment for the Ultimate Fighting Championships, its fans and fellow Martial Artists!
It is truly the Machida Era of MMA. It is truly the era of The Martial Artist! And I bow!
May 29th, 2009 at 12:19 am
excellent insight, thanks for sharing.
May 29th, 2009 at 12:42 am
Thanks for writing, I truly enjoyed reading your most recent post. I think you should post more frequently, you clearly have natural ability for blogging!
June 2nd, 2009 at 11:41 pm
I agree in every word. Honer, respect, humble, and a thrive to learn even when you are an expert.
As an old Japanese saying states (excuse my translation)” Everything becomes a teacher when we look from the eyes of a student”
June 3rd, 2009 at 10:26 pm
[...] mean any of us understand it. Camarillo expounds on the current climate of MMA in his latest blog, where he compares the fighter versus the martial [...]
June 4th, 2009 at 5:10 am
extremely well written, Dave. I realize this is as effortless for you as wiping your mats with some of your students. Always done in a humble manner.
As always, everything easily applied on and off the mat.
Thank you
June 8th, 2009 at 5:53 pm
Excellent article, I bow!
June 15th, 2009 at 9:48 am
[...] by Dave Camarillo (if you don’t know who he is you shouldn’t be reading this blog) entitled “Fighters vs Martial Artist”. The article focused on the difference between “martial artists” and “fighters” in [...]
June 18th, 2009 at 6:17 am
Dave I trian under Claudio Franca in San Jose and your insight on what it mean sto be a true martial artist really has opened up a new mental path for me to follow in bjj which i will always continue to follow, hopefully I will one day be able to train under you as well as Claudio as you are a true hero of mine and a phenomenal role model as to what I strive every second of every day to become. Continue with the insightful and inspirational blogs and philosiphies on bjj as I will read all of them.
To you I bow
June 18th, 2009 at 8:22 pm
Another great article Dave!! I didn’t know you got another black belt……in blogging. Your stuff is always super interesting to read.
Thanks
June 20th, 2009 at 2:22 am
I really enjoyed that article and the way you described the difference between a fighter and a martial artist. I have always felt that what you described is also the difference between a traditional martial art(judo) and others that are considered non traditional(BJJ).
Thanks for a great article.
June 27th, 2009 at 11:56 am
It’s funny how things go full circle. Many, a few years ago looked down upon the attributes that the Martial Artist brought to the table. The “bottom line” was the only item of importance.
What many who walked both sides of the street now have come to realize is that with everything a balance becomes imperative to progress.
Dave, the article is important and I’m glad someone like you, who can help influence others to properly see the balance and value of longevity through the martial arts as a vehicle for self growth, pulled this together for us.
We met a long time ago over at Ralph’s once, I’m the guy from Boston who invited you to Roberto’s next time you were in town. You came, threw the sh*t out of everyone, and got introduced to Kenny F. for the first time. Funny how life goes. Best of luck to you in the future. From another Martial artist…
Joe “Macaco” B
July 19th, 2009 at 12:53 am
Great article, the way u blog makes us the readers feel your words as if we were watching what ur saying. Real interesting to read, I have always debated that in mind “The Fighter vs The Martial Artist” I have acknowledged that the Martial Artist CAN be a fighter but a fighter CANT just be a Martial Artist….I myself bow and feel proud that it is the era of the martial artist!
August 2nd, 2009 at 8:30 pm
Bingo.
If all we teach is fighting, we are just making good street fighters.
It took me a long time to understand that fighting is only the tip of the iceberg and that martial arts has a lot more to offer than just the physical.
September 22nd, 2009 at 7:26 am
Fantastic insight mate! A lot of schools are lacking training in the ways of respect and becoming a martial artist!
Kind Regards
Felipe