“C’mon man, you do martial arts right? Well, let me see what you got!” “Are you scared? Kung Fu is supposed to be good.” “Dude, a good boxer could beat your Karate any day.” These types of phrases are dangerous. Like a cattle prod used against lion or tiger, they only mean to instigate trouble. Due to other people’s inability to to let go of their ego and understand the nuances of training, it’s best to avoid letting others know your skill. As martial artists we should do everything in our power to promote peace. Your own martial arts secret helps you accomplish this. When forced to protect yourself or someone else, use every means necessary to win.
The other guy
As you travel on your journey there are a couple of reasons you should keep your own arts secret. First, if you’re confronted because you train, you may lose. Why is that first? Because you don’t know what the other guy knows, or you may be a beginner. You may have learned many techniques and practiced how to apply them. However, it takes years to develop full muscle memory and synchronization with the techniques. 10,000 repetitions is the average amount to master a technique and that’s not including learning timing and distance. Combine that with the need to learn reaction training, and it’s best to avoid conflict as much as possible.
Your Own Martial Arts Secret – USE Every Advantage
There’s a second reason to keep your art a secret. Wing Chun is a sensible self defense system. If you divulge your skill you have empowered the opponent. How so, you may ask? If confronted by a wrestler, you might have the mindset prepared to watch for a takedown. Maybe feint to the head with a jab or something similar and then a single leg. Knowing this would allow me to position myself in a way to avoid or stop his attack. So following suit, you should keep every advantage possible. Martial arts is about deception. If you can deceive your opponent into believing you have no skill, he will not set his guard as high. At the minimum it will keep him guessing. That could be just the edge needed to win.
Actions not words
The final reason involves talking to friends. Many times questioning your art comes from a point of disbelief. Even after you have soundly answered a question, more always follow. They will counter it with “but what if this happens, or that” over and over again. Certain types of people don’t really want an answer. They either want to prove they know something or that your art doesn’t work. I bring this up because of personal experience. Certain techniques use pain to bring a reaction which would be followed up. Techniques such as these cannot merely be explain, they must be experience to fully understand them.
If one shows this to a certain type of person they will be unable to cope with it and will increase the resistance level. The practitioner must either give in or increase the energy level. If someone does not concede, it will typically end in a confrontation. The non-practitioner will not have the discipline to concede so your art may end up looking weak. So the choices are grim. Hurt your friend and risk losing the friendship or concede and allow your art to look weak. Speaking in general terms of course. Therefore, the classroom is the best place for any such teaching.
These three reasons are why I believe you should keep your own martial arts secret. Most people find it difficult to let go of their pride. You don’t know what the other guy knows. And you don’t want to give away your advantage. Keep these things in mind as you walk through life.
