Is there a thing called practical martial art?

It's a story from a while ago.

A student came to me willing to learn Yetbeop Taekyun.

I asked him why he wanted to learn it.

He said it is because despite learning many martial arts since childhood, he did not find any practical aspects.

So I answered,

"If you did not find anything practical from other martial arts, you will not find anything practical from Yetbeop Taekyun as well."

He might have had a mere fantasy about Yetbeop Taekyun from my videos on the Internet. I don't think it's a case only for that student. There are lots of martial arts on the Internet and social networks that look extraordinary. There would also be a lot of people having an interest in such martial arts and try to learn them.

However...

When they experience them with such great expectation, they will find out that there's nothing so special in most cases.

It is because the contents of such videos are maximized image of a certain feature for promotion.

I think until humans have two hands and two feet, no martial arts techniques can be so different.

Martial arts and their training differ by their rules, but are quite the same in hitting, dodging, grappling, throwing, and twisting.

The dispute about which martial art is stronger or weaker is meaningless.

Though, it may be said martial arts for combat and match do have some more practical aspects.

So in my opinion, if one has not found any practical aspect from a martial art, that person will not find it from other martial arts as well.

Practicality is found and made by oneself.

Even though someone teaches a great skill, if the trainee is not mentally and physically ready, the teaching becomes useless.

As I often said, it is better not to expect anything that of fantasy when treating martial arts.

The most important thing about doing martial arts is always going back to the basics.

If one improves fitness,

builds up the body,

strengthens the basics,

develops further techniques from there,

and goes through combats,

the person will definitely find an own practical way of doing the martial art.

There is no such thing as a practical martial art, and the 'practicality' lies within the trainee’s heart.