Strategy

Martial Arts are sometimes associated to military strategy. Yet, the regular practise of a martial art does not seem obviously linked to "how to wage war". What do martial arts bring to the learning of strategy ?

Martial Arts already teach numerous tactical concepts used in one-to-one fight, or in self-defense. Those concepts are sometimes pragmatical, but often they can be extended to more global concepts.

Encyclopedia define Strategy as :

Art of coordinating actions, operating skillfully in order to achieve a certain goal.

To a high level, a more global thought about martial arts teachings may help to develop the art of strategy, being (in its most primitive type) aimed at war, or economy & business, or simply at everyday's life.

Cf. reading recommandations, in the Bibliophile section.

Combat

Fight is the first goal, obviously and originally, of martial arts. It's also the working theme of martial arts. Indeed, training & working on fighting techniques, in order to improve your efficiency in case of a conflict is the core of martial arts.

Exercises to refine qualities useful in combat are numerous & various. Some of those exercises have taken a great importance and may hide the ultimate goal of martial arts. For instance, kata (forms) when they are the unique reason of the martial artist, and competition when it simply erases the martial origin of a style (Judo and soon Taekwondo can be evocated -- now additionnal Korean styles appears to fill this martial essence loss). Competition & forms are not combat, they just try to approximate it. However, they are very good exercises... to be practised among other ones.

Personal way

Masterizing your body, expressing yourself, feeling your body, decreasing stress,... all these can be found within martial arts. It's a distinctive aspect of the fondamental Japanese concepts of Budô & Bujutsu. Personal "blooming" is for some martial artists more important than the "combative" aspect, as society needs maybe more the capacity to "be happy" than to be efficient at fighting.

Health

Martial Arts are also a healthful system through their physical and energetic practise.

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A spirit

Efficient, accurate, rigorous, personal, fast, generous, combative, pacifist, vengerous, arrivist, selfish... are qualities and defaults of martial artist as the world of martial art is just a reflect of our society. Yet a certain spirit can be found in most of the martial artists who have practised for years, I'll try to caracterize it like this :
a deep motivation and involvement in what they do, a search for efficiency not only applicable to combat, a paradoxal attract for confrontation and yet the comprehension that to avoid a conflict is always the best way.

A Method

A method have been detailled by the legendary Bruce Lee. This method consists of taking from everywhere, from various arts, testing, and keeping what is good for you. It's simply opening your mind. This method wants to avoid being crystalized in an exclusive style but on the contrary to enrich from all the martial arts which can bring something to your personal style.

Through interviews & discussions, we can realize that many "masters" have applicated this method (being or not a consequence of the work of Bruce Lee). Jeet-Kune-Do, Ukidokan, Pankido, Gosoku-Ryu, Chun-Kuk-Do and most of the new styles herited from the No-Holds-Barred-mania are the result of this mind opening. So if you're a black belt and still don't want to see outside the path of the style you've taught, read this article.

Advice to beginners

You want to go to a Martial Arts school ? But you already think about : what art I'm gonna chose ?
First, you can ask yourself "do I prefer to strike or to grapple ?" : the answer may orientate you either towards wrestling systems (judo, brazilian jiu-jitsu, wrestling, sambo) either towards a atemi (blow) system such as karate, taekwondo, kung-fu, viet vo dao, ... The goal of the practise may also help you to chose (self defense or destress ?)...
But actually, NO MATTER ! At the beginning, we don't really know what we want to learn. The most important thing is to find an interesting, passionated instructor who will share with you his passion. The atmosphere of the club and the proximity of it can also have a strong impact in your decision.