The Fists a First Or Last Resort? Part One.

Barehanded Fighting. The Fists a First Or Last Resort?

Is barehanded fighting in real life a first or a last resort?

For cultural reasons we have been conditioned in most quarters of the world, to believe that to defend oneself, all one needs is to hone their own body as a weapon. This thinking makes weapons a last resort to most peoples eyes. The barehanded sorting it out between men is considered… more civilised. Nice for a cultural veneer of civility or sporting prowess. If you believe this, then great for you but in the real world fairness and gentlemanly conduct is far from reality.

Due to this idealistic view, most martial arts seem to be in a quandary. Some are always looking at the questions of, “Do we teach for sport, with sparring laws and rules for gentlemanly regulation? Or do they teach totally for self defence, where if a person is attacked on the street, do they learn to pull out all techniques, even lethal ones? Or is there a balance that can be devised that teaches both in this society?” There also seems to be a western cultural fear by some martial artists and their barehanded systems of extending their emptyhand training to blunt or sharp weapons use.

End of Part 1….