Nowadays, the main questions in regard to speculations in the field of martial arts are ones about the relation between martial arts and business structures; and why did masters and teachers in the past share their knowledge for free.
One had to preserve martial arts by some means
This current topic was examined from different viewpoints in the framework of the project "Who is right?". Masters and experts in the field of martial arts shared their professional opinions on this issue in the project. The guest of one of the programs was the retired colonel, a veteran of the Airborne Forces, Sergey Shestakov.
In the interview Sergey has provided the historical examples of the way modern world differs from the old days. For example, on the territory of the Russian Empire a child was taught hand-to-hand fight since his childhood. At that time, there was druzhina (squad), which was considered to be a prestigious service, that took the best fighters.
In the time of Russian Empire there were frequent wars, and one had to preserve the martial arts by some means at least for one more day. Everyday martial arts training was a meaningful part of young man’s lifestyle, who later became a real warrior and protector.
The next example of this necessity are Japanese samurais. They were warriors fulfilling their duty. In order to become a real samurai, it was necessary to go through a long term training. From the viewpoint of Mr. Shestakov, students did pay for this but not a pecuniary payment. It was measured by other categories and was expressed in the fact that later one would get an honorable position in some squad and served there.
In modern society, people pay money for training sessions. However, Sergey claims that main point is not about money, but what exactly is taught in these sessions and is it effective in different life situations or not.
Now, martial arts turned into a sport
There was an instance in the Russian Empire the training of men in hand-to-hand combat took place on a frozen river, that is, on the ice at winter time. This type of experiment demonstrated that any other fighting style (for example, the eastern one) was not effective because it was not adapted to the terrain and weather conditions.
As it is known there are no equal people. Depending on the biological and physiological characteristics of the human body, it is necessary to select the appropriate technical elements that he can use. The fact is that elements can be effective for one person and not effective for another one due to certain and understandable reasons.
"There is such a saying that the machine should be used for its intended purpose". Similarly, human knowledge should be used for its intended purpose. If one acts in the field of activity that he does not understand (for example, a dentist starts to work as an oilman), then he cannot attain something good. The same principle applies to any martial art. "
Sergey Shestakov recalled that martial arts were cultivated in families in ancient times. That time it was a part of the life mode that gave an opportunity to achieve something. Another important factor was the desire to survive, not to perish in battle. The better one handles the weapon, the greater his chances to live longer.
Now the military art has become a sport. Now you can train in the gym on a special comfortable mat, mastering many different styles. Sport is good for maintaining health, physical fitness, but it has nothing to do with real street fighting. One should find a teacher who will help him to thoroughly understand the style he desires to master.
In the opinion of Mr. Shestakov, if a person wants to achieve something, learn something in his life, there is nothing wrong with the fact that the other person teaches him and takes money for it. It is important that this teacher really understands what he is doing, and the student must clearly understand what he wants from this style.
