 Hi, welcome to the new Art of One Dojo. As you can see, we have a brand new setup, and we're bringing a lot of new material your way. Now we just recently crossed the one year anniversary of this YouTube series, and we've been able to reflect on a lot in this past year. I've had the opportunity to talk to a great deal of you. I read and I respond to as many comments as I can, and I see a lot of fantastic conversation among all of you. So to kick off the first set of videos that we're filming in our second year, I thought it would be appropriate to revisit the topic of our very first episode, but it's the best martial art. Only this time, we're going to take a different angle, and we're going to tell you why your art sucks, and why it doesn't. In the first video we did, we talked about what the best martial art was. We went over a lot of talking points about first determining what your goals were and what style would best help you reach those goals. There was incredible feedback and great discussion, and I was extremely happy to see everyone's different perspective. And as the channel went on, I was very pleased to go back and look at previous videos and find that discussions had kept growing among viewers who were sharing different experiences in recommending arts, schools, and different ways of practicing. It was a true sign that we were on to something good here and that the channel had a chance to develop a great community. But then we have the flip side, and we've all seen these comments, particularly in any of the art history episodes you know what I'm talking about, the ones that say, your art sucks. Now there's no surprise or secret that YouTube has its share of trolls, but it's actually not the negativity that bothers me about the statement. What bothers me is that they're right. You heard me, they're right. Your art sucks. My art sucks. Their art sucks. The problem is most of the time when the person says that, they don't know why they're right. Now most people who say that they disparage other arts, they're just trying to say that you know they found something better, they think they're superior, or you know this will work but that won't. That's a misconception. Now I've said this before and I will forever stand by it. Every art, every single art in the history of martial arts has its place. Every art given a good teacher in school has something of value to offer. They work for somebody at some time, they wouldn't have existed otherwise. The real kicker however is aligning that value with what your needs are. I have talked to so many people about their experiences and if anything has become crystal clear is that there are countless reasons why a person may pick up the martial arts. Martial defense is a significant and probably the most common reason. But some people are interested in competition and I've talked to a lot that have gotten into professional fighting. Those experiences are fascinating and they deserve a lot of respect. It takes true discipline to do that. I've even known a handful of people who have trained seriously and have actually used their skills in combat. Not tournament or street fight but I'm talking about actual life and death, game over combat. A person like that has seen a lot more reality than most of us have and you better believe I'm going to give them a little bit of credence in what they say. Now, while the martial arts may have been initially born out of conflict and war, hence the word martial, let's not forget that the word art is also present and it's in this perspective that I find the interpretation interesting. Not everyone trains to fight. Some people want a great workout and they find the arts more mentally rewarding than going to a gym. Others are interested in the observation and preservation of a culture. Then you have some people who are disabled and find strength in the arts both physically and psychologically. Some do it for rehab. In fact, one of my Kemple brothers had cancer in his leg as a teenager and the doctors told him that he would likely lose his ability to walk if they could even save his life. After he recovered, he chose to take up the martial arts as a form of rehab. Something about Kemple spoke to him and he signed up and he pushed himself to his limits. Not only did he walk again but he worked hard and he has currently earned his way up to third degree black belt and even experimented with cage fighting. That is honestly one hell of an accomplishment and I challenge you to tell me that his art sucks. He doesn't hold any value for you but it sure did for someone else. Another friend recently brought to my attention a video on YouTube and I'm going to list it in the description below because the sentiment actually echoes a lot of what we believe on this channel. It's a video by a martial artist named Lloyd Irvin and he talks about how his viewpoint changed after an experience with an incredibly scary home invasion. He shares the idea that every art was made for a purpose, breaks down the difference between sports and real self-defense. And like I said before, if you meet someone who used their training to save there and their family's life, it may be worth sparing a few minutes to hear what they have to say. Every martial arts has some value but how do you find out what that value is and how it can best align with your goals? It's not always an easy process. First you have to ask yourself what you want. Why do you want to train? Are you interested in competition? Do you want exercise? Lose weight? Learn the culture? Or do you just want to try something new? They're all valid reasons. Now if you're interested in competing, perhaps focus on arts such as Brazilian jiu-jitsu, boxing, Muay Thai, Judo, Taekwondo, Kyokushin. If you're looking for self-defense, things like Kempo, Krav Maga, Wing Chun, Hakkido, Jiu-jitsu. Is weapon training more your game? Kendo, Bujinkan, Fencing, Kabuto. You want something that's more acrobatic and fluid? Kappuera, Hushu, they're awesome. If you're interested in culture, there's also a lot to choose from from Japan, Okinawa, to Korea, Russia, India, China. There is absolutely no shortage of choices. Whatever your interest is, try to narrow down a couple of options and go visit the schools. And don't just sign up for the first place you visit, even if it seems perfect. Look around for a bit, then make an educated decision. Hopefully they'll let you try out a class to you before you make any commitment. Okay, so when somebody says that your art sucks, there's usually a follow-up comment. So let's address some of the most common ones that I've seen crop up. That art is BS. Okay, cool. Can you elaborate? I'm not saying you're right or wrong, but if you expect to be taken seriously, then I would suggest adding a wider perspective on why you feel that way. Perhaps you have an excellent point and this could open the door to a great discussion, but if that's all you can say, then you've said all we need to hear. Mr. XYZ is a fraud. Honestly, I don't really engage in these comments because there's really nothing productive here to talk about. Usually comments like this are meant to incite trouble and are saturated with politics. I've had a lot of people try to start arguments with me over the years that don't like Mr. Parker for one reason or another. Trust me, I've heard both sides of the camp. Most of the stories I hear are personal issues that went back between two people 20 to 30 years before I was even born. It has no consequence on my training and if someone tries to do this to you, it should have no consequence on yours. That's just toxic politics. How come I haven't seen karate slash kung fu slash kenpo win in the UFC? This one is interesting because they're actually correct. They are absolutely correct. You don't see kenpo win in the UFC match, nor shodokan, nor kung fu. Because what else you don't see win? Brazilian jiu-jitsu, boxing, Muay Thai. Individually speaking, contenders with only a single art aren't gonna fare well in the ring. The UFC and other ring fighting is an MMA sport, operative word being MMA or mixed martial arts. MMA fighters are so good, not because of one art that they train, but because they have found the right mixture of arts that they work and they've blended together. You need solid footwork, a good standup game, powerful strikes, and you need to be proficient in grappling if you wanna be successful in the sport. The art is in the mix. How many UFC fighters can you name that only have experience in Brazilian jiu-jitsu? Usually they have BJJ in combination with a strong striking art, such as boxing, Muay Thai, karate, kenpo, or another traditional art. The ring is not the almighty be-all, end-all to the value of an individual art. This is an important distinction. And related to this is a personal favorite I get a lot. Well, how come you never see kenpo techniques pulled off in the sparring match? There's a lot to this answer and something I'll get into further and elaborate more on in a future video, but the short answer is you do. If you have real kenpo experience and you understand how it teaches and how it works, then you can pick it out all day long. The techniques aren't meant to be copied and pasted right into a fight. They teach fighting tactics and example scenarios. Those tactics are then meant to be understood and applied later in a freestyle fashion when they do apply. But on a fun note, I did witness someone successfully pull off this kenpo technique, long kimono in a sparring match. It was unexpected and beautiful at the same time. Next one is, but it won't work in a fight. This one is a little bit of a tough one to address, but honestly, it provides some great discussion. Fights are not a one-size-fits-all type scenario. Fights usually occur when emotions boil over so you have people that they're angriest. Do you realize just how volatile and unpredictable that can be? The best case scenario is people just get a little scuffed up and roughed up, but in the worst case, it can be far more devastating than that. You have a range of severity from a minor scuffle to a life-threatening situation. You have to consider if it's against one person or two or more. Are there weapons involved? Is this a stand-up fist fight or was this a blind attack? There are so many variables at play that I feel it's a severe injustice to any art to say it's worthless in a real fight. Sure, you have some of them that are more attuned for face-to-face stand-up fighting, while other arts might be more conditional, but let's turn the tables here a little bit. To say that karate or kenpo or kung fu won't work in the ring is a fair statement, but just because something works in the ring does not mean it's gonna work in a real defense either. In the sport of MMA, a person trains to specifically face off with one other person on a flat, controlled environment with a set of rules and a referee. These fighters are usually very tough, extremely well-conditioned, and very skilled at fighting. This, however, does not automatically translate to the same as an outside environment without the rules, without the ref, on a variety of surfaces, and sometimes with multiple attackers and or weapons. But, again, just because you trained in the self-defense-driven art doesn't mean you'll always have the advantage. You never know what the other person knows. We might have the same anatomy, and different arts are just different ways to move, but the real skill and defense is gonna come from, one, how well you can understand movement, two, read a situation, and then your ability to react accordingly. There is a big, big, big difference between sport combat and real-life combat, and just because someone is proficient at one does not mean the skills automatically translate to the other. Look, there's no such thing as the perfect art. It's a sliding scale. The better an art is in one area, chances are it's more lacking in another. I love Campo. It's a fantastic art in my opinion, but it's not gonna fare well against a ground fighter. Brazilian Jujitsu is an incredible art, but it lacks the striking power of boxing. But in boxing, it has bombs for strikes, and it has incredible footwork, but it lacks the kicks. We could play this game forever. Every art has an advantage at something while it sucks at something else. So it usually comes down to how good that individual is with the skills that they know, but sometimes it can also be reduced to just a matter of luck. So, does your art suck? The answer is both yes it does and no it doesn't. We need the context, and honestly, the better question is, do you know your art's strengths and weaknesses? Most of the time, if you can identify an area of vulnerability, you can usually address it with a mixture of another art. The key is to find the perfect blend for you. If you can do that, and you're willing to put in a sweat equity needed to excel, then you can stand tall and proud and know that the value of who you are and what you practice. We welcome all views here, and if you have an opposing opinion, then please, by all means, post them. But I just ask that you keep it civil and try to put some rational discussion behind it, and I think we can all learn a lot from each other if we're willing to do it. You guys have been incredibly awesome, and you've gotten it to this point and going forward towards newer goals. So please, be sure to check out our store, join us on Patreon, and help support this community, and you get access to additional content. And also, please be sure to subscribe and click the little bell icon for future notifications, and we'll see you next time. Thank you so much.