Respect in Martial Arts

Son of Siam owner Nathan Fitch chimes in on Respect in Martial Arts with ProFighting-fans.com

When I listen to the fighters talk these days, I often wonder about their backgrounds and training lineage. Fighters around the world are brought up through a wide variety of training systems. Being a fighter does not necessarily make someone a martial artist and vice versa. A martial artist should always give respect where it is due, as should any student of the combat arts here in the United States. Your average wrestler has a different attitude on the mat than that of your average judoka (judo player), where a handshake before a match may take the place of a bow. The relationship between a boxing coach and his boxer are bound to be different than that of a Kru (Muay Thai instructor) and his Muay Thai student. Culture plays a major role in these scenarios. The aforementioned disciplines are also separated by oceans and thousands of miles. Etiquette and protocol are different, yet exist to some extent in most styles regardless of their origin.

Today’s breed of fighter/competitor has been brought up in a different atmosphere than what they would have experienced even ten to fifteen years ago in the U.S. To bow to your instructor at the beginning and end of class may be foreign to some students, unless you practice with someone who was brought up in that format. Showing respect to your instructor has never been anything but the norm for people in their 30’s and 40’s who more than likely started when most students trained in only one art. Bowing in and out of class is not something you probably see in most MMA schools. Some young prospective fighters in this day and age only know the UFC and the like as a means for competing in martial arts. “I’m training in MMA” is something you might hear from a young student. But to ask them what their base is, might get you a questionable look. The concepts that were once ingrained into the discipline aspect, revolving around the training, might be nonexistent in some circles. For example, finishing a training day may not involve cleaning the mats as it once did. Students might even talk while the instructor is teaching and not see it as negative behavior. The younger generation is not at fault for being unaware of the way etiquette was meant to be. It is the duty of the teacher to explain the way and make expectations known.

I hope that people continue to regard martial arts as just that, an art. I would in no way ever suggest that traditional martial arts have any superiority over those such as boxing or wrestling and that they are not art forms. I believe they are art forms as well and hold as much weight as any traditional martial art. Many styles were combined and transformed into the sport of MMA that we see today. It is important to keep some of the old style of etiquette and blend it into the new age of training. MMA shouldn’t be just about plucking out what techniques of an art work best and discarding the rest.

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From my experience of living in Thailand, I gained a greater respect for etiquette in training, and not just training for the sake of training. Daily life in the Muay Thai camp was unlike anything I was accustomed to. The day to day etiquette became a part of who I was during my time in Thailand. The experience of living in those camps is still part of who I am today. I learned the Wai Kru as all Muay Thai students do as part of their education. The Wai Kru is a traditional dance performed before a fight and is a way of paying respect to your teacher. The art of Muay Thai may have a different way of showing respect from other martial arts, but I am glad that I learned their way, and I am proud to be a part of that history. Learning the Wai Kru is a special element of Muay Thai and is inseparable from the art. I know that every time I perform my Wai Kru I am honoring the traditions of the Muay Thai legacy. I am keeping the history alive by passing on that etiquette and show of respect to my students.

The journey of a student needs to also be about what they can learn and take with them after their fighting days are over. The lessons learned on the mat will hopefully convert into ideals of how you live your life off the mat. The hard times that humble you when you are a student will more than likely be the most important to you later in life when competing is no longer an option. It’s not always about how well you do a technique. It’s also about realization that the trials and tribulations of hard work, effort, and attitude get you to where you want to be. This is the mentality that will likely help you through hardship that may have nothing to do with training or competing. It may even give you the resources to one day help others as a coach or mentor.

Respect isn’t just for your instructors and training partners. It’s something you should carry with you wherever you go. But a special level of appreciation should be reserved for those who instill their wealth of knowledge to you. Instructors deserve to be held in high esteem regardless of whether they are teaching a traditional martial art or another discipline such as wrestling or boxing. They are essentially giving you a piece of themselves and are the ones who offer up their experiences for your benefit. Once you realize this, you might see a change in yourself and someone will give that same respect to you.

By Nathan Fitch
ProFighting-fans.com MMA Guest Writer

Nathan Fitch is the owner/operator of Son of Siam in Northern Kentucky. For more about Nathan and Son of Siam please visit www.sonofsiam.com