Severity in Budo

How severe is your budo training?
Is it like some of these aikido schools where the Uke just somehow magically flies through the air, even though no one really touched them? Or is it that the move, whatever it may have been, isn’t working and so the uke goes along with it?

How about stress testing of your style or art? Is randori ever performed, and if so, is it honest randori? Too many people train in martial arts that are being presented by poor teachers, poor training environments, or people who just want a martial arts gym, and could care less about the effectiveness of what they are teaching, but instead want to milk as much out of someone they can, with the understanding what is being taught wouldn’t work, and perverting that relationship to charge ever increasing amounts to make the poor trainee have a false sense of security and confidence.

If you can’t imagine applying you art in less then ideal circumstances, nor have you ever been tested and been forced to adapt your training without stopping, or saying the uke did the attack wrong etc. etc., then get out now. Those are not arts or schools that will provide a true full Budo experience.

The core of the martial way is that of combat. You need to be mentally, physically, and emotionally prepared. Most modern dopants/dojos/ training gyms don’t pressure test the styles they are teaching against real world applicability.

If you don’t care, then go do qigong and tai chi and other internal arts. You will get benefit and aspects of budo, but you will not be able to defend yourself or anyone else. Even IF the art if practical ( Krav, JKD, BJJ) unless you have tested yourself against fear, larger and smaller opponents, or even the dynamic nature of brutal fights and ranges, you are going to have a BAD time.

Things to think about as your continue on your Budo Path.

Keep growing!