What Kind of Martial Artist Are You?
This is like a Facebook quiz, but we won’t be asking you to spam all your friends with it or exposing you to all sorts of nasty viruses and enhancement offers. Just a fun little self test!
1. Which is your favorite technique?
A. Awesome side kick.
B. Nice boring reverse punch.
C. Paralyzing nerve strike.
D. Redirection into a joint lock.
E. I have no favorite.
2. Your belt is best described as:
A. Beautiful and trimmed in gold.
B. Faded, frayed, with some blood spots.
C. Something to hold up my pants.
3. In your last tournament fight, you won with:
A. Instant hook kick to the head.
B. Classic reverse punch to the solar plexus.
C. Back leg sweep.
D. Submission hold.
E. What’s a tournament?
4. Your forms are:
A. Innovative and beautifully complex.
B. Timeless and classic.
C. Something to be filled out in triplicate.
5. Your most advanced technique in a non-black belt form is:
A. A triple kick.
B. A grabbing elbow smash.
C. Simultaneously turning, blocking, and striking.
D. Misdirection into an arm bar.
E. All or none of the above.
6. Your safety equipment is:
A. Mouthguard. Maybe something on hands. Cup for a guy.
B. Like padded body armor.
C. My sidearm and knife.
7. My best weapon is:
A. My foot.
B. My hand.
C. My spirit.
D. My opponent’s energy or anger.
E. Whatever works.
8. Belts change colors:
A. As a reflection of progression through the ranks.
B. Because they get stained with sweat and blood.
C. Depending on the organization that issues them.
Now you can see what type of martial artist you tend towards. Even numbered questions reflect the style you come from while odd ones reflect your attitude/orientation towards martial arts.
If on the even numbers you are primarily A’s, you are like me and a Tae Kwon Do (and derivatives) stylist first and foremost. You lead with your feet. Lots of jumping. Probably sort of hyper too.
B’s are Karateka, they prefer their hands. Well grounded and effective.
C’s are Kung Fu stylists. Fluid, natural, and seeking variety. More in tune with nature than the others, they are spiritual leaders as much as fighters.
D’s are the misdirection experts, the Aikido and Judo stylists. Defensively oriented, they adapt to their opponents to overcome by using their adversaries against themselves.
E’s are either highly eclectic, having studied in multiple styles and being able to switch at need or will among them, or have no clue. Each is extremely dangerous for their own reasons.
As to your attitude, if you were primarily A’s on the even numbered questions then you are a newer generation martial artist, probably raised in a tournament oriented school. You have been exposed to a more commercial version of the martial arts than the others, and your school is more likely than not to have showers and a secretary. You probably have at least two patches on your uniform, and it is probable that your instructor is a full time martial artist.
If you were mainly B’s you are a traditionalist. You probably train on concrete floors at least once in a while. You have blood spots on your uniform that you just can’t get out. If you fight in tournaments you sometimes get in trouble because you don’t keep up with or agree with the new rules. You have at least one good story of training in a basement or a field, and your instructor has another job besides teaching.
If you were primarily C’s I hope you are a military individual or a professional fighter. You are all business about this in that it is your living to take other people out quickly. Either that or you are a whack job.