"Attitude" In The Martial Arts

[feelmychi]

Heya all! Very simply, I'd like to ask what peoples experience is with personality development that comes from different people doing different martial arts. Having known a fair few people from different styles, the following list comes from my personal experience.

Muay Thai
Muay Thai seems to have students from two extremes. I've found that students either tend to be incredibly humble, or so arrogant that they consider themselves superior to everyone in every way.

Western Boxing
Western Boxing seems to put out people with varying levels of respect, but they all seem relatively confident in a non-cocky kind of way.

Kung fu (and yes I know I've grouped a fair few styles into one here, but my experience with the people from them is the same)
Kung fu students seem to be the most accepting of other people; willing to learn from them without claiming divine rights, whilst still silently confident in their own system.

Shoto-kan Karate and Judo
Shoto-kan and Judo both seem to be relatively well balanced. Yes you do get some incredibly conceited students and some incredibly shy ones, but for the most part, students seem to be fairly nice people.

What do you all think?
feelmychi

[bob63]

this can be a bit chicken and egg in that does the style mould the personality or the personality choose the style?

[kensei]

I dont think you can state that a specific style leads to a specific kind of personality being developed. I have met cocky morons that were in Tai Chi! and Humble guys in BJJ that could rip your arms out and beat you wtih them. I have met cockey morons in Shotokan as well as well balanced people. I dont see how what style you practice will determin what it brings out in you. But it might have a bit of merit in some cases.

[fujicolt]

Alex - tis is the human condition - think were you grew up and then think of the various schools - they all spew out nice people, not so nice people, dickheads and dangerous people.

MA schools are NO different - trust me i have watched it for decades!

[Tom O'Brien]

I agree. I don't think the style dictates the personality type.

Thanks,
Tom

[fujicolt]

thwe other thing to consider is the lack of uniformity in teaching from dojo to dojo and dojang to dojang etc - How could we possibly measure it and expect constant results?

[kensei]

like steve kind of said. It is a human condition...people are different and style has no influence, maybe instructors do however!

It is the same debate and misgivings about nationality. Making gross sweeping statments like all the Irish are Drunks, Brits cant cook, have bad teeth and are horrible in bed, all Americans are ignorant and all Canadians are nice and humble..if not slightly boring! None of these are true of all people from these countries nor are all Muay Thai people ignorant morons that like to fight!