Do you think martial arts are sports?

[Smartman5]

Boxing, kickboxing, Jieishudan, karate, kung fu (wushu), Judo, cage fighting (MMA) and Wing Chun/Wing Tsun for sports and business. These are the main martial arts. While most of them are for defense purposes, some, especially boxing and MMA, are not sports at all. Why would a person want to be famous by beating the other person to death? There is also dying during the match. Moreover, those who want to earn more money than this organize betting fights. They throw the loser aside, but the winner fights as celebrities in Europe or even in America. In other words, in order to fight in America, you have to do illegal things. These are not good things at all. However, I do not think the same thing for sports done for defense purposes. For example, I like the art of Wing Chun. The aim is to protect yourself against the opponent. If the situation is not too serious, you do not harm yourself or him/her. However, the blows received in boxing are very damaging to the body. Many boxers experience serious health problems after a certain age. Muhammad Ali Clay, who is considered the best boxer of all time, could not walk in his last years. In short, boxing and similar martial arts are not sports for me. It is enough if a person knows enough to protect himself/herself.

Box

Kick box

Cage fighting (MMA)

Wing Chun and its greatest master, Sifu, nicknamed Emin Boztepe (right)

Muhammed Ali Clay

[MisterWack]

Well for something to be a sport I think it needs equipment (check), needs to be a feat of some sort of skill (check), and it is about an event where there is a clear score system or at least a ‘victor’/‘loser’(check). To me it is a sport and the world as a whole sees these martial arts as sports especially the likes of boxing.

[Smartman5]

It is wrong to see boxing as a sport. Because it harms boxers a lot. The results of blows to the head and body are very bad. For this reason, boxing is not a sport for me.

[MisterWack]

@Smartman5 🙄
Then all sports aren’t sports.
American football caused a friend of mine in HS to have a broken arm for a few weeks, I’ve seen baseballs hit guys in the head causing concussion/brain damage and hit in the groin causing immense pain… Also Hockey with people suffering permanent injury from rough play & pushing & slams also hitting with the stick / even kicking.
My point is, if you want to get into a discussion whether sports are safe / people should compete in them or how to go about it safely, go have that conversation however don’t say “it isn’t a sport because injury” since almost all sports are dangerous except Chess. Just please please please have that conversation instead since it doesn’t come at the expense of the pride the athletes feel / how happy it makes the fans.

[Smartman5]

I know that there is a risk of injury in other sports besides fighting, but at least it is possible to use protective equipment. There is no such possibility in fighting.

[MisterWack]

@Smartman5 In boxing / kickboxing there is protective gear. Mouth guards, protective cups, and boxing gloves / tape.

[Smartman5]

If you know so well, how can precautions be taken against the psychological problems that boxers may experience in the future as a result of blows to the head? It could also be Parkinson's disease.

[Smartman5]

It's easy to just protect the hands, feet, knees, etc. The important thing is to protect the head and internal organs.

[MisterWack]

@Smartman5 again, if you want to have that conversation have that conversation, but not at the expense of the fans/athletes. Just because you feel this way meaningfully doesn’t mean it isn’t a sport, you are showing how it is dangerous… Diving is actually an ‘extreme sport’ with scuba gear, wet suit, etc. and there are encounters with sharks sometimes also deadly situations so… again I could argue that boxing is indeed a sport especially with DEFINITION: “an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment.”

You are proving to me why it is unsafe to engage in it while I’m proving to you, it is a sport. These are two different conversations.

[NathanDavis]

yes... that is why they're called Combat Sports

it's an athletic competition, based on skill, structure and ruled by associations, long etcétera...

[Smartman5]

It also harms people's internal organs and heads. This is not a sport.

[NathanDavis]

soccer does that too, and rugby, and football... even tennis, and few others

any physical activity to a higher and straining level, and with/also without contact can take a toll on your body

"harmless" is never included on any definition of sport

[Smartman5]

Then the ones that cause the least damage should be considered as sports. Because there really is no point in punching someone in the head.

[NathanDavis]

it is also pointless to kick a ball...

and throw a ball

hit a ball with a stick...

[Smartman5]

The ball is at least an inanimate object. If the ball explodes, nothing happens, but if the boxer dies, a life is lost.

[NathanDavis]

when my soccer ball die... I was really sad

[Smartman5]

You can buy a new ball. But if someone you love dies in a fight, he/she won't happen again.

[DrPepper12]

I don't understand your correlation. If there a chance of injury it's not a sport? That's ridiculous

[northerngal]

Yes they are sports. They are athletic and their is usually a clear winner... well sometimes in Boxing. But they do say a lot about our society when people are entertained by other people beating each other up.

[Smartman5]

These are not sports. They are no different from torture. However, what is done for self-defense is different.

[northerngal]

Well we will disagree on this... they are blood sports. There are many activities that are questionable sports... is figure skating a sport? Is motor racing a sport? Javelin dates back to being a military skill much like boxing. Still we consider Javelin a sport... What about the hitting and tackling in rugby or Football or hockey Now should sports that are clearly brutal and celebrate violence like combat sports be something society watches? Dog and cock fighting is illegal...

[Smartman5]

What I mean is that it is very bad for people to harm each other in the name of combat sports. Of course, sports like football, hockey, tennis, golf are not like that. I am not against sports in general. I just do not see it as a sport when people beat each other to death in the name of sports. Just like boxing, cock and dog fights are also brutal.

[northerngal]

Oh I am with you. At least hockey and football or motorsport tries to mitigate the risk... but UFC is just dressed up violence. Its like modern gladiatorial combat. Society should be better than this.

[Smartman5]

Yeah

[TommyMountainFigure]

If competing against others, then yes.. I personally use it for self defence, and hate when I have to use it.. Last resort only for me!

[Smartman5]

Yes, I think like you. Boxing is not a sport for me. A person should learn and use martial arts only to protect himself/herself. I think the best martial art in this field is Wing Chun. Most of the rest are useless except to cripple people.

[TommyMountainFigure]

I can't argue with that. The first thing I was taught starting out with Karate was how to break someone's nose.
First thing I was taught with Krav Maga was how when someone lunges at you, you lock and prevent them from moving their hands, and using your full body weight elbow them in the face! It really is brutal.
Systema was weird too. It was like fight club, where the aim was to knock someone out cold, or be knocked out cold yourself. I never did that very long!

[Smartman5]

It is enough to do it in dangerous situations. I also want to learn a few techniques

[TommyMountainFigure]

I'd suggest a decent self defence class!

[Drewtate]

There's a sport form for most martial arts. There are rules in sport martial arts which means they may be vulnerable when it comes to a real situation.

[SotiCoto]

Generally converting them into sports diminishes them. It gets practitioners into bad habits.

[bobby_bush_eater]

It's a sport. I've competed in amateur boxing for 6 years now, I love it.

It's a sport but the saying is it's not a game. You don't "play" boxing. You can get hurt and in some way you will get hurt

[Smartman5]

Getting injured is the worst. And people do it willingly. While the risk of injury is lower in other sports, there is a lot of it in boxing. I don't understand how such an activity is considered a sport. At least a helmet is worn in amateur boxing. So it is more protected.

[bobby_bush_eater]

The headgear is a thing of contention, while it's harder to be outright knocked out with it doesn't actually protect your brain. Some studies say it's actually worse and it only protects your hands.

Injuries are common but I would say without a doubt I had more injuries in 4 years of high school football vs 6 years of amateur boxing. Most of my injuries have had to do with my hands and nose whereas football was my entire body

[Smartman5]

People who have been boxing for years may experience psychological problems after a certain period of time due to blows to the head.

[Chazmatazz269]

Clearly you need a better understanding of the meaning of the word “sport”.

[Smartman5]

No, that's not necessary. Why would an activity where people hit each other be a sport?

[exitseven]

yes it is a sport. Boxers are among the best conditioned athletes in the world.

[Smartman5]

It is wrong to see boxing as a sport. Because it harms boxers a lot. The results of blows to the head and body are very bad. For this reason, boxing is not a sport for me.

[DrPepper12]

Yes. They're sports.

[MisterWack]

@DrPepper12 this guy claims it doesn’t “feel” like a sport to him since there are injuries… and no protective gear 🙄, it is a frickin’ sport… It is an oxymoron that his name is “smart man”.

[elizamichale1]

They r soooo amazing n impressive though

[Smartman5]

Yes, they may be attractive, but I don't consider them as sports.

[elizamichale1]

U hav to be athletic to do all those things they do... what else will u call it if not sport? N oh I think they r also part of Olympics so yea they definitely r a sport honey

[Smartman5]

How can an activity where people beat and harm each other be considered a sport? There is even death in the ring. This is not a sport, it is almost murder.

[elizamichale1]

Oh no no I don't mean tht at all honey n neither I hav it in me to accept or watch something like tht...
A few clips I hav watched r the ones where they were wearing protective gears (but personally I can't even do tht)

[Smartman5]

If there is protective equipment, there is no problem, but there are people who fight without protection and think they are doing a sport. For example, cage fighting (MMA) is exactly like this.

[elizamichale1]

Oh no tht is simply inhumane

[Smartman5]

Yeah

[impalabill77]

I would consider it.

[Smartman5]

What do you think?

[impalabill77]

What do you mean?