I am curious if MMA teaches any kind of philosophy along with actual fighting techniques. My only fighting experience is with TKD and Boxing. As a TKD practioner we learn a lot of philosophy on the type of person we need to be. These are strict guidelines. I'm also a boxing trainer. We teach our fighters to be respectable and stay clean. But outside of that, nothing strict. So I wondered how MMA fits into that.

It depends on the gym, but the general attitude is that you don't need to be taught explicitly how to be a good person, you can learn that as a matter of course. Adding in the philosophy is wedging another culture into the martial art, while MMA is about getting to the essence of fighting.

Migo,
Philosophy is not nessecarily something added from the outside or another culture. The philosophy of an art exists not only in the individual but in it's process and practice. On way to determine a groups philosophy is to understand what it values and what behaviors it reinforces. I would like to hear from others on the topic.

Some of the words I imagine I would see in the discussion would be

Pragmatic

Practical

alive

utilitarian

and evolutionary.

By the way, any MMA practioner that doesn't understand what debt he owes to Krishnamurti is missing out.

How about "pragmatic evolutionary utilitarianism"

It fits right into it, just as you said, a little respect and not much else..it's all about fighting and staying alive in the cage.

In MMA, the philosophy is in the process.

The work ethic, the helping of others in improving and reaching goals, the humility associated with tapping out to someone who has achieved a finishing hold, the self control in training realistically hard but stopping short of hurting your training partners, etc.

Last but not least...(from the topic of another thread) the maturity of not bragging and boasting of one's exploits in training or competition but instead enjoying the quiet confidence that you can walk it without talking it.

Well said, Fletch. I was trying to think of how to articulate it, but you did a great job.

Can you explain what you mean about Krishnamurti?

Wow oldman! it's great to know I'm not the only one on this forum who knows of Krishnamurti!!!

*is happy ^_^*

V,
Krishnamurti was for lack of a better word a philosopher. His work was influential on many levels and to many people. His writting influenced martial artists like Bruce Lee and contemporary Martial artists as well. You can find his work referenced in Matt Thortons SBG site also.

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