Beyond Martial Skills by Badger Johnson

Contrary to popular belief, the function of MA in one’s life should be the following:

1) By striving for ability beyond the norm or beyond the current self, MA is somewhat unique in that the diversity and range of study is wide and complex.

2) There are several systems which can be managed and enhanced. They include intellectual systems, planning systems, strategic systems, generalship systems, and physical systems.

3) One could intensely study a few contributory systems and only increase one’s martial ability slightly. For example, upping one’s game in endurance, burst, durability, planning, and quick apprehension, plus adaptability and mobility would result in a very formidable array of skills.

4) Taking the concept of ‘absorbing’ and expanding it to cover the existing talents, we have:

• ’absorb that which contributes to your natural talents’;
• ’absorb what is possible given your situation’;
• ‘absorb that which is timely and functional’;
• ‘absorb that which will bring steady, forward progress’.

…and leave the rest to develop along the way.

5) By not clinging to a popular or scripted path, one is free to diverge and converge on that which is useful and able to be functionalized, and over time, end in the best of all possible outcomes.

6) More than ‘absorb’, be open to possibilities, even those outside of physical martial arts. Be capable of a balanced response, and cultivate abilities to use verbal and behavioral paths.

7) With adaptation being the main goal, even those skills, abilities and traits which may not seem to be martial in aspect can be related and gathered, including acquiring and training a partner, building relationships and teams, learning about historical battle methods, and always going from the general to the specific in plans and ways and means.

© Badger Johnson April 2018

---

Please check out Badger Johnson's other essays:

• A Martial Framework by Badger Johnson
• How To Exceed Your Plateaus by Badger Johnson
• Adding to Arnold's Six Principles of Success
• Badger Johnson - 10 Tips on how to analyze a martial art for effectiveness
• "To be a master is very different from being an expert." by Badger Johnson
• Addendum, Clarification and Expansion of Paul Vunak's Fighting Secrets by Badger Johnson
• Expanded Ways of Attack by Badger Johnson
• "Fifty Important Elements in Martial Arts" by Badger Johnson
• Badger Johnson - Can Trapping Work?
• The Genesis and Development of Zone Theory by Badger Johnson
• A few aspects of self-defense training by Badger Johnson
• Some of the important ten things… by Badger Johnson
• Over-speed Training - Accessing the Subconscious and the Power of Threes
• Coaching, self-coaching, talent, experience, genetics, opportunity, motivation
• Thresholding
• "I'd Like to Teach the World to Dance"
• Some thoughts today
• "Ah, but a man's reach should exceed his grasp, Or what's a heaven for?"