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| MY PHILOSOPHY ON THE MARTIAL ARTS |
I’ve been training in some sort of martial art since 1981; when I was 5 years old. I have sought out many of the
best martial arts instructors in the world. I’ve seen many types of people in the arts, and made several lifelong
friends. Training in Mixed Martial Arts has great benefits, such as gaining a realistic self-defense and fighting
ability, greater strength, endurance, cardiovascular conditioning, flexibility, self-confidence, and being
something that one can fall in love with. Training in the arts has become one of my greatest passions… one
that I am sure will always endure.
I genuinely try to keep an open mind to learn the best way of doing things. I will always be a humble student
seeking knowledge. I know enough about the arts to know that I will always have much to learn… and I can
always improve. I am dedicated to excelling in all ranges of combat through smart, hard, consistent training. I
want the same thing for my students. I draw my training strategies and techniques from several martial styles
and systems that have proven to be highly effective both in the street and in sport competition. Basically, if it
works against someone that is resisting 100% I want to learn it and make it my own.
I don’t care much for forms, katas, belts, or ranks, although they do have their place. What I care about is what I
can test for effectiveness- things that really work in the street or in the ring. In order to test what really works I
try to make my training as realistic as possible. My students and I beat each other up, and we learn through the
blood and bruises. I don’t say this to sound like some sort of “tough guy”; I just want to make sure I’m not
wasting my time. Well, that and I enjoy it… there’s an amazing rush in fighting someone that most people will
never experience. I compete in combat sports such as No Holds Barred Fighting, submission grappling,
boxing, kickboxing, and Judo. I don’t get in street fights, nor would I participate in one unless given no other
choice. I’m not into the martial arts to beat people up or go out and get into trouble, and I won't teach anyone
who is.
The martial arts, like anything else, does have its bad sides. To summarize these I have the motto “no egos,
attitudes or politics.” This seems to be the biggest problems I’ve seen in the martial arts… or more specifically
in martial artists. Let me explain.
Everyone has an ego… and that in and of itself is not a bad thing. The same goes for attitudes… we all have
them and they greatly vary. However many people are drawn to the arts for the wrong reasons. They want to
give an appearance of power… of being a “tough guy” that you shouldn't’t mess with. They want to tell you, “I’
m a black belt” and have it impress you. They are typically not into hardcore realistic training that requires your
blood, sweat, and tears to be left on the mat. I’ve had people with big ego and bad attitude problems (they go
hand in hand) come train with me on rare occasion and one of 2 things inevitably happen; they either quickly
quit or they lose their big ego and get a much better attitude. With intense, realistic training there is no other
option. When you are actually getting beat up and there’s no hiding or denying it… when you are tapping to
submission over and over again, your ego just can’t be that big. You and the person who is beating you both
know that you have a lot to learn. Most people with big egos and bad attitudes can't take this… but every now
and then someone will stick with it and become an eager student. This is the case with me… I seek out those in
the martial arts that can beat me in any aspect of combat, in any range. I want to learn from these people that
show me that I really do have something to learn from them. Getting beat is the quickest way to be shown your
mistakes.
The other big problem in the martial arts that I see deals with politics. At the heart of this is often money. Some
people wont let you train with them if you train with someone else, because they want to be the only ones
getting your money. They don’t want you to find someone better and stop training with them/ paying them.
One of the wisest people I’ve ever met in the martial arts is Sifu Dan Inosanto. One time in class he said
something like “if someone tells you that you shouldn't’t be training with anyone else but them, then you
probably shouldn't’t be training with that person. Train with everyone you can. Learn all that you can from
every source. Nobody knows it all, don’t ever stop learning.” That is exactly how I feel. I understand that the
reality of running a professional full time dojo is that it takes money to keep things running. However if what
any given school has to offer is worthwhile then the students will be there. If they are offering unrealistic
techniques or ideas that have been proven to work, then they will fail. This is why I don’t like contracts with
schools… don’t try and force people to only train with you and pay you for a year or so of training ahead of time
so they are stuck with whatever you give them. I also don’t buy into best testing fees. What’s up with that? If
someone knows the techniques and can pass the requirements in a certain system up to a particular belt level
then they should be that rank. Why hold back a belt because someone doesn't’t give you a certain amount of
money? I’ve been training at some big name places and been offered a certain colored belt after they observed
my training. I said sure… they said “OK, that’s 250 dollars”. No thanks… I’d rather have no official rank and be
able to fight than just buy a belt.
No egos, attitudes or politics. I hope you can remember this simple motto as you continue along your personal
martial arts journey.
Vincent Fields
best martial arts instructors in the world. I’ve seen many types of people in the arts, and made several lifelong
friends. Training in Mixed Martial Arts has great benefits, such as gaining a realistic self-defense and fighting
ability, greater strength, endurance, cardiovascular conditioning, flexibility, self-confidence, and being
something that one can fall in love with. Training in the arts has become one of my greatest passions… one
that I am sure will always endure.
I genuinely try to keep an open mind to learn the best way of doing things. I will always be a humble student
seeking knowledge. I know enough about the arts to know that I will always have much to learn… and I can
always improve. I am dedicated to excelling in all ranges of combat through smart, hard, consistent training. I
want the same thing for my students. I draw my training strategies and techniques from several martial styles
and systems that have proven to be highly effective both in the street and in sport competition. Basically, if it
works against someone that is resisting 100% I want to learn it and make it my own.
I don’t care much for forms, katas, belts, or ranks, although they do have their place. What I care about is what I
can test for effectiveness- things that really work in the street or in the ring. In order to test what really works I
try to make my training as realistic as possible. My students and I beat each other up, and we learn through the
blood and bruises. I don’t say this to sound like some sort of “tough guy”; I just want to make sure I’m not
wasting my time. Well, that and I enjoy it… there’s an amazing rush in fighting someone that most people will
never experience. I compete in combat sports such as No Holds Barred Fighting, submission grappling,
boxing, kickboxing, and Judo. I don’t get in street fights, nor would I participate in one unless given no other
choice. I’m not into the martial arts to beat people up or go out and get into trouble, and I won't teach anyone
who is.
The martial arts, like anything else, does have its bad sides. To summarize these I have the motto “no egos,
attitudes or politics.” This seems to be the biggest problems I’ve seen in the martial arts… or more specifically
in martial artists. Let me explain.
Everyone has an ego… and that in and of itself is not a bad thing. The same goes for attitudes… we all have
them and they greatly vary. However many people are drawn to the arts for the wrong reasons. They want to
give an appearance of power… of being a “tough guy” that you shouldn't’t mess with. They want to tell you, “I’
m a black belt” and have it impress you. They are typically not into hardcore realistic training that requires your
blood, sweat, and tears to be left on the mat. I’ve had people with big ego and bad attitude problems (they go
hand in hand) come train with me on rare occasion and one of 2 things inevitably happen; they either quickly
quit or they lose their big ego and get a much better attitude. With intense, realistic training there is no other
option. When you are actually getting beat up and there’s no hiding or denying it… when you are tapping to
submission over and over again, your ego just can’t be that big. You and the person who is beating you both
know that you have a lot to learn. Most people with big egos and bad attitudes can't take this… but every now
and then someone will stick with it and become an eager student. This is the case with me… I seek out those in
the martial arts that can beat me in any aspect of combat, in any range. I want to learn from these people that
show me that I really do have something to learn from them. Getting beat is the quickest way to be shown your
mistakes.
The other big problem in the martial arts that I see deals with politics. At the heart of this is often money. Some
people wont let you train with them if you train with someone else, because they want to be the only ones
getting your money. They don’t want you to find someone better and stop training with them/ paying them.
One of the wisest people I’ve ever met in the martial arts is Sifu Dan Inosanto. One time in class he said
something like “if someone tells you that you shouldn't’t be training with anyone else but them, then you
probably shouldn't’t be training with that person. Train with everyone you can. Learn all that you can from
every source. Nobody knows it all, don’t ever stop learning.” That is exactly how I feel. I understand that the
reality of running a professional full time dojo is that it takes money to keep things running. However if what
any given school has to offer is worthwhile then the students will be there. If they are offering unrealistic
techniques or ideas that have been proven to work, then they will fail. This is why I don’t like contracts with
schools… don’t try and force people to only train with you and pay you for a year or so of training ahead of time
so they are stuck with whatever you give them. I also don’t buy into best testing fees. What’s up with that? If
someone knows the techniques and can pass the requirements in a certain system up to a particular belt level
then they should be that rank. Why hold back a belt because someone doesn't’t give you a certain amount of
money? I’ve been training at some big name places and been offered a certain colored belt after they observed
my training. I said sure… they said “OK, that’s 250 dollars”. No thanks… I’d rather have no official rank and be
able to fight than just buy a belt.
No egos, attitudes or politics. I hope you can remember this simple motto as you continue along your personal
martial arts journey.
Vincent Fields