Dishonorable Martial Arts

The martial arts has been a source of much personal enjoyment through the years. It has also provided some of the most humorous moments in my life, as well. Here is another one.

I met an individual on the job one day. Before law, she told me that her husband trained in the martial arts. Naturally, I asked which one. Karate. I advised her that karate was one of my two arts... the other being jiu-jitsu.

She got a very concerned look on her face and stated that her husband felt Jiu-Jitsu was very dishonorable. Naturally, I asked her why he felt that way.

Her reply -
"Because in jiu-jitsu and in cage fighting (MMA, perhaps?), if one combatant is knocked down, the other man follows him to the ground to beat on him. It's much more honorable just to knock him down, and then let him be."

"What if he gets back up? More specifically, what if it gets back up and is able to win the fight from there? It would seem to me that there is a big difference between finishing a fight and unnecessarily beating on somebody that's already finished." I replied.

"Oh, that would never happen that way." She stated confidently.

"It happens that way all the time. The first knockdown almost never finishes the fight."

"Well, my husband is taught to incapacitate, or even kill, if necessary, with a single blow."

"I see," I said. "Does he train want to do, if he gets knocked down, or gets taken down?"

"He won't let himself be taken down. He would hit them first. But, if he got knocked down, and if he isn't out of the fight, then his instructor training him to get back up and get back in there."

She literally did not see the irony in that statement...

"I see." I said. Right before I change the subject, and found a good excuse to move on with my day.