Fighting against myths – Q&A with Fenriz Martial Arts School

Sports like Mixed Martial Arts, Karate, Muay Thai and others are commonly associated with movies like Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, Bloodsport and Karate Tiger. In these films you’ll see daredevils flying through the air, fly-kicking their enemies and screaming loudly. Or maybe they’ll use their superpowers to bring an opponent to their knees.

Experts say martial arts strengthens the body and improves self-confidence, but critics say that these sports promote violence. It’s not unusual to read headlines such as “Martial artist hospitalises policeman” in the newspapers. But this creates a false image that martial arts is a reservoir for thugs who habitually resort to violence anyway.

Q&A

On Wednesday, August 5th at 4.30pm, Stella Lutz and Felipe Cançado, Muay Thai and BJJ experts, will answer all your questions about martial arts in a live session on our Instagram account. Submit your burning questions here!

So let’s get ready to rumble!

Myth 1 – Martial arts is only for men

Martial arts does not think in gender categories and is suitable for absolutely everyone. Here in our training center we have a very high percentage of women, both among the participants and in our team of trainers. Those who come here just to beat someone up legally won’t be tolerated for very long.

The idea that predominantly aggressive thugs practice martial arts is a common one! But anyone who shows too much ego or is too aggressive will be immediately excluded from training. In martial arts, violence and aggression are not encouraged, but rather “channelled.” Clear rules and values, such as respect and discipline, provide security and orientation.

If you are looking for holistic training to get in top shape, enjoy movement and overcome a fear of contact, this is the place for you. There’s a very high degree of trust and respect during training here and we teach our members how to fight without hurting each other.

Myth 2 – Women are always inferior to men

If you claim that women are inferior, you are very welcome to take a trial lesson here with an experienced training partner 😉

With certain technical skills the original physiological differences between the sexes no longer play a role. It only depends on clean execution of the martial arts!

Certain martial arts, such as Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ), are even designed to put differences in size and weight into perspective by bringing the duel to the ground.

Myth 3 – black belts are invincible 

“Invincible” is a very meaningful word! Whoever wants to may politely challenge a BJJ black belt to a fight – then we’ll see what happens! 🙂

Nobody is invincible, no matter if you’re a black belt wearer or boxing world champion. A self-defence situation requires more than just the automatic recall of techniques. Possible factors, such as rigor mortis, can hinder you there – especially when you are in a dangerous situation for the first time. However, martial artists naturally have immense advantages through their training, which they use.

Myth 4 – Martial arts damages health

Whether football, tennis or martial arts, every sport has its risks. They can be minimized in martial arts by effective warm-up training, mutual respect between training partners, following instructions and using defense equipment such as mouthguards, bandages or hand and foot protectors.

How “dangerous” a fight is depends on the respective martial arts style. In competitions it is not necessarily important to achieve a knockout and often not even allowed. On the contrary: points are awarded for technically clean hits. 

But nobody is forced to participate in competitions. Martial arts is great for those who just want to keep fit and learn something useful at the same time.

Mentally, martial arts can be extremely helpful in reducing stress and strengthening your own self-confidence. When two fighters face each other in the ring, it might seem that martial arts is an individual sport. But the exact opposite is the case! 

No partner, no training! One is dependent on a training partner and they therefore support each other. In this way, martial arts connects!

Myth 5 – Muay Thai is more effective than Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

In Germany over 100 martial arts are practised, each with its own profile. When the first UFC events were held, the question of which is the most effective martial art was the focus of attention. But is that really important? 

All martial arts combine fitness, art, self-defense and meditation. Many martial arts are really impressive in their true, down-to-earth form. 

So find out for yourself what kind of martial arts you enjoy and which training form is most effective for you.

Curious? Then have a look at our website or our app where you can search for martial arts schools in your area and try out a training session.