Why learn a martial art?

[Peter V. Dell'Orto]

Originally Posted by vicky_molokh

Yeah, it's silly. Which does bring about an amusing desire to get as obscure a style as one can get hands on, as long as it fits other criteria. Not sure if it's awesome or silly.

No, that's not unrealistic. I know when I roll with people who do BJJ they often get a little frustrated. The really good ones still own me, but the ones closer to my skill have more trouble. Their problem is that my style (Kachin Bando style grappling) is unfamiliar to them, and their style (BJJ) isn't unfamiliar to me. It's a minor advantage at best.

The combat upside of an obscure style is outweighed in a more social situation, though - my friend the BJJ blue belt can go to any BJJ school with his blue belt, tell them his instructor's name and his instructor's instructor's name, and they'll know him. They'll accept his ranking and position and skill and treat him as a blue belt.

I get tossed into the unknown category, because even after I explain my style most people still don't know what the hell I'm talking about. I'm better off saying "Kendo Shodan" and my date of ranking than explaining my years of grappling experience and fight record. It just doesn't signify as much as that minor Claim to Hospitality and Cultural Familiarity does. It helps in combat, a little, but only when I pull stuff that doesn't look like what they know.