on the metaphysics of martial arts: sex, chimps, and complex human behaviour

The article (linked in the title) cleared up some confusion that arose over a discussion I participated in on fighting. Some women involved in the discussion wanted the opportunity to fight against males under full-contact rules. The men active in the discussion were unanimously opposed to the idea of fighting women as if they were men. Some men felt that rules should be established prohibiting such match-ups. While notions of chivalry, equal rights, oppression and declining masculinity were tossed about, the crux of the problem, I see now, is sex, no not gender, the nasty.

Chimps have long been observed using sticks and blades of grass to extract termites from their burrows. Recently, some scientists have documented male chimps using dry leaves to entice females to mate. This is fascinating, complex behavior for the purpose of getting down with the ladies. Should we be surprised?

Martial arts, as distinguished from killing, I would argue is an activity to establish hierarchy and mating rights. If it were about self-defense and killing, martial artists would be training with the latest weapons and technology available. Instead, martial arts is all non-lethal fun. Tournaments, cage matches, kumite, along with rams butting heads or peacocks in display mode are primarily male pursuits, whose object, we might not realize, is to get the girl.

Getting back to the discussion of full-contact matches between men and women, perhaps the males' reluctance to hit women is not because of chivalry, but because deep in our simian brain we are simply programmed to hit "on" women. Hitting is reserved for the competition, the other guy.

Today's workout:
-weighted chin-ups (5, 4, 4, 4, 4, )
-1 to 15 burpee breathing ladder