Fighting vs Martial Arts

In my pursuit to becoming the best Mixed Martial Artist I can be I am doing many things to enhance my performance (which doesn't include needles or any type of male.. well you get the point) and one thing I recently started was seeing a specialists on improving my flexibility and muscle recovery. During our session I was asked what I do and I replied "I am a Mixed Martial Artists" and then I was asked the most confusing question I have ever been asked since I started training he said that's interesting but what is it called while your doing your sport? He then replied are you "Mixed Martial Arting?" I laughed and said no and reluctantly I said "I am Fighting."

Fighting???? Now this has been driving me crazy since Sunday and I can't seem to get my mind off it. I am by no means some elitists with a giant ego who wants to be called a certain title to make himself feel better, but having a deep passion for what I do I wanted to get to the bottom of this issue. Well let's see a Boxer boxes a Wrestle wrestles well than what do I do??? I will never forget the day when I was in 5th grade and I was brought to Upper Darby's Boxing/Kick Boxing gym. I never went to Disney World ever in my whole life, but the feeling I had when I walked up those steps and saw for my first time how Boxers and Kick Boxers train was probably an equal feeling to taking a kid to Disney Land(I would of rather done Andy Carr's Kick Boxing Class than had breakfast with Mickey any day). My motives entering the gym was not to fight, but to learn this brand new fascinating world.

When we look at the birth of Martial Arts it wasn't started by a bunch of drunk dudes who wanted to prove how macho they were after you accidentally bumped into them. I am sure there are people out there who will argue, but Martial Arts were started to basically defend yourself from that macho drunk person who is pissed that you smudged his puma ( Jiu-Jitsu was started by Monks who were tired of getting wedgies and wanted to know a nice way of defending them selves i.e The Gentle Art). Without getting into a crazy history lesson it then spread to way of life to bring structure and discipline and then evolved and evolved to where it is now a sport with rules, safety precautions, and time limits.

When we look at fighting where did it start? I can't answer that question, but I guess I can give you my thoughts on it. A fight mainly starts from a difference, disagreement, or a dispute of some kind ( We have all seen the many reasons lead to fight most common I seen is sports teams haha I seen people come to blows to prove the team they were cheering for is better). If anyone has seen a street fight it is usually ugly technique with two people swinging for fences risking life and limb to prove a point that really is not worth the risk.

To wrap this thing up and to answer my argument Martial Arts has shown me that I really don't want to be involved with a fight. I am learning to de-attach from ego and avoid unnecessary conflict, but I am trained and ready if I can't. To answer the question what is called while I am doing my sport I still don't know. The most important thing is I know it has brought joy and fulfillment to life and really that's more important to me than a label. Thanks for time and consideration.

-SammyO