Why are the FMA considered simple arts (un-complex) ?
When the FMA are referred to in this manner they are discussing the systematization, not the effectiveness of the arts. The FMA were designed to be simple to learn. The arts were originally used to train fellow villagers in a short period of time for combat against other villages and foreign invaders. There was no time or reason to teach flashy techniques nor techniques that required special abilities. Only the skills that were proven effective and could be easily taught were used. The people who were learning this art depended on its effectiveness and simplicity for their survival. They were generally not martial artists or soldiers, just villagers who had to defend their land. Some of these people had no natural talent for fighting. They had to become proficient or perish in battle. There was no time to teach a detailed and complex martial art if the village was under immediate threat. Therefore, good generic methods and solutions needed to be taught in the quickest time possible. Th
