Savate?????

[Shane]

Iam an owner a small school in Washington State and I'm wondering if anyone out there knows of any Savate instructors within the state. Our program uses a few of their body mechanics but I'm interested in learning Savate as a whole to better myself as an instructor(kickboxing,jujitsumixedarts)

 

Iam a firm believer that you should never stop trying to learn from others, there is just so much information out there to learn. I have searched the internet and asked around a little so maybe someone here can help me.

 

THANK YOU

[Sun Ti]

Iam an owner a small school in Washington State and I'm wondering if anyone out there knows of any Savate instructors within the state. Our program uses a few of their body mechanics but I'm interested in learning Savate as a whole to better myself as an instructor(kickboxing,jujitsumixedarts)

 

Iam a firm believer that you should never stop trying to learn from others, there is just so much information out there to learn. I have searched the internet and asked around a little so maybe someone here can help me.

 

THANK YOU

 

Yeah you should learn as much as possible, and you should master at least one thing. I like your attitude, but does that extend to learning TMAs? I'm guessing, uh-uh and a nope.

 

Without traditional arts you don't have kickboxing American style. Joe Lewis was a BB in Shorin Ryu as was Bill Wallace. Although mid-level Okinawan stylists, they had enough MAs knowledge to create a phenomenon that is loved around the world. Just like Bruce Lee. He never mastered Wing Chun, but now JKD is the bomb, huh?

 

This is the thing many MMAs types are missing. You have to be very proficient in one thing in order to invent something like GJJ, unless you are straight up lucky and just happen upon "it". You have to understand many schools of JJJ/AKJ in order to form Kodokan Judo, like Jigoro Kano did.

 

I like that everyone is a bandwagoneer. You guys will probably never use what you've learned for ring sport outside the ring. It will give you confidence that you can beat multiple attackers, someone who "steals" you, or weapon wielding assailants. Or will it? When the shite hits the fan, either get out the way, or be prepared. Train for SD or train for sport. They really are not inclusive.

 

I know I'm rambling. I'm just wondering when people will get things straight. Real karate, like a lot of Okinawan Karate, Kyokushin and its offshoots, are also good styles. The French sailors that invented Savate or Boxe Francaise learned that stuff in SE Asia from traditionalists. Maeda was a traditionally trained Jujustu-ka (only a 3rd dan btw) who taught Carlos Gracie who in turn taught Helio Gracie who in turn formulated the ground game called GJJ. A third dan taught 2 eventual 10th Dans. Wow! Traditional sucks, huh?

 

Anyway, yeah savate is cool. I like their use of toe-kicks, which styles like Matsumura Seito Karatejutsu and Uechi Ryu use with great frequency. Makes sense when you wear shoes. Peace...

[Shane]

Nothing sucks about the traditional martial arts. I find that they are not for me anymore. Yes anymore so the truth comes out I have trained traditional from 1993-1997 so I had a taste of them maybe not years and years but a taste and I enjoyed it. Maybe you are misunderstanding Mixed Arts or maybe I'm misunderstanding you. But not all mixed arts train for fights with fight rules and thats it. Mixed Arts is just that mixing it up, alot of the programs pull the best techniques and most realistic ones to form a well rounded program and that is the program to master. As far as taking traditional arts again uh-uh and a nope, not for me. Well thanks for trying to dog my martial arts training. I'll tell you what I have learned after 11yrs martial arts training, 3 real world military operations(on the ground),3 years as a police officer and a martial arts school owner, is you should never try to downtalk someones ablities or ideas when it comes to combative tactics, unless you have spent time training with that individual and even then its a risky subject.

 

You have your way I have mine respect that please.

 

People lets not be closed minded, lets not judge books by their covers and lets get back to my original question about Savate instructors in Washington state.

 

THANK YOU

[Shorin Ryuu]

I agree with your message at least, Sun Ti.

 

I haven't read enough of Shane's posts specifically to see if he falls in this category, so this isn't directed against him.

 

Something people don't realize is that traditional martial arts is a lot like jazz. No really, I'm actually going somewhere here.

 

Being good at jazz requires improvisation, but if you improvise without knowing music, you'll just end up sounding like crap.

 

Most all traditional masters, at least in Okinawan styles and I've heard of many others in Chinese styles learned the basic "sheet music" of the martial arts. That didn't stop them from going out, learning different systems of fighting and playing their tunes they had within them, and they played darn well. What else is Okinawan karate, but a "perfect fifth" and a "perfect fourth" off of the indigenous styles spiced up with some Chinese rhythms?

 

Yes, in traditional styles, there is a lot of kata and things that the "higher-ups" in Okinawa want to be taught a certain way: your hand here, your foot there, your weight in that spot. Kata was meant to be structured to take into account not only its fighting application, but also the natural breathing, the energy, the concepts, the flow. I like best how Jim Silvan puts it: "Kata is the study of biomechanics."

 

But now, just like back then, people who are proficient are encouraged to "stylize" the kata to suit their own needs. You teach the sheet music to the students. When they get good at it, when they can make conceptual leaps, when they hit the "sweet spot", that's when the real music flows.

 

Like I said, it doesn't take a genius to form a way of fighting. My little brother could do it. You have to know what you're doing to create something worth doing.

 

If you really want to know why traditional martial arts are so good but aren't taking them, I'll just use what Louis Armstrong said when he was asked what jazz was: "Man, if you gotta ask, you'll never know."

 

I came up with this analogy after someone used it to discuss how change in an organization is just like jazz. He used the piano to demonstrate his point (sometimes he uses a band).

 

I let jazz play on my trumpet years back, and I think the analogy fits perfectly with the martial arts.

 

So, for all of you critical thinking martial artists out there, keep on jamming!

 

 

 

Edit: Shane, you posted that while I was typing away...I just want to say good luck to you in your training. In my view, traditional martial arts is the best source for learning how to play sheet music...but it isn't the only one, so I hope your music composition goes well.

[Shane]

Thank You Shorin Ryuu

 

now thats a good post because I dont feel like your are trying to dog anyone but trying to advise using your opinion.

 

Anyways know of any Savate instructors in Washington state?

[Mu Ryuk]

Shane-

 

A little bit off topic, but where in Washington State are you?

[Shane]

I'm located in Snohomish County between Monroe and Granite Falls. King County and Skagit County border Sno. So Thats 3 countys to try and find a Savate intructor hahaha. My head Instructor is living in Skagit county and I asked him, but he has not heard of any Savate instruction taking place there. Anyways let me know if you know of anyone?

 

thanks

[KungFuMan]

Sun Ti,

 

Interesting post. I know where you are coming from and I know that your post was a general reaction to the way TMAs are misunderstood and even undervalued nowadays.

 

Shorin Ryuu,

 

Great post.

 

That was a great parallel you made with jazz music.

 

Many people have the misconception that TMAs are rigid "do this or do that" systems and as a result go on to fall for the marketing hype of "adaptable", "new and improved" and "updated" styles of MAs. They miss the very important point that all of the improvement, adapting and even updating comes AFTER one has mastered his chosen TMA and not on the first day in the dojo.

 

Also any further trainning would be relevant as the practitioner would have built a solid understanding of martial arts.

 

KFM