Lineage - does it always matter?

[sensei8]

I can only `speak from a BJJ background. For me it's very important. I think for the uneducated it doesn't mean much. However, I always encourage everyone to do some research on the school and or instructor you are choosing. Lineage can say a lot about the type of instruction and the level of the competency you can expect from the instructor. There are more than one bogus gracie jiu jitsu black belts in my area. An individual takes a picture with Royce Gracie at a seminar and then puts up the pictures starts teaching and telling everyone he is a Royce Gracie black belt. Whatever the style is i'm sure this has happened before. There should be a way for everyone to research the legitimacy of any one instructor. I am in the practice of suggesting the other schools in surrounding cities that I know are legit BJJ black belts. On another note. My lineage is important for me. I'm a black belt under Luiz Palhares, who is a sixth degree under Rickson Gracie.

BINGO! Very admirable!

Possible, those who speak ill about lineage are those who have no lineage at all. It's one thing to stand on ones own feet; seperate and alive. But, it's another thing to completely ignore ones own background. Letting ones own knowledge speak for itself on the floor; either one can or one just can't. Can we expect everyone to respect us and/or our lineage? No, because it's not practical to do so. Imho, people will believe what they want to believe, no matter what.

If I had been actually trained by Bruce Lee himself in JKD, I suppose I'd let that fact/lineage be known. Who'd care about that? Well, I guess that those who'd want to learn JKD might find that fact hard to ignore, as well as an important requirement.

[Luph]

To tell you the truth I haven't read much of this thread but I think I know what you are discussing, so I'll give my bit.

I think something to remember is that even if said martial art was created in a said country, the person that created that martial art probably adapted it from another martial art.

Kalarippayattu which started in India could be said be almost the closest thing to the original art, which was then adapted into Chinese Kenpo (I may feel really dumb after saying Kenpo) when taken to China, which was adapted into Karate when taken to Japan.

I'm not quite sure if this is part of the lineage you guys are referring to, but if not... Then if you are talking about the person, lineage could matter. Do you think you would better understand a martial art if you were taught by the person who invented it or even that person's first disciple rather than someone who learned it from someone, who learned it from another guy? Probably. As information is passed down, it tends to change some,and so did martial arts. Referring to my first rant in this post, how do you think Kenpo started? Someone taught a person Kalarippayattu, which he/she may have changed a little, then taught it to another person, who may have added something and then passes it down, etc.

But I do think training in the homeland of the art you are learning would yield better results, mainly because that would be where the tradition of that art would be held up the most, and be the most undiluted.

[bushido_man96]

The problem is that the lineage becomes more diluted as time goes by. Its natural. I think it is important to find someone who is competent about what they are doing, and learn from them. They may not be in a strong lineage, but that doesn't mean they won't be competent in what they teach.

[ninjanurse]

Lineage! It's important within its proper context, otherwise, it's subjective, imho.

True indeed! The lineage of my style centers around the precept: "Revere your ancestors". It is truly a cultural thing-paying honor and respect to those before you...regardless of how the style evolves. Lineage does validate ones teacher but....as said, it is subjective-things that do not grow will eventually die.