Why do you have to belong to a style

[Dobbersky]

Dave Moore, From a different Forum asked the following Question, I thought it was an excellent question but didn't want to take away Dave's ownership of the topic, Thanks Dave

This has been puzzling me for a while

Why does a Karate club have to belong to any particular style? a question that has been thrown at me a few times by people who practice the major ones who always ask "is it Shotokan, is it Goju ryu, Wado ryu" and then raise an eye brow when I say no. One high ranking guy said "you know you will never be recognised by the major styles when you get a black belt"

I have come around to the thought now that I don't really care who the club are affilliated to as long as I get something from the training and find the stuff taught usefull and wonder why I should have to be part of the style issue. Surely if I am getting something from the training then why should it matter which style I belong to or practice.

your thoughts please

[bushido_man96]

I don't think a club has to belong to a style. But, in the view of the greater amount of stylists that are a part of a style, wonder where the credentials, the qualifications, the training, and all that comes with it come from. Is this some freelancer? Is he credible? I think thats what bothers many people, especially those who are tied to a "brand name" for lack of a better term.

The big issue, is the credibility coming into question. I know that not everyone feels this way, but I think its the driving force behind why many look for a link to a style.

[Dobbersky]

I suppose, we'll always have this ethos as long as we have Karate.

Belonging to a greater group is only there to validate you grades. Are these same people the same ones that must have Dan Bars on their belts too?

in my opinion, a black Belt should be plain apart from Style name (ie Black Tiger Kara Te) and Holder's Name (Sensei Ken) if nessesary. Dan Bars should never be added

If a person walked into your Dojo, and they didn't know the grades of the people in that Dojo (as none of them were wearing belts), would that person be able to correctly give the correct grade to each individual after watching a class. this is the biggest test I think.

My style falls into this category as its Ashihara but its not pure Ashihara, its also Wado Ryu but its also Tang Soo Do, but its also Muay Thai and then again its also Jujitsu. In which case I can not say I'm one or the other so i won't get recognistion from the JKA, never mind eh, I won't loose sleep. If my students feel it is a competent enough style to train in then I'm happy too.

There are so many NGB's in the UK and so many Independant Schools in the UK alone who have "Mixed" styles and are unable to claim pure lineage to any of the JKA recognised Styles.

Dare I say we have become a International nation of Freestyle Karate!!!!

[sensei8]

How can I not belong to a style(s)?

[Ashley]

I think that is because you automatically start to belong to a certain style.

[sensei8]

Imho, whatever "it" is that one trains in at that moment, then that one is of "that" style. One can not practice the martial arts without belonging to "that" style(s).

[Wastelander]

Human beings have an innate desire to name things, so if you aren't part of a "style" now you eventually will be when you or someone else starts calling what you do some name you or they came up with.

In regards to Dave's comment, specifically, I think that people want to know if you have a base style because otherwise it seems like you just made your own style up out of nothing. Even if you are working a mixture of equal parts Goju-Ryu, Muay Thai, Taekwondo, Capoeira, Sambo and Catch-as-catch-can they will want to know that those arts are where it came from. If you can't put a name to it then you probably made it up because EVERYTHING has been named or will be named--it's human nature.

All that said, I have no problem with people who practice "style-less" martial arts as long as they have credentials, even if those credentials are regarding their training under someone else with credentials.

[honoluludesktop]

Interesting question. Shotokan is "Shoto's" place, a reference to the building where he taught. "Shoto" was Funakoshi's pen neme. He deliberately did not have a name for his style, and referred to it simply as Karate. It was others that later used it as the name of his style. Some like Kanazawa tried to do the same, and when Karate moved West from Japan, he tried to encourage the notion of one Karate where style was not as important (see his autobiography). However, those with less generous hearts prevailed, and hence the emphasis on styles.

[sojobo]

I suppose, we'll always have this ethos as long as we have Karate.

Belonging to a greater group is only there to validate you grades. Are these same people the same ones that must have Dan Bars on their belts too?

in my opinion, a black Belt should be plain apart from Style name (ie Black Tiger Kara Te) and Holder's Name (Sensei Ken) if nessesary. Dan Bars should never be added

If a person walked into your Dojo, and they didn't know the grades of the people in that Dojo (as none of them were wearing belts), would that person be able to correctly give the correct grade to each individual after watching a class. this is the biggest test I think.

My style falls into this category as its Ashihara but its not pure Ashihara, its also Wado Ryu but its also Tang Soo Do, but its also Muay Thai and then again its also Jujitsu. In which case I can not say I'm one or the other so i won't get recognistion from the JKA, never mind eh, I won't loose sleep. If my students feel it is a competent enough style to train in then I'm happy too.

There are so many NGB's in the UK and so many Independant Schools in the UK alone who have "Mixed" styles and are unable to claim pure lineage to any of the JKA recognised Styles.

Dare I say we have become a International nation of Freestyle Karate!!!!

I am not sure you can belong to a style per se?

You can however belong to a dojo or association that practices a specific style.

As such, being part of a "Ryu-ha", you learn what has been passed down from progenitor through instructor(s) to student(s) to arrive at what it is today.

So, my Karate style is Wado-Ryu. My Instructor was taught by Suzuki sensei who himself was taught by Otsuka I sensei (creator of Wado-Ryu) - My instructor also spent a lot of time in Japan and trained with Otsuka I sensei directly. He has also trained extensively with many of Otsuka sensei's most senior students (as have I), so I would say firmly that the "style" of karate my group practices is Wado.

Do you have to belong to style? Imo no. Does belonging to a style make you a better Martial Artist? - That's difficult.

I believe your odds are increased massively if you join a bone-fide MA group with a good heritage and instructor programme.

Also - I think that when Karate styles are homogenised into just “karate” - you lose the specifics or workings in terms of what makes the style work.

Wado works how it does - Shoto is different (very different). Neither is better than the other just different. You say your style has Wado in it mixed with Ashihara karate. Who created this style and what experience in Wado-ryu did they have?

Also JKA is a Shotokan association - as such there are no other styles that are part of their group ... Do you mean JKF?

Sojobo

[sensei8]

I don't know, but, aren't we now possibly entering into some semantics over the word..."belong"? Semantics are akin to one not seeing the forest because of the trees. Also, couldn't the word "belong" in this thread be based on ones feelings?

Just thinking out loud.