Do you compartmentalize your art?

[ps1]

I've notice a disturbing trend. In my study of TKD, Shotokan, Chuan Fa, Aiki jujitsu, and even BJJ, instructors have the habit of compartmentalizing their art.

The specific type I am speaking of is saying, "we're now going to train some self defense."

With the exception of BJJ, all the arts I've trained are supposed to consist of 3 major components:

1. Kata- forms

2. Kihon- drills

3. Kumite- sparring

It is my belief that anything you practice should have the intent to be practical and useful. Therefore, it's all self defense. I feel that to compartmentalize certain techniques as self defense implies that anything else is not self defense; rather something else. For a person whose only concern is self defense, doing this tells them that anything not in the self defense category is unimportant to them.

How do you feel about this assertion?

[Dobbersky]

Wtih my Style everything is important and follows he same route.

The only difference is that I have basic application and advanced application.

The Kata IS the basis of my style and everything is worked from there. I do NOT have a separate Self Defence system as "what's the point of the Kata!!!!" if its not a "Self Defence" system already!!!

[ps1]

Wtih my Style everything is important and follows he same route.

The only difference is that I have basic application and advanced application.

The Kata IS the basis of my style and everything is worked from there. I do NOT have a separate Self Defence system as "what's the point of the Kata!!!!" if its not a "Self Defence" system already!!!

I agree.

[bushido_man96]

I don't compatmentalize TKD, but it really has already been done for me. Its taught in a compartmentalized way, with basics, then forms, then one-steps, and we will at times do "self-defense" techniques that are seperate from the other curriculum. We don't really break the forms down into applications, and the one-steps leave little to be desired in the form of being self-defense applicable. So, any kind of application ideas that I work from the forms and one-steps is purely my own. I think it is unfortunate, too, as the forms and one-steps provide good building blocks to work from; its just that the "next step" in the application process is never taken.

Combat Hapkido, on the other hand, was not set up the same way. Everything was pretty much self-defense oriented. I very much enjoyed this constant "application aspect" of Combat Hapkido.

[JusticeZero]

There are some different tactics to the art as played for enjoyment and the art as delivered for combat. While the first should be generally useful for the second, some things from the second are not useful for the first, and this necessitates special tagging of some techniques.

[Zaine]

For me, each technique is equally as important. There's no magical technique that will work every time, so I try to focus equally on each one so that my students will be equipped to handle whatever.

[ps1]

There are some different tactics to the art as played for enjoyment and the art as delivered for combat. While the first should be generally useful for the second, some things from the second are not useful for the first, and this necessitates special tagging of some techniques.

True. And it should be noted that some of the "Do" arts are specifically designed to focus more on personal growth versus "Jitsu" arts, which had a focus on combat techniques.

However, to be more specific, most martial arts have some sort of basic side kick. This is a powerful, quick, and effective technique. However, rarely is a side kick practiced in the "self defense" section. Same for most of the strikes. In nearly every art I've trained, "self defense" usually consists of joint manipulations against some sort of grab or embrace. Why not just put these into the training and just call them sparring/kumite just like one steps? Why separate them out from everything else?

[tallgeese]

I went with "no" and agree with your above statement ps1.

If you're training a jutsu art for combat effectiveness then everything MUST integrate. Anything that doesn't in some way push you toward this goal is superfluous and needs to go. Everything that can be supplanted by a more efficient method of training should be cut to make room for the more efficient method.

[Wastelander]

We do have specific "self defense techniques" that are just short response drills to certain types of attacks, so in that way we do compartmentalize. That said, just about every technique in those drills comes from kata and we do explain that. The idea behind this is that it can take a long time to break down a kata and become proficient at its application and being able to use the application in self defense, but we can teach some basic defensive techniques from the kata that they can use right away.

[ps1]

We do have specific "self defense techniques" that are just short response drills to certain types of attacks, so in that way we do compartmentalize. That said, just about every technique in those drills comes from kata and we do explain that. The idea behind this is that it can take a long time to break down a kata and become proficient at its application and being able to use the application in self defense, but we can teach some basic defensive techniques from the kata that they can use right away.

But if it's just broken down kata, why not call it Kata. Even call it kihon. Why displace it from the rest of the art and create a new label?