There's A Mess Of Them

[sensei8]

Couldn't the power that be, whomever that was/is, have just added 'it' to "Karate", for example, instead of creating a different style by name??

Funakoshi Sensei could've just added his methodologies/ideologies to the existing "Karate" of his days. Then, as the years have passed, my Soke could've added his instead of creating Shindokan.

Maybe, it's possible, isn't it?!?

Then possibly the distance between one "Karate" style towards another "Karate" style wouldn't be so tilted, as it seems to be nowadays. Methodologies/ideologies/ranks/titles and the like could be "honored" across the board, and so on and so forth.

[MasterPain]

Couldn't the power that be, whomever that was/is, have just added 'it' to "Karate", for example, instead of creating a different style by name??

Funakoshi Sensei could've just added his methodologies/ideologies to the existing "Karate" of his days. Then, as the years have passed, my Soke could've added his instead of creating Shindokan.

Maybe, it's possible, isn't it?!?

Then possibly the distance between one "Karate" style towards another "Karate" style wouldn't be so tilted, as it seems to be nowadays. Methodologies/ideologies/ranks/titles and the like could be "honored" across the board, and so on and so forth.

According to Genesis, the first thing the first man did was to go around naming things with binomial nomenclature. Not sure if my theology is 100 percent accurate. The second generation had the first violence. I'm going to assume that in 10 years time, there were 20 sub-styles of Rockupsideyohead Jutsu in the Land of Nod. Cause people have always liked naming things.

[ps1]

Couldn't the power that be, whomever that was/is, have just added 'it' to "Karate", for example, instead of creating a different style by name??

Funakoshi Sensei could've just added his methodologies/ideologies to the existing "Karate" of his days. Then, as the years have passed, my Soke could've added his instead of creating Shindokan.

Maybe, it's possible, isn't it?!?

Then possibly the distance between one "Karate" style towards another "Karate" style wouldn't be so tilted, as it seems to be nowadays. Methodologies/ideologies/ranks/titles and the like could be "honored" across the board, and so on and so forth.

People like to create. They like to know that their mark is left on the world when they're gone. As a species, humans are best at categorizing things and organizing them into groups based on traits. It's what we do (from a social psychology/anthropology standpoint this behavior speaks volumes toward racisim and sexisim but that's a whole other can of worms). So for a person to change a few things and recategorize their art makes perfect sense. That's not to say that makes it a true representation of reality, but it makes sense that we do it.

In regard to BJJ, most of the masters I've met simply call it Jiu-Jitsu. While there are significant differences between BJJ/GJJ and Kano Jiu-jitsu/Judo, those differences were categorized largely by the public and not the Gracie Family. "Gracie" jiu-jitsu was copyrighted by Rorion Gracie right after the UFC because people fraudulently started claiming to teach it. He didn't want uncertified/untrained people giving his family art a bad name, and he wanted to capitalize on its success.

[mal103]

It does make sense that someone who feels they are matured enough wants to make changes to a style that they should rename it their own, this would prevent anyone from copying what they have been taught and passing it off as their own and maybe also not be disrespectful to their teacher by teaching it differently but calling it the same.

I suspect as things have moved on then organisations may have also made some decisions based on money or their own self importance, I find it crazy that someone can't find a match for their club/group amongst the many existing orgs that they feel they have to create another one!

It makes it all very confusing, you also hear bad stories of people turning up for a semina but being turned away because they are not in a certain org/assoc. Or not having their grade recognised if they switch so have to start again.

I like to see people who are free enough to search out what they want in their MA training and not have to fit into certain categories - like when Elvis stated that he doesn't sound like anybody.

I would also like to just answer "Karate" when asked what style I train, although I would need many more years of experience. GF always refered to it as Karate, it was his students that called the hall Shotokan.

It's very annoying when you hear people say that someone else is doing it wrong, or "in our club/org we do it the proper way".

Like fitting applications to Kata, what works for some may not work for others, same as me trying to kick someone in the head with my left leg at the moment!

[straightblast]

I don’t think BL was commenting on how many styles that exist but rather more of his personal system of JKD. It didn’t matter if you were a boxer, kung fu or karate. To him he saw that a kick is just a kick and a punch is just a punch and his JKD would deal with it, by more than likely intercepting anything regardless of what stylist he faces.

[lowereastside]

Sensei8 - nice post. - This is my take - Yesterday the family went to my Brother's house for Easter - My nieces boyfriend came over for Dinner - he is starting a Chess Cake Business - HE MAKES 27 DIFFERENT FLAVORS OF CHESS CAKES. Martial Arts is not that much different then cooking or baking everyone is always coming up with new ideas on how to make it better or different. We all have our creative genes - some more than other's. Look - even Bruce Lee had his creative genes. But again we have 1 head 2 arms 2 legs and how many ways can we move them - BTW I like my Chess Cake Plain.

[maisweh]

and then, there's the people who like stripes on their belt, and feel like their system is t3h ultimate for t3h str33tz, if you get what i mean.

[bushido_man96]

"...I believe there should be only one way of fighting and that is no way". ~Bruce Lee

As Bruce said at the beginning of his quote; he didn't believe in a Chinese or Japanese way of fighting, therefore, he believed that NO WAY was the only one way of fighting. Labels, imho, can ruin a brand by the brand being the focus and not the context.

But Bruce still linked "no way" with as being "a way." Being philosophical at times can be funny, can't it?

Bruce's style was still a style. He still had to train, so he had to have "a way" to train. And a reason, even if that reason is just as simple as "to train."

[golferic012]

Agreed.

[JusticeZero]

We actually lack that language of "styles" to a certain extent, and it causes us problems. Particularly when the terms for techniques differ, or when one line's good technique is another line's bad habit and vice versa.