Teach my personal style - yes or no?

[JustLuke]

My background is in Shotokan mainly, but I have some knowledge of Shorin-ryu and American Kenpo Karate.

My personal style is a hybrid style, drawing deeply on Okinawan/Japanese karate styles, but I have replaced the punches with a variety of palm strikes, blended a selection of simplified Kenpo techniques into the katas, more generally modified the katas that I practice for a variety of reasons, and removed almost all kicks. The few kicks that remain are thrown at waist height or below. I use the basic karate "blocks" exclusively as strikes, locks or throws and place a great emphasis on circular parries for defence. I have also done away with the idea of chambering the fist at the hip.

Based on this brief overview, what do you think about the legitimacy of me teaching what I've developed as a new named style?

I'm not interested in self-promoting myself to some bogus rank and getting people to call me "Grandmaster" or anything, I just think that others might enjoy learning what I have to offer, and I'd really like to preserve it, which I can't do if I keep it to myself.

Any opinions?

[andym]

Key question, over what time scale are we talking, that these changes have been made ?

[Harkon72]

The Answer will take time, if your style is a good one, you will still be teaching it in 30 years. If it proves ineffective, it will not be popular with real martial artists and it will soon be forgotten. If you want to train in your own style, then you can please yourself, after all we all have a style that is our own.

[bassaiguy]

Have you ever fought? Put your clips on youtube? Trained people who have applied their techniques in real life such as LEOs (they'll let you know what they think of your style)?

Train in a way that makes you happy, but my advice is to put the rubber to the road a bit before you jump out there and start to promote a new style.

[JustLuke]

Key question, over what time scale are we talking, that these changes have been made ?

Good question. I'd say that my style has evolved over the last twenty years or so, but I can think of a handful of times when I've consciously decided to test, and later integrate, a major change - usually after exposure to a new martial art theory or technique that seemed to me to work well, or in reaction to something in my style that I perceived to not work as well as I believed it should.

It initially developed by accident, but some time, after I realised how individualised it had become, I began to conciously develop it into something consistent and systematic. Now it is something of a hobby that I would like to share.

[brickshooter]

My background is in Shotokan mainly, but I have some knowledge of Shorin-ryu and American Kenpo Karate.

My personal style is a hybrid style, drawing deeply on Okinawan/Japanese karate styles, but I have replaced the punches with a variety of palm strikes, blended a selection of simplified Kenpo techniques into the katas, more generally modified the katas that I practice for a variety of reasons, and removed almost all kicks. The few kicks that remain are thrown at waist height or below. I use the basic karate "blocks" exclusively as strikes, locks or throws and place a great emphasis on circular parries for defence. I have also done away with the idea of chambering the fist at the hip.

Based on this brief overview, what do you think about the legitimacy of me teaching what I've developed as a new named style?

I'm not interested in self-promoting myself to some bogus rank and getting people to call me "Grandmaster" or anything, I just think that others might enjoy learning what I have to offer, and I'd really like to preserve it, which I can't do if I keep it to myself.

Any opinions?

IMO, you're really going to struggle business wise. It'll be difficult to attract and sustain a following without a clear identity. I think that you're going to have to work on creating a better brand other than "I'm teaching my own hybrid Karate style." Let's face it, a large number of Karate schools are linked to their organization for the required marketing purpose.

[sensei8]

Every MAist has a core style of the MA!! It's what we do effectively after that determines ones journey!! Do what you feel works for you!!

Don't be absorbed in what pleases others because it's your journey!!

[pers]

If you mean you are going to teach your own concept of the style trained in I would say go ahead !

Whatever you decide to teach you are going to teach the fundementals of karate first , then you can insert your preferan ces and your ideas on how to do combat into your tea ching .

[lowereastside]

I think that when one is in martial arts for a number of years we all develop our own personal style. Some of my Senior students have met my teacher - and have worked out with him on a few occasions - and all will tell you ( they told me ) that what I do is not what my teacher does. The core is there - the concepts are there. However, we must evolve - my Teacher told me that years ago - and I tell my students the same thing. Even the katas/Forms must evolve - My Teacher's Forms/Katas have evolved in the time I have Known him - and so have mine. About 3 years ago I decided to go more public with my teaching - One of my senior students was watching me teach the 1st form to a beginner - after class in private he comes up to me and says " That's not the same 1st form you taught me " My reply was yes it was not -I informed him that my Forms keep on evolving - just like his Form/Kata should evolve - It was still Jook Lum Mantis just that my understanding of it had evolved - I've seen so many variations of Hakka Praying Mantis that it will make one's head spin - he understood and it's taken him to a different level. We all have our creative gene - which is ok - That's why we have so many different styles of karate - Kung Fu and so on..........Look If the changes are going to to so drastic from what the original was or is - then its time for a change. Anyway Good Luck.