What makes traditional...traditional?

[devil dog]

I had a white belt tell me that I did not teach traditional Karate because his last teacher told him that his style was true traditional Karate and he taught differently from the way I was teaching.

This got me to thinking about what makes tradition... traditional.

The only answer I could give the yound man is that I teach the way my teacher and his teacher taught. There are some differences because everyone teaches differently. I still make everyone learn the techniques in Japanese/Okinawan and use Japanese/Okinawan commands. Our students bow in when entering or leaving the dojo floor, bow to their Sensei, bow to the Kamiza (founders), use respect when talking to Sempai and fellow deshi. I do not have wierd colored obi or gi's. I do not have special classes for this and that that costs more money. I only test a student when I think he is ready to be tested and not before due to some scheduled time frame.

But when you think about it everything changes and ways of teaching are altered from one teacher to the next. What is to say that I am truly teaching traditional Karate or is it a hibrid of what was truly traditional?

I like to think that we are adhering to the way it was originally taught but in hindsight I realize that I have changed things from what my Sensei taught. Not the actual techniques so much as the performance of those techniques.

I may perfom a back fist slightly different than the way he does for example. Whose to say one of my students aren't teaching a slightly modified version of what I taught to them?

I know the way I perform Kata differs from the way my Sensei does. This is encouraged to some degree to make it your own so to speak. Not actually changing the movements or techniques within the kata but the way in which it is performed and the tempo of the kata.

It begs the question - what does traditional truly mean and are we teaching it or a slight hibrid of what it originally was?

I love when the students get you thinking about things you never considered. I learn more from them than I think I ever teach them.

[Wastelander]

The semantics of "traditional" martial arts have been debated endlessly, and I'm sure they will continue to be debated for as long as I am alive. As far as I'm concerned, if you are teaching material that has been passed on from a previous generation, then it is traditional, because a "tradition" is defined as "the handing down of statements, beliefs, legends, customs, information, etc., from generation to generation, especially by word of mouth or by practice." Unfortunately, that makes just about all martial arts traditional .

[Zaine]

The semantics of "traditional" martial arts have been debated endlessly, and I'm sure they will continue to be debated for as long as I am alive. As far as I'm concerned, if you are teaching material that has been passed on from a previous generation, then it is traditional, because a "tradition" is defined as "the handing down of statements, beliefs, legends, customs, information, etc., from generation to generation, especially by word of mouth or by practice." Unfortunately, that makes just about all martial arts traditional .

I agree with this. I tend not to worry about whether or not what I am learning or teaching is traditional or not. To be honest if it works and is interesting then it is enough for me and if anyone disagrees then let them.

[sensei8]

One's perception!! That, imho, makes it tradition.

[bushido_man96]

I think some people get too caught up in the idea of "my Art is older than your art, has been around longer, so it is really traditional, like, the very first traditional traditional Martial Art."

A tradition is really any action or custom that is carried out over time and is viewed as or deemed valued by those that carry it out.

[lowereastside]

What makes traditional....Traditional? IMO the handing down of,the Arts from generation to generation.

[bushido_man96]

From The Way of Traditional Taekwondo, volume A (Philosophy and Tradition), provides a Webster definition...

tradition: the handing down of statements, beliefs, legends, customs, etc, from generation to generation especially by word of mouth or by practice.

I think what tends to get lost in the fold is that traditions get added and taken away over time. I think there is a sense that all the "traditions" of "traditional" Martial Arts have always been there, when this could not have been the case. Some were added over time, and its likely that some went away. There is an ebb and flow to it, and I think this is just as important to keep in mind.

[sensei8]

Not all like or are not happy with anything tradition, especially in the MA.

[bushido_man96]

I think the main thing to consider behind a tradition is "why?" Why do we do it? Why do we keep it around? If the answer is "just because," then it probably should be under consideration as to whether it should be kept or not.

[andym]

Actually, MMA could be considered a modern version of Pankration, which goes back to the ancient Olympic games

says bushido_man96

This comes from another thread, but has sparked my answer to this thread. Because I feel the above quote is wrong, because there is no link between the two. Yes, similar concepts at work etc, but no direct link. And to me to be a tradition requires that direct link. A link beyond word of mouth, but a link of teacher to pupil, a direct transmission. To me this is the definition of traditional within the martial arts.