Teaching Karate at MMA gyms...

[DarthPenguin]

An excellent post - really insightful and i 100% agree with your alternative categories. As another example i spent many years training in a taekwondo offshoot which would have branded itself as modern but which i would definitely include within your Preservation category - cross training was massively frowned upon etc.

Another thing which i think the progression based fighting traditions do well is implement the concept of adapting a technique to suit your body type and for it to still be correct - eg performing an armbar slightly differently; a scissor sweep etc. while in a Preservation style this is usually frowned upon more (if sparring/fighting then you get a little more leeway but if you have an ankle issue and perform a sidekick with ball of foot rather than blade of foot you will be told it is wrong rather than an allowable adaptation - even with chamber and kick motion being identical)

[bushido_man96]

Thanks for that layout, Wado Heretic. Lots of really good points here. And you're spot-on about TKD.