telsun Posted June 29, 2003 Posted June 29, 2003 Okay guys and girls. Alot of us seem to be practicing traditional styles. This may over lap with another thread but I was wondering.....Do you think the master of your style got it right? Allow me to elaborate. In our style it is often said that we want to "go back" to the way that our style was originally taught. But why? Why not evolve move on. All those years back how could they possibly have got it all right. After all they were only men and women. I understand the importance of kata, etc. But why do we wish to stick so rigidly to the original teachings? Or do we. Have we evolved? What is you opinion? Is your style (association, instructor, you, whatever) stuck religously in the past or do you believe in evolving? (No disrespect to any Masters, Styles, etc Just some food for thought) I keep asking God what I'm for and he tells me........."gee I'm not sure!"
Kirves Posted June 29, 2003 Posted June 29, 2003 My take on this is this: Evolution is critical. But before that can happen, you must understand your grounding. You must not change a thing if you don't know why it is that way. Does your style use 45 degree angled fist? Does it use horizontal fist? Before you change it, ask why it is the way it is. After you understand what the "master" thought, then you can change it. But if you don't understand what you are changing, you risk doing something terribly wrong. Remember, if you study a decent martial art, then your master had some combat experience. Why would someone with less combat experience change it? Change it only after you understand what you are changing. Then change it so it works better. That is the spirit of budo.
Icetuete Posted June 29, 2003 Posted June 29, 2003 Do you think the master of your style got it right? i pray he did. You must not change a thing if you don't know why it is that way. very true. i think only the best in an art should be "allowed" to offically change things. i mean, everyone can interprete styles the way he wants, but i am not sure whether that always be better. lets take TKD for an example. many ppl bash it (-> think some changes in the system are urgently needed), but it was good enough for the korean army, so why isnt it good enough for me? and the style was a mixture of karate, ancient korean fist and ancient korean leg fight. it worked since about 1955 i think it was so why shouldnt it still work? BUT on the other hand... the styles General Choi used to form TKD have worked for thousands of years and who was this young lieutenant to question the styles with their huge history? his changes made TKD the worlds most famous martial art though... hard to tell in what cases u have to change something and when not. these were just my thoughts.
G95champ Posted June 30, 2003 Posted June 30, 2003 The style (masters) developed years ago is just a base to get started on. All changed their art as they went along. Much like the US Constution the Founders knew they did not know everything so they made it possilbe to change as the times changed. This is why it is called martial arts. If it were set in stone as right or wrong it would be martial science. (General George S. Patton Jr.) "It's the unconquerable soul of man, and not the nature of the weapon he uses, that ensures victory."
Icetuete Posted June 30, 2003 Posted June 30, 2003 american constitution? as far as i know u can only add things, cant u? i might be wrong about it though. i think no martial art is so perfect that there cant be anything better/newer or whatever. thats the reason for sooooo many styles i guess. every style was invented to be as good/effective/blah blah as possible but the perfect one wont ever be discovered. so why not experiment a bit and try to get a little closer to perfect? i myself would be satisfied with training the way my instructor understood it. i might think of chaning something when i got my 3rd dan or something which probably is far away though
granmasterchen Posted June 30, 2003 Posted June 30, 2003 At there time the masters had it right, now the masters of today have the right skills to deal with todays society, the masters of old had to deal with bandits, samurai, horse back and they had little in means of weapons other than farming tools, today we have to deal with armed terrorists, gangs, guns and such. I think the strictness of the training in the old days could be put to good use in the dojos today, more breaking, hitting the body with medicine balls and boards, and balance training on poles getting smacked in the legs, putting the old methods to use with todays techs would be very efficient i believe That which does not destroy me will only make me stronger
Guy_Who_Fights Posted June 30, 2003 Posted June 30, 2003 Remember, all those past masters are considered great because they changed the then current traditions, evolving the martial art. To stick to their way of doing things is to be exactly who they were considered great for not being. Their true teachings were not in their techniques, but in what they saught - the evolution of martial art. Free online martial arts lessons at https://www.intellifight.com (updated regularly)!
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