What would you say makes a style a style? Is it the technique execution or area of focus? The theories and strategy? The training? There are thousands of martial arts "styles" today, why have so many? Is it simply due to tradition? Or is there really such a big difference that they must all be separated? The human body can only do so much, and with kinesiology the "right" way for something can be calculated and tested scientifically. I think tradition plays a large role for style. what do you think?
Your style is simply how you do what you do. In the beginning you copy someone else's style. As you progress you adapt it to your body, your talents, your strengths and weaknesses. Everyone has a personal style.
If by style you mean a theory of practice, it's three things: 1. Doctrine - the overall philosophy of practice 2. Strategy - the concepts used to accomplish that practice 3. Tactics - the on-the-ground tools to accomplish your goals They're ranked, in descending order, from most to least important. Now as far as what you do can do with all that, we'll, thats left up to practice. As far as all of the different styles, you need to consider that many of them are optimized for specific forms and conditions of combat. And that if you look hard at them, while a punch is a punch and kick is a kick, there's still a lot of room for nuance. - Matt
There is painting, then as subsets of painting there are different styles: impressionist, abstract, realistic, etc. There music, then as subsets of music there are different styles: rock, rap, country, acid jazz, etc. There are martial arts, then as subsets of martial arts there are different styles: karate, TKD, 5 ancestor fist. A style is a single method of fighting or performing martial arts (in one incarnation of another). Because in any human activity, there are limitless ways in wwhich a certain activity can be done. There are limitless ways in which a single goal can be accomplished. Personally, I don't think it's a matter of "the human body can only do so much," I think it's a matter of "the human body can do SO much." The right way for a roundhouse kick to be thrown cannot be calculated and tested scientifically. Think about it this way, let's say that you use kinesiology to find that the "best" way to throw a roundkick is chamber your leg, and throw the kick parralel to the ground from the hip on. This is not the "best" way to throw a roundkick. If you have to get in between someones guard, you may want to angle it up. If you want to kick someone in the head, you want to go over their guard. If you want to kick their leg, you should kick in a downward motion.
Freestyle = No style at all (he he!) You know I do not like to use the word style, I would rather we said what school of martial arts do you origonate. Because the word school is more becomming to what we actually practice. School of thought Technique schooling The old School As already said some (Schools)/Styles are specific to a purpose. In my experiance this generally refers to Competition, the style is developed so that the student can win more trophies. In the Traditional koryu(Old school) the idea was not to win a trophy but to stay alive. Therefore the old school were more concerned with conserving and recording the techniques that actuall kept them alive. The techniques of reality. Also the conection to a certain school of religion had its effect on which old school you would choose. IMO I feel that today the emphasis on religion has been replaced by an emphasis on what are the rules of the competition that these various and many styles have chosen to enter, with the idea of winning the trophies. I do not think that tradition has anything to do with why we have so many schools/styles today, IMO I think it all boils down to Money, earning a quick buck by teaching the martial arts my way, or Tagging what sombody dose like cage fighting with the word martial arts, as this tag is more fashionable than cage fighting. Many moons ago many traditional instructors began to re tag what they practice with the word 'Kick boxing', which has now grown into a well organised competitive arena. But is this a style?????? is Mixed Martial Arts a Style???????? is Xtream Martial Arts a style????????? These are the question we should ask rather than how many styles are there as already said we are only human, Two arms and Two legs and a guiding Influence our nervesystem. I would like your views guys are these styles or just spin off's????? Regards
Carrying over a bit from the thread in the kung fu forum but where exactly does the trainning methodology come into thgat, is it a part of the doctrine or the strategy to your mind?
I think of style as being how you organize your work. And, perhaps as importantly, how the guy(s) before you organized theirs. People talk about adhering to a style because of the people who came before them. But in doing so, there's some danger of deifying the people who came before them. When, in reality, they were simply people who made choices in order to organize their work. And when we make choices to organize ours, our choices will either adhere closely enough that it makes sense to keep the same identifier or change things radically enough that it makes sense to identify it differently. Hence other styles. That's not to say that anybody can be a style founder in 10 easy lessons. The validity of the choices you make, as in most things, is going to be based on your experience. And some experiences are going to be more useful than others. For example, if Guro Leo Giron is telling me something about how to use arnis at long range, and I know that Guro Giron used these skills to survive World War 2, I'm likely to lend what he says some serious credence. Stuart
All three. The doctrine will set the overall direction of the art, in my mind this will restrict it to it's environments of practice. The strategy will provide the direction for training. If your art involves resistance training, then resistance training as a category is a strategy. Then techniques encompass the actual drills used. Now what becomes interesting are arts where evolution and interpretation is built into the doctrine and the strategies. For example martial arts researcher James Smith notes that "advanced Baguazhang practitioners are expected to adapt what they have learned to their own strengths and weaknesses." (Smith. 2006 "Yin Style Baguazhang." Journal of Asian Martial Arts. 14(3): p40) Thus the root of many sub systems with the Chinese martial arts can be traced to these types of expectations of modification and growth. - Matt
I think in practice, you start with one style, but then everyone wants to be Grand Master so that they can make money, so then you get a lot of styles. :Angel:
