Why train in a Traditional Martial Art

Why should a person train in a traditional martial art and not just a MMA. I myself train in a traditional martial art, Goju-ryu. But I would like to hear why others have or have not choosen a traditional martial art. Fire away people.

 

Personally, its because I enjoy my own art, and am not particularly interested in mixed martial arts. Most of the schools near me which teach mixed aren't of a particularly high standard, while my current main martial art is one that I enjoy immensely, and have done for eleven years.

Plus there's the fact that I prefer to be able to choose my own style, which the mixed martial art schools near me don't seem to like. Its either their style, or you don't do anything. I quite like being able to pick and choose from the various styles I've done, and incorporate the techniques into my main art.

 

I like the history and tradition that goes into it.

 

I studdy in three traditional martial arts. So i don'tknow if that makes me an MMAist or not.

I think the quality thing can be correct. I think that on average There are more bad MMA clubs than there are bad traditional clubs. But i try to mix all my "traditioanl" stuff together.

 

Nice site Chazz, its cool to see the person behind the comments. A person reads what a another person writes but has no clue what they are like, your site helps with that. I would like to see more sites like your where they tell us about the person who is talking. Merry Xmas man.

 

Ultimately, any choice like this should come down to what fits you best. That in turn can be further broken down into what are your personal goals and desires for training. At the end of the day you need to constantly be aware of them and continually reorient your training to them.

For me the TMA's present a great holistic framework for interpreting the world around me. I love the history and cultural aspects of them. BTW I do think these aspects exist in MMA's. It's just the emphasis on them is somewhat lessened.

- Matt

 

Because I beleive Tradional martial arts have beena round for a reason.

They would'nt have been started and have stayed around if they were not somewhat effective in their orginal form.

They had to be very effective some point, otherwise they wouldnt be here. Maybe they can be made back into something they may have been in the past.

 

i train in more than one martial art only because ihavent decided which one to choose. this site once told me to try them all before idecide which i feel is bettter so i am. but i want to choose one becuase i can focus all my attention on that one

 

I train in traditional MA because of the history. Think about it, some of these schools are hundreds to thousands of years old. The skills you are being taught have been tested on countless battlefields. Those with bad techniques didnt survive very long and have been weeded out, much like natural selection.

Now, are they as effective today as they were hundreds of years ago? Probably not, tactics have changed since then but that doesnt mean they have no merrit in a SD aspect.

I myself take great pride in knowing that what I am being taught today was taught just the same to some legendary figures. The countless people who have died proving the art, the millions of hours spent training and perfecting them. I thank all these people every time I bow to the shomen before and after training, because with out them I wouldnt have developed a passion for traditional martial arts.

As for MMA, they have picked and chosen the most effective aspects of every art available. I can watch a match and see a touch of Japanese JuJistu, Karate, TKD, Aiki, Boxing, Thai Kick Boxing, Wrestling. MMA doesnt stand for Modern Martial Arts, it stands for Mixed Martial Arts, its a grab bag of everything before it. To knock traditioanl MA is to knock your own heritage.

Now I have a tremendous amount of respect for MMA, ufc, etc etc type people. It just aggervates the hell out of me when they say traditional MAs arent effective, because it simply isnt true.

 

No, it is not!

Go play on the MMA section of the forum, you've got your own thread to say whatever you want no!

Thread back on track please!

 

sorry, my bad.. i misread the original post

 

okay, i understand this thread now.... i can't answer it

 

TMA vs. MMA

If you go far in TMA you will find a big part of the MMA aspect within most TMA's.

I for one wanted to be good in one style before mixing them together. But I found in time that I get all that I wanted from that style. When I got to be a black belt they training start to take on a diffrent form and most of the things that I wanted in other styles appeared to be hidden inside kata.

Regards Kerling

 

Like the others, the history and culture of the TMA are what attract me. It always amazes me how these styles have evolved, forged in the fire of forgotten battles, and how many of them have survived through the ages.

I think people have to realize that studying a TMA is also about understanding another culture. The TMA (not macdojos) are still very much linked to their country of origin and the time of their creation. If you study an TMA well enough, you'll see beyond the movements. You get a glimpse of a different time, of a place with mores and values that may be alien to you. It's this understanding of how others lived that makes TMA so rich.

In my case, my TMA is also part of my history and culture. But that makes it even more important to me. Then I am no longer just learning some other culture, I am playing a part in preserving my own.

 

I see traditional martial arts as NOT concentrating more on the sport aspect of training... NOT teaching to win tournaments as their main concern, and concentrating mainly on techniques that will score points.

Not to say that there is nothing wrong with sport Karate or styles that emphasise tournaments or point scoring.

.. personally, I am training in traditional TKD to better myself and my own skills, not to be recognised for my skills compared to somebody else.

...
... there are alot of MAP members who have their own web sites, suggest to all that do not have them listed to do so so that we can 'click' that little "www" button under posts and see them!!

 

MMAists who criticise what I do come across as having no long-term (20+ years) plan of their martial training.

I'm in it for the long haul and therefore want something with a syllabus that long.

Rgds,
David

 

Great points on the cultural side. Also one thing to understand is that just because an art is a TMA doesn't mean it isn't evolving. Taken Pekiti Tirsia Kali (Jura's art and one I'm familiar with). It's got a rich history. But at the same time it's also being constantly improved. Tuhon Gaje (the head of the system) has applied it's ideas to drawing a gun for example. So there are a series of exercises and forms built around that.

My core art is similiar in that it's a modern interpretation of a Chinese Family Style of Kung Fu. So we keep our history, but since family styles were always evolving to keep up with other martial artists in the area our style evolves as well.

In both cases our TMAs are staying true to the values and doctrine of the art. But they are also dynamic and alive. And we're adding our own values and ideas to the long and rich history of these arts. In that respect we're touching the past and helping to secure a future for our systems. And that rocks!

- Matt

 

I am in Uechi Karate for a true art. Strength and self defence are just a plus to it.

I'm a Martial Artist, not a Martialist