http://www.combat-silat.net/silatnow...ticle&record=2
Quote:
The western kuntao or silat student rarely, if ever, has a comparable template from which to work. Their guru (assuming the guru is a first-generation ŽmigrŽ) will very often be the only example of the tradition they have ever seen. They will rarely see the guru's colleagues or contemporaries from cognate arts, and almost certainly not the guru's own master(s). As a result, the western student has no way to discern the following:
What is unique to their guru -- his or her personal idiosyncrasies and personality as it were;
What is particular to the system -- i.e. a feature or consequence of the mechanics, theory or methods that define that art as distinct from other, cognate systems;
What is endemic to the tradition -- of which the art is only one example, and the teacher one exponent?
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This I feel is part of the problem. These arts are very isolated. Its not uncommon for teachers to constantly be on the move and even students under the same teacher may never meet eachother. Martial arts are alot about personal expression. the artical by victor makes it seem like if you do not emulate his teacher, or him to the "T" then you have learned a fake art. Everyones different, and everyone fights differently.