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Basic Principles
What I have found from personal experience is that the Martial Arts of many different countries/cultures have more in common than not. This follows from the observation that the Theory of Fighting, though continually growing, is founded on a finite number of principles. So though I’ve only been learning Muay Thai, Kali, JKD, Jun Fan, and Wing Chun for 4 months, I can integrate it into ~20 years of Aikido experience [along with bits and pieces of this and that].
What we see in different Martial Art Systems is a unique cultural interpretation of these principles, as they have developed within the idiosyncrasies of their respective cultural influences. With a solid foundation in the basic principles of the Theory of Fighting and knowledge, or better yet, experience within a systems culture, the specific application of techniques is more readily apparent.
When we speak of ‘Traditional Martial Arts’ it is important to note the differences between that Art within its indigenous culture – how it was designed to function - and how it is represented outside of it. Within its respective country/culture a given Martial Art may be extremely effective because all practitioners will have certain customs and practices in common. In terms of being the direct progeny of conflict, i.e. War, most Martial Arts systems have an inherent nationalistic quality about them as well - a unique fingerprint if you will. Obviously if you have an effective means of eliminating your enemies you don’t want it to fall into their hands and used against you. So the combination of the aforementioned is why many systems learned by outsiders are “incomplete”; in part to protect it from ‘misuse’ and in part because some concepts don’t translate well between cultures, if at all. Conversely, nationalistic myopia will keep a Traditional Martial Art from dealing effectively with others across cultures – hence political conflict and its pitfalls.
In the melting pot that is the United States, we are literally made of diverse cultural influences, with deep differences which persist to this day. What we are seeing in this day and age of globalization is a unique “worldview” approach to various systems, and all Martial Arts systems - as well as their respective cultures - have their strengths and weaknesses. Unfortunately, this is a blessing and a curse. A blessing because we can compare different systems to one another - seeing what is effective and what isn’t. A curse because this comparison is often superficial due to our own cultural bias, and therefore, ignorance; we don’t often see a true representation of a system, and we don’t often understand the finer points of why a system is practiced a certain way – we aren’t immersed in its cultural background enough. A potentially paradoxical Pandora’s Box. Keep in mind here that ring fighting such as K-1 is just that, ring fighting, and the same goes for UFC and other NHB venues – it simply isn’t real combat and it would be a fallacy to think otherwise.
At the heart of true Martial Arts training is the most basic principle of all – honesty. To paraphrase Sun Tzu, ‘know your enemy, and know yourself, and in all things you will be victorious’, this is where the rubber meets the road, and what makes you a true Martial Artist…or not. It is a way of life, not a recreational diversion, and ‘nary the twain shall meet’. See yourself honestly, question your paradigms, keep an open mind, grow beyond yourself – it’s all easier said than done. Yet, this is what we commit ourselves to in training sincerely – to better ourselves and hopefully the world around us as well.
So we see that certain paradigms prevail in a given culture, and the strength of the principles contained therein is reflected in their Martial Art systems - some more readily effective than others. Whatever principles a system may contain, it is ultimately the individual who has to learn, absorb, and apply them effectively, in combat and in life. If something doesn’t work, question yourself first, not some abstract concept prone to misinterpretation. There is always a winning solution and the answer lies within.
So in summary, if I find that I’m getting my clocked cleaned, the systems I’ve studied aren’t to blame, I am. Hopefully I’ll survive and reassess my paradigms, etc, and grow from the experience. To answer the original question posed in this thread: Use whatever technique works best for you in taking advantage of the openings your opponent gives you.
Just my rather long-winded thoughts on this subject,
~W2
What I have found from personal experience is that the Martial Arts of many different countries/cultures have more in common than not. This follows from the observation that the Theory of Fighting, though continually growing, is founded on a finite number of principles. So though I’ve only been learning Muay Thai, Kali, JKD, Jun Fan, and Wing Chun for 4 months, I can integrate it into ~20 years of Aikido experience [along with bits and pieces of this and that].
What we see in different Martial Art Systems is a unique cultural interpretation of these principles, as they have developed within the idiosyncrasies of their respective cultural influences. With a solid foundation in the basic principles of the Theory of Fighting and knowledge, or better yet, experience within a systems culture, the specific application of techniques is more readily apparent.
When we speak of ‘Traditional Martial Arts’ it is important to note the differences between that Art within its indigenous culture – how it was designed to function - and how it is represented outside of it. Within its respective country/culture a given Martial Art may be extremely effective because all practitioners will have certain customs and practices in common. In terms of being the direct progeny of conflict, i.e. War, most Martial Arts systems have an inherent nationalistic quality about them as well - a unique fingerprint if you will. Obviously if you have an effective means of eliminating your enemies you don’t want it to fall into their hands and used against you. So the combination of the aforementioned is why many systems learned by outsiders are “incomplete”; in part to protect it from ‘misuse’ and in part because some concepts don’t translate well between cultures, if at all. Conversely, nationalistic myopia will keep a Traditional Martial Art from dealing effectively with others across cultures – hence political conflict and its pitfalls.
In the melting pot that is the United States, we are literally made of diverse cultural influences, with deep differences which persist to this day. What we are seeing in this day and age of globalization is a unique “worldview” approach to various systems, and all Martial Arts systems - as well as their respective cultures - have their strengths and weaknesses. Unfortunately, this is a blessing and a curse. A blessing because we can compare different systems to one another - seeing what is effective and what isn’t. A curse because this comparison is often superficial due to our own cultural bias, and therefore, ignorance; we don’t often see a true representation of a system, and we don’t often understand the finer points of why a system is practiced a certain way – we aren’t immersed in its cultural background enough. A potentially paradoxical Pandora’s Box. Keep in mind here that ring fighting such as K-1 is just that, ring fighting, and the same goes for UFC and other NHB venues – it simply isn’t real combat and it would be a fallacy to think otherwise.
At the heart of true Martial Arts training is the most basic principle of all – honesty. To paraphrase Sun Tzu, ‘know your enemy, and know yourself, and in all things you will be victorious’, this is where the rubber meets the road, and what makes you a true Martial Artist…or not. It is a way of life, not a recreational diversion, and ‘nary the twain shall meet’. See yourself honestly, question your paradigms, keep an open mind, grow beyond yourself – it’s all easier said than done. Yet, this is what we commit ourselves to in training sincerely – to better ourselves and hopefully the world around us as well.
So we see that certain paradigms prevail in a given culture, and the strength of the principles contained therein is reflected in their Martial Art systems - some more readily effective than others. Whatever principles a system may contain, it is ultimately the individual who has to learn, absorb, and apply them effectively, in combat and in life. If something doesn’t work, question yourself first, not some abstract concept prone to misinterpretation. There is always a winning solution and the answer lies within.
So in summary, if I find that I’m getting my clocked cleaned, the systems I’ve studied aren’t to blame, I am. Hopefully I’ll survive and reassess my paradigms, etc, and grow from the experience. To answer the original question posed in this thread: Use whatever technique works best for you in taking advantage of the openings your opponent gives you.
Just my rather long-winded thoughts on this subject,
~W2
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