How to Blend the Perfect Martial Art
In analyzing the martial arts I was struck by one simple fact: the randomness of it all. When I developed the science of Matrixing I found that randomness increased with the age of an art. The longer an art had been around, the more random it appeared.
The point here is that when an art is ‘discovered,’ it is usually developed along exact logical lines. As times progresses, and the art is no longer used in a combat sense, the lines tend to evaporate. Logic tends to disappear.
Karate, a very fine example of this, is at least used in tournaments, and so retains, in some manner, a degree of workability. It is too bad that this workability is not in evidence in the forms. Students of Karate are usually studying two arts, one of fomr, and one of freestyle.
Interestingly, the art of form seems to have the most benefit. It develops calmness and strong bodies and patience, without the danger of getting beaten up. Unfortunately, form doesn’t retain the necessary elements of combat.
Combat, while having realism, endangers the student when taken to an extreme. Also, the ‘joy of combat’ excites the mind, and reduces discipline and calm. Thus, while combat is necessary, it must take a second place to form.
The ideal, of course, would be that perfect blend of a form which relates to real combat, and yet does not cause the student to lapse into excitability which obviates true learning. This, when one inspects the current forms of the martial arts, is almost an impossibility. It is not even possible when one trains in a system devoted mostly to application.
A system of application only is a method which focuses on strings of data, and never achieves the whole picture of the martial arts. The result is a system too long in the learning. A system based on application is nothing more than a system based on memorizing tricks.
The above having been noted, one reaches the conclusion that the ideal system would have a blend of form and freestyle. Furthermore, the system must be tied together by a step by step, logical arrangement of application. Thus, a three sided balance of the martial arts is achieved by the intelligent arrangement of form, freestyle and application.
Tagged with: Aikido • Bruce Lee • exercise • JKD • Karate • kung fu • martial arts • Ninja • on line instruction • self defense
Filed under: Karate
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