Features

A dying tradition

Mixed martial arts has killed off tradition. Plain and simple.

While traditional martial arts have maintained their art for hundreds of years, modern mixed martial arts have removed all the "not-very-essential" bits after taking pieces of more useful techniques from different systems, and have collaborated these pieces and turned it into a new system of mixed arts.

First of all, why would the traditionalists bother to maintain their original style if this didn't seem to be effective at all? They can't be stupid to keep those "not-very-effective" bits for no good reason.

Most traditional martial art systems are complete. Most of these include kicking and punching techniques, grappling and wielding weaponry. But since many traditional martial arts are perfectionists, it takes years and years of training before a student can progress to the next level.

The so-called "Streetfighters" are not as patient as traditional martial artists. Streetfighters want to learn the easiest options to dominate a fight in the streets. Hence they go from one system to another, pick up basic and simple effective techniques, and once done, move on to the next system doing the same.

It takes a lifetime to truly master and understand a system. Why would you think that the Grandmasters only stuck to one style? Many of whom started training under their fathers or grandfathers and who have continued their practise until death. Whatever the system is - kung fu, tang soo do, muay thai, silat, krabi krabong, eskrima - it takes a lifetime to truly understand the martial art as a whole.

Why do traditionalists stick to tradition? Because they know that they will progress as they keep on practising just like their teachers have done so. For most traditionalists, martial arts is a lifestyle, not only a means to defend one's self in the streets. Martial arts isn't only about fighting but it is about discipline, self-control, PATIENCE, humility and respect towards life. In practise, martial artists not only spar to test their skills but also do forms (kata/sayaw/patterns) to programme that muscle memory and to perfect that rhythm and flow. Martial artists also exercise control and meditation through focus and concentration. In more advanced cases, they also learn the art of healing which is also part of the way of the warrior.

All of these cannot be learned in a span of 1 or 2 or 5 years. It takes a whole lot more time than that. Hence it is difficult to comprehend how some people can practise and focus on two or three different systems at the same time.

So how can these traditionalists be street effective if it takes ages to understand and perfect the art?

Nobody is perfect but everyone is on a JOURNEY to perfection. It doesn't matter what path one has chosen but there is always a goal in the end which is ideal to the person. For some, it is to perfect the fighting technique of a specific art. For others, it is simply to be perfectly happy.

Where is the challenge of life (or the martial art) if you can figure the whole thing out in less than a year? How can one grow if the challenge is solved so easily? One has to fall, make mistakes, pick himself up and try again in order to actually learn, whether this be in sparring, in an actual fight or in life.

For the so-called "streetfighters" who haven't even tested their skills in the ring, no matter how many hundreds of techniques they have nicked from every different martial art system there is, they will never be as confident as the martial artist who has been eating, dreaming, breathing and living martial arts.

A streetfighter uses the arts as a means to save his life in the streets. A martial artist uses the arts to live a life.

10 June 2008, Tuesday

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