| What martial art do you study? | | | | of it's own, to it's detriment and he knew it. |
| Do you quibble with other martial artists about | | | | There are now thousands of people arguing that |
| whether you punch with a vertical fist or horizontal | | | | they do the authentic Jeet Kune Do, and that so and |
| fist? the front two knuckles or the bottom three | | | | so is a scam. When surely the whole point Mr Lee |
| knuckles? Do you think your style is better because | | | | was trying to get across was to make it your own |
| you only use low kicks or do your style is best | | | | personal style. |
| because kicks to the head put people down? | | | | What we have ended up with is a mass of political |
| These are common arguments. I myself have been | | | | viewpoints. People attending training week in week |
| guilty of such petty rivalries. But then, like the man | | | | out learning and practicing to copy the man at the |
| quoted above, I saw the light. | | | | front of the class, who is merely copying the man |
| Every martial arts system has it's many styles and | | | | that stood in front of him, who copies the man who |
| derivations. Probably the most famous is that of | | | | stood in front of ....... You get the idea. |
| traditional Japanese karate, so I will use this as an | | | | All style and no substance. |
| example. But look within your own system and I'm | | | | How do we reverse this trend? Well I believe that |
| sure you'll see the same thing. | | | | while people like Geoff Thompson, Iain Abernethy, |
| However, in Japan, a good while back, a bloke | | | | Mick Coup and Paul Cox are alive and kicking we |
| showed up and started teaching this new fighting | | | | have the opportunity to see what can be done. |
| system. It was brutal and effective and took many | | | | Geoff Thompson holds a black belt in Karate and if |
| by surprise. The Japanese embraced it and made it | | | | you look closely you can still see the karate in him. |
| their own. The Man, Gichin Funakoshi, the system | | | | But it's a million miles away from what goes on in the |
| became known to the world as Karate. | | | | average dojo. He's a man famously tempered by his |
| Many years later there are several schools of this | | | | career on the Doors, he had to make his karate |
| martial art, all teaching Karate, the same basic moves | | | | work, or he'd be on the wrong end of someone's |
| and principles, but each with it's own twist. The | | | | boot. Mick Coup is a man of enormous experience |
| reason each school had it's own flavour was because | | | | during his time as a special forces and private |
| none of the teachers were Funakoshi, so none of | | | | security operator, his personal style is based on the |
| them moved like Funakoshi, none of them fought like | | | | things that have kept him alive over the years. |
| Funakoshi. Didn't make them any better or worse, it | | | | Mr Paul Cox, well there's a whole heap of history |
| just made them different. | | | | there, but he teaches a style that encourages |
| This is the advent of the various styles of Karate we | | | | students to learn their own way to move. He knows |
| see today. | | | | that he moves in a certain manner, and that that |
| Lets take two of these styles, Wado Ryu and | | | | manner is due to his personal circumstances and woe |
| Kyokoshin Kai. Both of these are karate systems, | | | | betide the student that tries to mimic him exactly! |
| however there are notable differences in their | | | | Many of Pauls international students have since |
| philosophy. | | | | become instructors and advisors to the various police |
| The founder of Kyokushin is the infamous Mas | | | | and security forces in their area. Do you think these |
| Oyama, a powerhouse of a man, a man who decided | | | | are people who would accept anything other than |
| that to be able to land an earth shattering punch was | | | | quality? |
| absolutely the best way to win a fight. | | | | These are men who teach substance and it's up to |
| The founder of Wado Ryu was Hironori Ohtsuka, a | | | | you to find your own style. |
| smaller man with reputation earned from his excellent | | | | Next time your teacher says that a technique must |
| JuJitsu skills. He favoured evasion and body swerving | | | | only be practiced a certain way, ask why. If the |
| (taisabaki) over brute force to defeat his opponents. | | | | answer is based on unshakable principles then that's |
| Who was right? Who's to say? | | | | fine, if he allows you to adjust it slightly to make it |
| Each had taken the system and brought their own | | | | suit you better, that's also good. But if he insists that |
| personality to it and adapted it to themselves. They | | | | it is done "my way or the highway" with nothing in |
| weren't carbon copies of their teacher, nor did they | | | | the way of explanation, it may be time to find a new |
| insist that because Funakoshi did it this way, they | | | | instructor. |
| would do the same, as will their students. And their | | | | I had to go through it and now I move differently to |
| individual styles of the original system worked for | | | | all my teachers, I have my own style. And it works |
| them. | | | | for me. |
| Where things went wrong is when they gave it a | | | | My students, well they are developing their own |
| name. The same thing happened to Bruce Lee. As | | | | styles, that works for them. |
| soon as he named his personal style, it took on a life | | | | Will you develop yours. |