Traditional Martial Arts and Applied Martial Arts: Mutual Friends?

 What is a Traditional Martial Art?  It is a cultural art form dealing with different strategies, weapons, physical techniques, and philosophy of warfare.  Some have more philosophy than others, but almost all have some sort of mind-over-matter, "spiritual" elements and teachings.  For example, Japan has a long history of art forms.  To give just a few Japanese arts, (and there are styles within styles within styles), we have Karate, Judo, Aikido and JiuJitsu.  We could break those down from tens to hundreds of different variations of these styles.  China is famous for Kung Fu, Wing Chun, and Jeet Kun Do (which is arguably an American art because it was founded in the late 60's by Bruce Lee, in America).  Korea is famous for Taekwondo, Hapkido, and Tang Soo Do.  Brazil is famous for Capoeira, Brazilian JiuJitsu, and Vale Tudo.  Thailand and Southeast Asian countries practice Muay Thai, an art the utilizes the "eight limbs" including elbows and knees.
 
 
I could go on and on.  Instead, I'll give you the Wiki link.

 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_martial_arts
 

China has a huge list on its own:
 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Chinese_martial_arts
 

The different Japanese styles, especially within Karate, are also numerous:
 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Japanese_martial_arts
 

Without further ado, I must address something.  I do not hate traditional martial arts.  I STILL train in traditional martial arts.  In fact, I would even go as far as to say that I love traditional martial arts.  That being said, I will NOT say that, in my experience in street brawling and violence, Traditional Martial Arts alone will save your butt.  Now, this is my opinion.  If you're a die-hard TMA practitioner, you may disagree.  However, we live in a world where lawsuits are prevalent.  In ancient Japan, for example, a duel to the death wasn't necessarily illegal.  It wasn't really looked down upon.  It was common.  Challenging someone to a duel was considered something of honor, integrity, and familial pride.  Nowadays it's different.  Our current civilization has laws against violence (thank goodness) that work both for and against you, depending on the situation.  If you're a gang member, perhaps you have a similar mentality as far as honor and familial/cultural/gang pride goes.  

 
The past three months have been interesting.  Without going into any of the details about what has happened (because I trust things have been resolved in the most respected cases), I will say that I have an even deeper respect for those who have trained in traditional martial arts all their lives and have perfected and mastered certain styles.  I don't consider what I do traditional martial artsy, but even if I did, I'm not sure if I would have the patience to stick with ONE style for the rest of my life.  Doubtless there are true masters of certain styles who are also familiar with other styles and perhaps have even trained in them.  I would imagine them to be the majority, especially in today's world (of needing to keep in business by keeping the school diverse).  
 

This is what I prefer:  I like to explore different "side hallways" (of which Marc MacYoung spoke in this article  http://www.nononsenseselfdefense.com/traditionalMA.htm ).  I have preferred to learn about violence and how it works off the mats, outside the dojo.  I made it a point to learn how to prevent violence by using several different strategies like home security, situational awareness, verbal reasoning, and more.  I also made a priority for my chosen vocation to learn how to act (not react) under the pressure of a violent confrontation.  In other words, the application of martial arts into the physical aspect of self-defense.  That is where the martial techniques come into play.
 

I am currently excited to explore more "side hallways" and figure out not only what works for me, but how to more effectively teach others how to learn for themselves how to find what works for them.  Some techniques are better used by certain people of certain attributes.  
 

In order to show you that what I do is different and cannot be confused with (good) traditional martial art schools, here are some fundamental differences between Applied Martial Arts and true Traditional Martial Arts schools: 
 

Applied Martial Arts provides temporary self-defense programs that go anywhere from 6 weeks to 3 years.  Traditional Martial Arts provides life-long training.  Whenever my students complete their training with me, I strongly suggest that they find a TMA that is suitable for them.  Fortunately, I am now aware of some good schools in this particular area that offer a few excellent martial art styles.  I encourage them to explore more "side hallways," as I am unable to provide them with EVERYTHING they need to know about combat.  The more conversations I have with true masters of TMA's the more I realize how much I don't know.  But also, the more I talk with them the more excited I get about learning more!  I am young yet ;-)
 

Here's some irony for you:  If you want to get into more fights and feel like you don't get enough action, do the following steps:

 
#1  Be young in your early twenties, married, with children.
#2  Go and live in a dangerous and racist community for a few years
#3  Be the minority race at which the racism is aimed.
#4  Be the brunt and victim of violence, fight hard, and survive.
#5  Move somewhere (even a peaceful place) and start up an anti-violence organization that teaches trends of violence, the prevention thereof, self-defense by the legal definition, and some martial arts techniques that you learned either from TMA's or other training systems to assist in the teaching of the physical aspect of self-defense.

 
Do the above steps and you'll have people lining up to haze, hassle, and fight you.  If that isn't irony, I don't know what is!  

 
I will be the first to say that I'm not the best martial artist from whom you can learn.  Far from it, I'm sure.  However, that which I do provide...I provide effectively.  I won't (and can't) profess to be a master of any traditional martial art.  I won't profess to turn you into a killing machine.  I won't profess to make you the biggest B.A.M.F in the world.  I don't even want to.

 
This is what I WILL do, and have committed my life to its cause:
 

I will soundly teach you the basic principles and fundamentals of self-defense and the consequences of violence.  

 
That is what I do.  If you come to me looking for a black belt in Karate, you won't get it.  I will gladly refer you to someone who can.  If you come to me looking for ways to protect yourself and your family, ways that I have personally used and studied in greater depth than anything else in my life, you will find it!  At that point, I will say to you that I have my limits and can only provide what I am qualified to provide.  I have a system of basic techniques in which I have become very proficient, used in actual combat, and teach on a regular basis.  I teach high-percentage counters from common attacks.  I do not employ binding payment contracts, so if you don't think I'm good at what I do, you don't have to come back.  Apparently, there are people who DO believe I'm good at what I do.  I started the organization in Idaho 3 months ago, and I have 30 students to date.  Am I just good at talking?  Am I just a good salesman?  Am I some sort of hypocrite?  These are questions I ask myself all the time, hoping and praying the answer to all three is NO.  Because I am young and less experienced than many, I have to ask myself these questions and ask you to ask them and answer them for yourself.  

 
So far, in my three months here in Rexburg, I have had many people try and discourage, discredit, hassle, haze, and even fight me.  I've had hate mail, hate phone calls, verbal and written threats, and all the like.  Now here's the question that I had to ask myself, and the answer is very clear in all that happened, leaving my mind at peace in terms of what I have chosen to dedicate my life to:  If what I'm doing is wrong, why would there be so much opposition?

 
I now have some very good schools to which to recommend any potential martial artists looking for a TMA.  Once I get their permission, I would like to put them on our "links" menu.  It is very comforting to know that I'm NOT the only one who cares about the teaching of violence prevention and self-defense.  It is also very pleasing to know that there are good martial art schools where I live, something I cannot say about other places I've been.