Authentic Traditional Martial Arts vs Modern Combat We Use Now
POSTED: January 1, 2013 | WRITTEN BY: Sifu Justin Och
For some of us it was always the goal of training within the traditional martial arts to develop a system and practices that would work as a combative technique in modern times. Furthermore, when we talk about traditional martial arts, we refer to training rooted in the tenets. These are the original master of the style or technique set forth. For example, there may have been a change within their school and training as the martial arts have begun steering away from the “fancy” and entertaining styles of the past and more towards the efficient realities of modern combat.
Some martial art schools are playing catch-up, just now seeking to show that they are part of a realistic street protection and combat training system. In contrast to this, some schools, like Sifu Och Wing Chun have always sought to train you and your family in empty hand combat, knife defense, gun protection, stick, ground, and defense techniques against multiple attackers. You can likely see the difference between tradtional martial arts training and a modern combat system simply by coming down and trying us out for a week or two.
Traditional Martial Arts Meets Modern Combat
The question we ask in developing and honing techniques is “What is real and usable within a particular style”. We appreciate and utilize older, traditional training techniques with two very distinctive goals: First, we actively keep those effective techniques and practices alive, and second, we bring back and incorporate the effectiveness they originally intended to achieve.
Additionally, in the past 60 years of martial arts training we have seen a change in people’s attitudes, goals, and especially their mindset. This is mostly in the West. The focus is on respect to the realities and the myths of combative martial arts styles.
The want and need for reality based fighting is quickly becoming the face of martial arts within many communities. Though this is nothing new to “Original Martial Artists”. This is a martial artist that seeks the original purpose and effective applications and techniques behind their arts original development. In reality, training for war was the purpose and creation of truly traditional and original combat styles.
For many years the martial arts have placated to those wishing to receive a black belt without the hardcore training it originally required. With eight year olds and teens walking around with black belts with no clue to the hardcore combative nature and application it takes to be a real black belt of their style.
The Development of Traditional Martial Arts
As martial art schools began giving away belts and levels the truth always has remained evident. A true combat practitioner and true black belt can and will always be able to beat a person who has not truly earned their rank. Those who wish to reach a higher skill set and levels for street application will seek out the instruction and institute to reach their intended goals.
Whether you like the uptake of MMA mixed martial arts or not the great part about mixed martial arts is that it has shown people what is working in their system and what doesn’t. It has brought back the days of the challenge match, where one school could challenge the performance techniques of another.
Wing chun kunf fu is a Traditional Martial Arts Academy. Challenge matches in Fushan and all over China became the proving ground for what worked in your style. It is my hope that this influx brings martial art instructors motivation to push their students and their schools instruction to new heights.
Modern Self Defense
Though mixed martial arts doesn’t inspire everyone to join, more and more people are seeking out traditional or original martial arts styles that can assist them in life-threatening situations.
Wing Chun was a conglomeration of some of the best veteran southern kung fu styles and Shaolin Master’s within the Sil Lum Temple and China’s 5,000 years of war.
They came together as Master’s of individual specialties and created something together, something they felt would be better. The style itself, a mix of southern Chinese Shaolin martial arts, was created by high-ranking Masters, each at the pinnacle of their fighting style. Wing Chun respects all styles, as we are reminded that it originated from them over three hundred and fifty years ago in the 1700s.
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