The eternal question: Part III
Tue, Dec 27 2011 08:56
| krav maga, MMA, martial arts, sambo, www.amaclub.org.uk, Wing Tsun Kung fu, martial arts Altrincham, Japanese martial arts, systema
| Permalink
In parts one and two of this mini-saga cum blog post I have discussed the various aspects of how valid any given martial art is to practice and pursue. Of course all arts have their wheres and what for’s when it comes to what they do, however my perspective is heavily coloured by my main art Wing Tsun.
Previously discussed have been the common anxieties over the validity of the art, the transmission of it from teacher to student and the context of the training room, street and competitive arenas in which one might use their hard won skills. Today however I want to add the third common perspective on applying your art and that’s the use of it by the military and police forces around the world.
Martial arts tend to fall into the “sport” and “practical” camps broadly speaking the taboo really being over the deadly aspects of specific techniques being the main distraction for many who forget one can die in the ring just as easily as a “practical” practitioner may or may not choose to kill someone else in a given fight.
However there is a strong following amongst martial artists on forums and beneath YouTube videos that reveal a slightly bizarre almost political bent towards a specific cluster of martial arts devised and used by various military forces. This is reflected in the marketing devices of “new” to the high street arts such as Krav Maga and to a lesser extent Systema/Sambo of Russia. Throw in recent references and uses in Hollywood blockbusters, and it’s easy to understand the explosion of these arts.
But on these forums you will see arguments about the SEALs (USA navy) vs. the Spetsnatz littered throughout relevant and often irrelevant discussions on learning and practising any given art. It usually centres upon a childish desire similar to who would win a fight – Batman or Superman? The desire to don combat pants instead of rash guards is not always an invalid one, far from it. However as you will see from the monster thread below (wading through it is not necessary) there are loaded assumptions with opting for a ‘military’ outlook on your training.
http://www.martialartsplanet.com/forums/showthread.php?t=102789
The art you choose often defines you for other people and the sort of people attracted to an art can be subject plenty of labels and assumptions. Military arts if you like, are no different. Often some may worry about an unhealthy obsession with the constant onus on death, destruction and weaponry but to be honest these arts no different to Japanese arts with their roots in feudal society or the monastic roots of Chinese Kung Fu. It’s simply that the AK47 s the mechanised equivalent of the katana et al.
One thing WT emphasises is its creation as an art for the little person to overcome the much bigger, stronger more aggressive foe. What the military has however is a minimum requirement of physical fitness before you can join, likewise this is a point rarely mentioned or glossed over by many people. It weakens somewhat the position of “well the army use it” type of thinking.
What can be said however is that the WT masters have visited and trained many units all over the world including in Europe and India as well as across Asia. The famous Krav was largely kept to Israel thanks to its newness. Likewise the Russians have been using Sambo since its inception taken from Japanese arts on a large scale since the 1940s the real question is what these arts were used for. Only since the end of Communism and the cultural mixing with Russia has its martial arts had much western scrutiny after nearly a century in isolation.
Above is one version of Wing Tsun being framed in a military context. The problems with these kind of demonstrations are fairly self-evident as the notion of "real" runs in opposition to staging something.
The Japanese arts were very relevant to military power centuries ago whilst the Russians and Israelis had very specific needs and demands in new and different environment thanks largely to the mechanisation and use of guns which consigned the Samurai to the history books. If people bear this in mind it’s easy to see that validity is really what you make of it. Many martial arts historians are often keen to note that medieval Europe had techniques that “look a lot like Jiu Jitsu” or that the Victorians practised a version of Jitsu utilising their canes and knives etc. Does this mean Jitsu is not a Japanese invention by approximation of British fight culture? No, probably not. Does it mean that universal truth to facing an armed attacker when unarmed is quite similar? I’d say so.
The historical and cultural connotations of your art should never be ignored but they should frame it not place it in a cage. The fundamentals of disarming an attacking should be relatively universal. It is not for us to question why the Filipinos use sticks almost exclusively and as a base for all of their better known fighting arts. What we should do is consider the skills this gives the practitioner and how useful they are in everyday life. After all it is incredibly recently where society didn’t dictate the need to be armed, and the likelihood of using and facing weapons on an everyday level.
This is really what you need to consider again, it’s not what your art can do for you but what can you do with your art? What truths have been exposed as fraudulent or left to antiquity and what will always remain useful to anyone willing or needing to fight?
Research and reading help you place your questions and concerns. Training whatever and wherever it may be should answer them.
The eternal question: Part 1
The eternal question: part 2
Previously discussed have been the common anxieties over the validity of the art, the transmission of it from teacher to student and the context of the training room, street and competitive arenas in which one might use their hard won skills. Today however I want to add the third common perspective on applying your art and that’s the use of it by the military and police forces around the world.
Martial arts tend to fall into the “sport” and “practical” camps broadly speaking the taboo really being over the deadly aspects of specific techniques being the main distraction for many who forget one can die in the ring just as easily as a “practical” practitioner may or may not choose to kill someone else in a given fight.
However there is a strong following amongst martial artists on forums and beneath YouTube videos that reveal a slightly bizarre almost political bent towards a specific cluster of martial arts devised and used by various military forces. This is reflected in the marketing devices of “new” to the high street arts such as Krav Maga and to a lesser extent Systema/Sambo of Russia. Throw in recent references and uses in Hollywood blockbusters, and it’s easy to understand the explosion of these arts.
But on these forums you will see arguments about the SEALs (USA navy) vs. the Spetsnatz littered throughout relevant and often irrelevant discussions on learning and practising any given art. It usually centres upon a childish desire similar to who would win a fight – Batman or Superman? The desire to don combat pants instead of rash guards is not always an invalid one, far from it. However as you will see from the monster thread below (wading through it is not necessary) there are loaded assumptions with opting for a ‘military’ outlook on your training.
http://www.martialartsplanet.com/forums/showthread.php?t=102789
The art you choose often defines you for other people and the sort of people attracted to an art can be subject plenty of labels and assumptions. Military arts if you like, are no different. Often some may worry about an unhealthy obsession with the constant onus on death, destruction and weaponry but to be honest these arts no different to Japanese arts with their roots in feudal society or the monastic roots of Chinese Kung Fu. It’s simply that the AK47 s the mechanised equivalent of the katana et al.
One thing WT emphasises is its creation as an art for the little person to overcome the much bigger, stronger more aggressive foe. What the military has however is a minimum requirement of physical fitness before you can join, likewise this is a point rarely mentioned or glossed over by many people. It weakens somewhat the position of “well the army use it” type of thinking.
What can be said however is that the WT masters have visited and trained many units all over the world including in Europe and India as well as across Asia. The famous Krav was largely kept to Israel thanks to its newness. Likewise the Russians have been using Sambo since its inception taken from Japanese arts on a large scale since the 1940s the real question is what these arts were used for. Only since the end of Communism and the cultural mixing with Russia has its martial arts had much western scrutiny after nearly a century in isolation.
Above is one version of Wing Tsun being framed in a military context. The problems with these kind of demonstrations are fairly self-evident as the notion of "real" runs in opposition to staging something.
The Japanese arts were very relevant to military power centuries ago whilst the Russians and Israelis had very specific needs and demands in new and different environment thanks largely to the mechanisation and use of guns which consigned the Samurai to the history books. If people bear this in mind it’s easy to see that validity is really what you make of it. Many martial arts historians are often keen to note that medieval Europe had techniques that “look a lot like Jiu Jitsu” or that the Victorians practised a version of Jitsu utilising their canes and knives etc. Does this mean Jitsu is not a Japanese invention by approximation of British fight culture? No, probably not. Does it mean that universal truth to facing an armed attacker when unarmed is quite similar? I’d say so.
The historical and cultural connotations of your art should never be ignored but they should frame it not place it in a cage. The fundamentals of disarming an attacking should be relatively universal. It is not for us to question why the Filipinos use sticks almost exclusively and as a base for all of their better known fighting arts. What we should do is consider the skills this gives the practitioner and how useful they are in everyday life. After all it is incredibly recently where society didn’t dictate the need to be armed, and the likelihood of using and facing weapons on an everyday level.
This is really what you need to consider again, it’s not what your art can do for you but what can you do with your art? What truths have been exposed as fraudulent or left to antiquity and what will always remain useful to anyone willing or needing to fight?
Research and reading help you place your questions and concerns. Training whatever and wherever it may be should answer them.
The eternal question: Part 1
The eternal question: part 2
Swords and shouts
Fri, Jun 3 2011 02:40
| seminar, martial arts, swords, martial arts Altrincham, Japanese martial arts, iai
| Permalink
Last night Altrincham Martial Arts Club were privileged to say goodbye to one of the family with an excellent night exploring the majesty and skill of Japanese swordsmanship. Martin Farncombe has been a regular at the club for some time, as well as being a fantastic student he is also a high ranking martial artists in many disciplines of Japanese weaponry.
Martin went from student to Sensei as he took us through the types of weapons associated with various arts and how they are used. Showing an ornate 16th century blade and a very fine example from the 1970s, we were lucky enough to get a feel of the power of a live blade. However to make sure everyone survived the night we were soon on to bokken (a wooden version of swords used for practice).
First we went through the skills of Iai. An art designed to recreate 'social' uses of swords in traditional Japan. Practising 'assassination techniques' we learned how although Japanese swords arts appear alien at first there is much similarity to be found to in terms of tactics and ideas for despatching an opponent.
While we may have lacked the grace and power of a Sensei for the night. It was impressive and heartening to see everyone enjoying something so new and different. Moving from combining footwork and single strikes we developed a repertoire of sword strikes and blade cleaning techniques that included taking down guards on the way to hitting your target. All imaginary of course! Sensei Farncombe did not have us taking turns to be on the receiving end of a woody death!
That is to say until we took to Japanese battle field fencing. Taking in mind the art of Kendo where the sword is already drawn to practice what you might call two person forms. One attacks, the other yields or deflects and counters. Here the similarity between swordsmanship and the empty handed elements of Wing Tsun combined. Little light bulbs were going off everywhere as we discovered “Chi Sau with blades” as one person put it.
With great enthusiasm and plenty of loud shouts we clashed bokken on bokken (or heads in my case) and combined intricate steps and strikes to great effect. The skill needed to judge range, power and accuracy showed us all just how these swords spurred Japan on to becoming a major military power in Asia. The night was spent with much focus from us all and the expert guidance from Martin meant we accomplished much in only two hours.
It's with much gratitude we say a temporary goodbye to Martin both for a great night of something new and different, but also for his great approach to training, his enthusiasm and humility. All of us at AMAC wish him well and hope he'll back with us again some time soon.
If you would like to attend one of AMAC's special guest seminars, learn authentic martial arts or learn more about what we do please sign up here to receive our internal newsletters and notices.
Martin went from student to Sensei as he took us through the types of weapons associated with various arts and how they are used. Showing an ornate 16th century blade and a very fine example from the 1970s, we were lucky enough to get a feel of the power of a live blade. However to make sure everyone survived the night we were soon on to bokken (a wooden version of swords used for practice).
First we went through the skills of Iai. An art designed to recreate 'social' uses of swords in traditional Japan. Practising 'assassination techniques' we learned how although Japanese swords arts appear alien at first there is much similarity to be found to in terms of tactics and ideas for despatching an opponent.
While we may have lacked the grace and power of a Sensei for the night. It was impressive and heartening to see everyone enjoying something so new and different. Moving from combining footwork and single strikes we developed a repertoire of sword strikes and blade cleaning techniques that included taking down guards on the way to hitting your target. All imaginary of course! Sensei Farncombe did not have us taking turns to be on the receiving end of a woody death!
That is to say until we took to Japanese battle field fencing. Taking in mind the art of Kendo where the sword is already drawn to practice what you might call two person forms. One attacks, the other yields or deflects and counters. Here the similarity between swordsmanship and the empty handed elements of Wing Tsun combined. Little light bulbs were going off everywhere as we discovered “Chi Sau with blades” as one person put it.
With great enthusiasm and plenty of loud shouts we clashed bokken on bokken (or heads in my case) and combined intricate steps and strikes to great effect. The skill needed to judge range, power and accuracy showed us all just how these swords spurred Japan on to becoming a major military power in Asia. The night was spent with much focus from us all and the expert guidance from Martin meant we accomplished much in only two hours.
It's with much gratitude we say a temporary goodbye to Martin both for a great night of something new and different, but also for his great approach to training, his enthusiasm and humility. All of us at AMAC wish him well and hope he'll back with us again some time soon.
If you would like to attend one of AMAC's special guest seminars, learn authentic martial arts or learn more about what we do please sign up here to receive our internal newsletters and notices.