own style?

[packard]

So, I got talking to a guy I was introduced to at a party because, like me, he trains in martial arts. As the conversation progressed, and we spoke about styles, he said that he now teaches his own style.

Interesting I said, tell me more!

Basically, after about ten years of training in a number of styles including kung fu, karate, kick boxing and aikido, he took the best parts, made up some forms/katas and now teaches what he feels his students need.

He is quite successful, with a compliment of about 80 students, has a governing body in the UK under him and grades all the students him self.

Any one have a particular view on this?

Personally, I do not know what his standard is and have not trained or seen his students so it is difficult to judge exactly what he is doing. But I guess that as long as he is a good teacher and can apply what he is doing its OK. I am interetsed in his forms work to see what slant they take as well.

Hopefully we are going to train in the New Year, so should be interesting. I’ll keep you posted if I have any interest.

[Baji Brad]

Well, I think it's cool that he actually says he put it together rather than coming up with a fake @ss history to go along with it like a number of people do

[PangQuan]

Could fall on both sides of the spectrum, it is not a new thing for someone to create thier own style. Thats where most of the styles that are around came from, from masters who were in fact masters, and were capable of understanding the deeper workings of martial arts. Developing what they feel is a well thought out and practiced style. So his could be good and could be bad. Although most people study for about 50 years or more before "create" a style. You never know though, he may just be a genius. I dont doubt his style is good, but there are styles that are much more developed, ie; thousands of years of refinement. Please do keep us posted though, I am interested to see how his style holds up in your opinion.

[Fen]

I feel the same as Baji Brad... I would rather see some that make up his own stuff from other styles, then lie about where he got it... I give him props on being open and telling the truth on what he has done... But most like-lee his art will not have upper suff in it becase it looks as if he never got that far in any of the styles he took...

~Jason

[David Jamieson]

most kungfu styles...if not all in the current era follow this way.

They are the collected knowledge of the teachers with only a few styles being the exception rather than the rule.

Even within styles of the same name there is apparent differences in presentation and curriculum of the style.

[SPJ]

As long as he or she is honest about his or her training.

Most important of all, mentioning where he or she based on his or her theory and practice from.

Karate gives you punch and kick.

Aikido or JJJ gives you grappling (Qin Na), throw and submission or pin.

Cool.

[SPJ]

Isn't it that people of MMA put MT and BJJ together?

Why not karate and Aikido togther plus whatever?

[HiddenShadow]

I agree that being honest about what he is doing is for the best. There is no honor in lying to your own students. As for mixing up the different styles, I feel that the art will be weakend some. It may turn out to be a good street fighting style, but the art and the history will be diluted and/or non-existant. For some the art is not the important part...they are more concentrated on learning fighting techniques. So, it may be a good school....depending on what your looking for in a school, but I feel that someone should have far more years of training before starting any martial arts school...let alone creating a whole new style, IMHO. No matter how fast and powerful someone is, nothing can compensate for years of time and experience.

[Dark Knight]

he took the best parts, made up some forms/katas and now teaches what he feels his students need.

In his opinion its the best parts. If the rest wasnt any good why did the origionators of thoses styles keep it?

I hear this a lot, usually they then teach telling their students that this technique is X style, and this is Y style. They never have a clear definition as to what it is they teach.

They usually do not have very indepth knowledge of any one style (Joker of all, master of none)

Karate gives you punch and kick.

Karate forms are full of throws and standup trapping and grappling. Most people do not see this, many Karate instructors were not taught this because they got to 1st degree and then promoted themselves, one or two generations later everyone belives what is told.

Getting rank and titles today is easy. There are a bunch of "Sokeship Councils" out there, they promote each other and claim legitimacy because hundreds of them belong.
(Great idea, I promote you guys and you guys promote me, when we get an army of "Soke's" we will be legitimate.)

After 10 years he should be about a 4th degree Black belt.
(4 years from white to 1st, one year from 1st to 2nd, two from 2nd to 3rd, and three from 3rd to 4th.) So as a 4th degree does he consider himself a Master?

It is possible that he actually created a style after 10 years? Sure.

If you think about it we are all making our own style, it has the base style you are doing, then yourown strengths will come out and your individual fighting style will develop.

[SPJ]

Cool.

Agreed that there are throws and grappling.