ShotoNoob
Master Black Belt
- Joined
- Feb 18, 2015
- Messages
- 1,259
- Reaction score
- 72
\Shoto, my only question is whether or not your definition of a TMA isn't rather narrow, and perhaps based more specifically on your understanding of certain Okinawan and Japanese traditions? After all, TMA in general (Chinese, Japanese, Okinawan, Korean, Southeast Asian, Filipino, Malaysian, Indonesian, Indian, Nepali, Tibetan, Mongolian, etc., and of course. European, and others?...) are extremely diverse. I confess ignorance here, but from what I have encountered, it is unwise to make hard and fast assumptions about anything, including the function and relative importance of kata/forms ...assuming the the art even uses forms at all.
And let me add, that my conceptual standard of what premises TMA is pretty high-level thinking... Not everyone is going to have my years of thinking or perhaps aptitude to do so....
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Many practitioners approach TMA as a sport, physical exercise... and this is why I favor Shotokan karate with its heavy physicality for these types of individuals///. Yet again, to be TMA, one must approach the mental side... which Shotokan does by forcing an aggressive, rigid, highly technical body mechanics & authoritative mindset into the physicality....
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As a final example, I find Ja Gow's sparring-heavy approach to Kung fu as sub-optimal by my understanding of TMA. For Ja Gow, his approach is working and providing TMA-level skills.... and his students are equally encouraged... So I confirmed this... and recommended that he NOT CHANGE anything about his current approach to kung fu.... continue on the path he is following...
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Having an understanding of TMA principles.... how these are practically applied to various style and practitioners is necessarily subjective...
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I believe that the vast majority of TMA practitioners, including the SD specialists here @ MT,,, the strict TMA model I am describing... is too challenging for the majority of students and everyday SD trainees... Again, the TMA model requires years of intensive MENTAL study to become a bona-fide black-belt...and mucho double-effort to get there That's always been a theme of my posts...
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So all, good luck with that..... and Kata is NOT necessary to become a good MMA competitor, good fighter, or good at self defense... Certainly the applied sport methods, and pragmatic self defense training will suffice....
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How's that for broad...??? Peace...