This is where I have to disagree. Speaking strictly in terms of self-defense, how do people fight that is different from when various martial arts styles were developed?
What precisely is it that has to 'change' in order to adapt to modern ways of self-defense fighting?
I dont know about your dojo so I really cant say much about your particular art. All I have is my own experience to go on.
Now I know this is really going to stir up some people. Let me apologize before hand. I'm not really out to personally disrespect any one. Just speaking frankly about what I have experienced. If you can say or even better show me something to change my mind. Great! I will have learned something new.
I havent stepped inside a TMA school for at least 6~7 years now, but most of the traditional schools I have trained at used archaic methods of training which were slow to produce effect skills. They ignored modern training equipment and sport science in favor of protecting the old ways."If it was good enough then its good enough now" mentality.
I couldn't disagree more with this hard core traditionalist attitude.
Back in the day they didnt have sparring equipment so they couldnt really spar with realistic contact without seriously injuring each other. So they had to compromise by finding less effective ways to train that enabled them to practice their art without maiming each other. Thats not so much the case anymore. We have a variety of equipment that enables us to go at it pretty hard without serious injury.
Now I'm sure most of us are taking advantage of this and sparring hard frequently.That experience itself is surely going to open your eyes to things that those who never got to spar were not aware of. Yet I still see guys who refuse to acknowledge when things they have been taught are simply unrealistic.They just get better at finding ways to justify it.
Most(but not all) of the guys teaching pure TMA that I have met have never been in any kind of fight. They've never even had any one seriously try to knock them out.They dont really know what its like to face that level of aggression. All they have is their tradition, based on something someone used a long time ago, presumably effectively, against the type of attacks that were common in that region and time period. Passed down by generations of teachers who never really tested them out but had lots of time to theorize and systemize their art.
When I first started training most of the traditional schools didnt spar full contact. In fact they hardly sparred at all. Lots of unrealistic kata applications and one step drills where some guy does a telegraphed lunge punch and the other does a multiple step counter while the attacker just stands there. Why is it that the lunge punch is so common in traditional arts anyway? Do you know anybody besides a TMArtist who punches like that? Could it be due to the influence of some of the thrusting techs used by armed warriors in the past? Today you'd be better off learning how to defend jabs crosses uppercuts knees takedowns submissions knife and gun attacks multiple attackers etc. The types of attacks that are popular in our time. As I'm sure most of you do.
In the past communication with and sharing of techniques between dojos was rare. More often teachers were very secretive about their styles. So they didnt get to see what others did or think about how to counter them. Now we have competitions on every week somewhere. The internet where you can go online and study other styles techs.Dojos with doors open to anybody interested in testing their skills.( something I have always made an effort to take advantage of) The UFC where highly trained fighters go at it under very liberal rules with any style they choose. Interestingly they always seem to chose the same styles though. Ones that are progressive in their thinking, constantly growing adapting and testing their arts BY FIGHTING AND EVOLVING.
Why would you chose to ignore these things? I'm sorry I just dont get it.
Another thing to consider. If it takes 20 years to become truly effective in your style maybe you should be looking for ways to improve on the way it is practiced and taught.
I know many of the TMA dojos I trained at were crap. And that there are good ones out there. But there is just as much rubbish being justified by tradition refusing to grow as there is rubbish being created by mixing things up.
"There is only one thing which is unchanging in the universe. It is the fact that everything is in a constant state of change"