Are you a "this-guy" or a "that-guy"

Kennedy_Shogen_Ryu

Kennedy_Shogen_Ryu

Blue Belt
Not sure if there's a similar thread on this topic so, here we go...

Was at work the other day (ye olde pizza shop) when a customer came into the lobby wearing a martial arts jacket (will not name style or school so as not to offend.) So I began asking him about his training, did he like it, how was his instructor etc etc. He asked me if I was into martial arts, and I replied that yes I had been training for 10 years or so. He asked me what martial art I studied so I ran down a list of the styles that I have studied/am studying. My two main styles of study are Aikido and Karate and I told him this. So he asked me "so, are you a Karate-guy or an Aikido-guy?" I asked him to elaborate. He then informed me that his instructor taught his students that you can only have one main style of study and that is your 'martial-label' if you will.

Has anyone else ever heard of this 'martial-labelling'? Did this happen one night while I was asleep? Has anyone in any way been a victim of 'martial-labelling'?
 
It doesn't seem all that strange to me. I would think that it would be best to study ONE martial art for some time, concentrate on only that, and then, later, to try to learn a little about some other martial art.

It seems reasonable to me that MOST people would tend toward a single MAIN martial art. I myself am only belted in TKD. I have had a very good time learning a little Aikido and a little American Kenpo, but I never got past the "very beginner" phase.

Still, though, I could, say, walk into an Aikido Dojo, or an American Kenpo school, and not be at a total loss as to what's going on.

Now, that being said, I know of a man in my city who is a black belt in judo. He THEN became a Teacher of an Okinawan school of Kempo. Later, he practiced Aikido (and it would not surprise me if he got an Aikido black belt -- he practiced very hard at these marital arts).

But, you know, people like him are kind of few and far between, as far as I can see.
 
No, to be stuck on just one style forces you to ignore a whole lot of good stuff that is out there in other styles.
 
Oh, and let me say this. The man that I just mentioned. He could very easily stick in all manner of "atemi waza" inside of the Aikido motions.

It was really something. He understands these things at depth, from what I could tell.

At one time, I told him, "This seems like dancing." He said, "Yes, its like dancing." He was old school, too! I once asked him, figuring that it was okay, "Do you think that this stuff (Aikido) would really work?"

Now, THANKFULLY, when he looked over at Sensei, Sensei nodded his head NO, which I later found out is the traditional way of Sensei telling my friend, "Do NOT beat him up, simply demonstrate this gently."

Needless to say, I found out about these joint locks applied, but I was not beat up or injured by my friend.

He showed me many ways that the sword is also in your body! You have a sword all the time, within your own body! It was majestic to experience that Aikido. Everything about it was awesome. Everything. The swirling sound of the feet on the canvas floor. The seiza, the hakama. The fluidity and the blending.

Nothing less than just SHEER genius. Beyond words. I have felt this!!!
 
Am I? Yes - TKD is the only art I have studied at length. Does that mean I think that every martial artist has one, primary art with which s/he does - and more, must - not in the slightest.
 
Doc_Jude said:
Agreed. "Specialization is for Insects." Besides, I don't know why he would be wearing a "martial arts" jacket out in public. I was always taught to "conceal my treasure".
Click to expand...


Yes, I thought it quite odd too. Sometimes when my one Sensei's group goes to seminars or tournaments we have special shirts that we wear just to let people know who we are representing. But it's not something I would personally wear on a day to day basis.

It really did bother me that an instructor would be teaching his students to believe that you can truely only have one martial art and that the art that you study could define who you are. I know that there are a lot of traditional instructors who still feel that way, and I mean them no disrespect, we alll deserve to have our beliefs, I was just always taught that martial arts is about open mindedness and exploration, that martial arts was a gift for the brother/sisterhood of mankind and meant to be non-judgemental. Wow sorry bout that kind of a philosophical rant there....that's what I get for posting at 4:30 in the morning I guess....
 
I personally think there is one style that sets the back bone for the rest of the styles learned. Thru the back bone of the style all other styles are fit into that theory. Eventually after so long of practice it becomes no style but just theory and movement.
 
I think of myself as a martial artist, who happens to specialize in a particular style. Much like a doctor who specializes in a particular field of medicine or a lawyer who specializes in a partiuclar aspect of the law. I have the tools to do whateer I need to, but the bulk of my experience is in a particular style.
 
I hear what you guys are saying about labels. THough I do think of myself as a "karate guy" because I've studied two styles exclusivly. I've studied Judo but not to the point where I would proudly say I'm a Judo Player.
 
Some of the guys at the department call me the "karate nut", I have given up telling them that I dont study karate..
 
i am a true Martial Artist plain and simple, I train with a wide range of folks that have there particular style and mine is TKD, but that does not limit me to train in other styles. My secondary art is Okinawa Karate which I hold a higher rank than TKD, My point is a simple one what I learn from other folks maybe combat hapkido or Jujitsu but when I reaturn home and I train folks these certain techs I learned they become TKD because that is what I teach.
 
Kennedy_Shogen_Ryu said:
Not sure if there's a similar thread on this topic so, here we go...

Was at work the other day (ye olde pizza shop) when a customer came into the lobby wearing a martial arts jacket (will not name style or school so as not to offend.) So I began asking him about his training, did he like it, how was his instructor etc etc. He asked me if I was into martial arts, and I replied that yes I had been training for 10 years or so. He asked me what martial art I studied so I ran down a list of the styles that I have studied/am studying. My two main styles of study are Aikido and Karate and I told him this. So he asked me "so, are you a Karate-guy or an Aikido-guy?" I asked him to elaborate. He then informed me that his instructor taught his students that you can only have one main style of study and that is your 'martial-label' if you will.


Has anyone else ever heard of this 'martial-labelling'? Did this happen one night while I was asleep? Has anyone in any way been a victim of 'martial-labelling'?
Click to expand...

I'm a JKD guy. It's an easy label to remove...
 
I'm Todd. I do martial arts. I also program computers, bake pies, study Torah and Quran, work on my basement, feed the dogs, cats and snake and try to make my wife happy.

Does that make me a Sufi guy, a home improvement guy, a husband guy, a pet guy, a programming guy, an Araki Ryu guy, a Silat guy or a Todd guy? Do I only get to pick one?

It sounds like the customer's a pigeon hole guy :shrug:

There are 10 kinds of people. Those who understand binary and those who don't.
 
newGuy12 said:
I would think that he would be trying to advertise his school, hoping to get more students.
Click to expand...

& that's the problem with the martial arts business. If you're not good enough to rely on word of mouth to bring in new students, you are forced to advertise in cheesy ways, like custom martial arts jackets & stuff.
 
Doc_Jude said:
& that's the problem with the martial arts business. If you're not good enough to rely on word of mouth to bring in new students, you are forced to advertise in cheesy ways, like custom martial arts jackets & stuff.
Click to expand...

This is a bad way to advertise? I would not have thought so. I wonder why I don't see this as a bad thing. What am I missing? For example, I don't see how any new student may know of someone to ask for a referral to a school.

Also, perhaps the man hoped that seeing this jacket would spark some interest in someone, and they may join the school. Now, I have no such jacket to wear (we do not have them at our school), and I suppose that is a good thing.

I am confused as to how this would be a bad thing, though. Should you not be proud of your school? Should you not wish to support it?

EDIT: DANG IT! I should have started a new thread to ask this question! I was not thinking how this was off topic. My apologies.
 
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