I am sorry I came to this thread so late.
but I beg your pardon so I may add my veiw.
What is the intent of "creating a new" martial arts style?
What back groud do you have?
what rank do you claim now?
what rank have you earned, or time in training?
A young man once arose and came up with the IDEA of training in what best suits you and train as much as possible. He claimed no rank and became frustrated and challeneged by even being bound by an IDEA.
Today there are countless "founders" some highly skilled, some highly rank in a traditional back ground and some both. many claimed a 10th dan and passed rank on to many. This has been done in nearly every martial arts nation and takes a huge root in the united states.
Do I condemn these people? no, to each there own. do I think it benefited or hurt the arts in general? perhaps both.
The one thing I am always intrigue by is the individuals (founders) goals and direction. are they now not learning and advancing in skill? does the 10th dan limit them, because they are now at the very end of the rank chain? do they have quality students? Do they puch rank? do they boast? do they claim their style is the best?
I have been lucky enough to not be bound by rank nor style, I have been able to keep things personal still after all these years. At one point I thought I was a founder, with a 4th dan, then just titled it as a method, not my own style, and now I simply use the term martial arts. I personaly do not have the personal goals of being a founder or reaching the highest levels, to me with practice the skill will always increase, age is not a factor, nor strength or speed. but this is just my personal opinion and goals, but i would love for some founders to answer my questions above.
I think that people seem to found arts for all sorts of reasons, and the quality control that once kept the unskilled and unscrupulous to a lower level is largely gone. Today, you either already have lineage, or you have sports accomplishments and someone who has neither will have a hard way to travel just getting by without resorting to rather unethical means. The collapse of the challenge match system and the legal reprecussions for dojo wars, dojo storming and the like means that almost anyone can claim anything - and they end up lowering the credibility of anyone who would be capable of creating a new synthesis worth any study.