Traditional vs. Modern
Traditional vs. Modern
Personal commentary on martial arts teaching as it reflects wider culture
Last year, I read an excellent post by Dr. John Painter in the Nine Dragon Baguazhang Facebook Group called “Are You Prostituting Your Chinese Martial Arts?”
It stuck with me and I urge everyone to read it as it addresses his reasons for teaching traditional internal arts, emphasis on the word “traditional”. The article was posted June 7, 2023. The link is posted below.
I read the post and robotically clicked the ‘like’ button. But the ideas in the post lingered with me and still gives me something to ponder. It is related to what I see in general online that leaves me with a sad sense of loss. Namely, the devaluing of tradition. Not just in martial arts, but in the general culture.
While being saturated in “the new” is enticing, it seems to be happening to the exclusion of all else. There is the sense that “the new” is automatically “the better” for no other reason that it is new.
The latest and greatest is alluring and can give one the feeling of being uniquely important. It is this desire to be relevant, important, noticed, etc. that can drive the seeking of the new. Tradition is relegated to the dustbin called “been there done that”. I believe that is a mistake.
If one wants to truly learn a martial art, and “if” is the salient point here, then it only makes sense to seek out the most successful learning tools available. The “tried and true” traditional methods have stood the test of time for a reason…they’ve worked for hundreds of years! And the people who embody tradition are the ones who know why they work and how to impart them. But the other side of this is a receptive mind.
Certainly, innovations occur in all human endeavours. That is called progress. Sometimes the new is indeed an improvement, but not always. Also, if one focuses only on the newness of innovations without knowing where they came from, it is easy to fall for incorrect information by unscrupulous teachers. In the context of martial arts, this can be deadly! Imagine a life and death confrontation in which your only weapon is false information. Magic chi power comes to mind!
This is not to say that everything traditional is unthinkingly good. A teacher should be able to explain why and how a method is being taught. And a student should feel free to ask. If the “why” is clear, the method can be adopted with confidence.
Finally, it seems to me that dismissing the old without knowing what you are dismissing means you are likely missing out on something really valuable…something that already works!
If something that works is not your goal, what is?
Of course, all this is personal. So I suggest taking fresh look at your classes. Expand that look to the wider culture.
What attracts you? Traditional or Modern?
If you’re on Facebook, click here to open Dr. Painter’s original post