Introduction
I have studied the martial arts for around 16 years. I have experience in many different systems for many different purposes.
I began my journey studying Shaolin Do, in Louisville, Ky under John Price. While I was there I learned the fundamentals of studying martial arts as well as many varied strikes and kicks. I was fortunate because the this martial system included weapon forms and sparring. It however, was lacking real combat application because their forms and kata was usually absent from their sparring.
In High school I joined the wrestling team. I spent 2 years collegiate wrestling. This is not an actual martial art as it is guided more by rules than by combat directives. A wrestler is only allowed to preform a certain set of moves to achieve a pin and score points. While not combat oriented, it does teach valuable lessons on joint manipulation, weight distribution and how to manipulate another persons center of mass.
I college I took up sport fencing and I did this for 4 years. This, as you may be able to tell by the name, is a martial sport, not a martial art. It had its benefits, footwork, reaction time, point control, and stamina but again, it was not combat training. Sport fencing long ago left the battlefield context and opted for a more limited rule system, which lead me to my current martial expertize.
I also Learned Tai Chi. This took about 3 semesters and I learned the entire Non Lao Shu tai chi form. This includes the exercises, breathing and walking.
Around my junior year of college I started a chapter of the ARMA; also known The Association for Renaissance Martial Arts. This is a “western” martial art, which means it does not draw from the martial traditions or mindsets of the east. Many believe martial arts come from the east only, this is not true. The west had their own codified martial systems that have, for some reason, been neglected by mainstream society.
This has by far been the most “Martial” martial art I have studied. It includes unarmed combat, wrestling, grappling with chokes, holds and strikes. Along with the complete unarmed system, it is coupled with weapon combat. These weapons include all variety of swords, pole arms, daggers, and even the later rapier all used in combination with grappling, shields and off hand weapons.
I feel as a Jedi, this is the most useful Art for me to study. The first reason is that the techniques are actual battlefield tactics that were proven time and time again in desperate personal combat. These techniques were not changed or sportified. Western Martial Arts has a broken lineage. Meaning the techniques were not passed down from master to student though the ages. In this case, when it became useless in combat because of firearms, it was mainly discarded. It was not changed to suit a class setting, it was not made safer by removing the techniques that can cripple and kill, it was not made into a sport by creating limiting rules and point systems. This was is an art of war and nothing else. The problem with some unbroken lineage systems is that they have changed with the times. As people began studying them less and less for combat, the rules became more limiting, the techniques less lethal. Even to the point of highly ritualized stick tag in the case of kendo and fencing.
Since this is a broken lineage system, we have to do all of our own research, interpretations and application. The original techniques were not lost because they were written down in period manuals and texts. For years though, we have been fighting incorrectly. The movies are not true to how things were, and the existing traditions like fencing and SCA combat are sportified. In fact it took the actual death of the sword on the battle field to make people ask “how were these things used?” Before that, people thought they knew how to use them, becasue people were still using similar objects on the field. The only problem was that the art had changed with the times to suit them. The baroque small sword changed the entire way fencing was conducted. No longer was it a matter of battle, it was a dual of decorum and gentlemen. Grappling was unheard of and so was any actual physical contact beyond a poke. Because of this, we have to rediscover these techniques and how to use them correctly. It becomes a mental exercise and we are by necessity, scholars of medieval combat.
The west did not integrate its spirituality into their art as much as the east did. The art of war was more of a physical science than a spiritual one. They did not have concepts of Chi, those things were explained by biomechanics. There was no moment of transcendence that was sought though their art. This helped maintain its battlefield integrity in the long run. It did not divert into other forms that did not work for killing such as the case with Tai Chi. That is not to say that ethical components were absent from the west. Indeed the masters spent a great amount of time speaking about the proper applications of their techniques. They were worried that they would be used improperly, and of course, at times they were.
What it all boils down to, we use martial arts for physical conflict. If you can achieve enlightenment though it, that is secondary. The spiritual aspect is great, but i do not feel it is necessary for a jedi martial art. I study what i do because it works; even in today’s swordless times. The ARMA teaches me how to fight. Plain and simple. I find meditation, tai chi and other activities are good enough for fulfilling my spiritual activity, what i needed was how to survive a fight and this is it. I can expand more on this, but I would like to keep this intro brief.
I have a feeling I will be bringing a new perspective to this class. After skimming the workbook, this class takes basically an eastern perspective. Mine is different.
