Do Kata/Forms Define the Style?

[JowGaWolf]

Fighting is not self protection,"

Fighting is not self protection because I can fight someone when I know that I can win. If I fight you knowing that you can't beat me then I'm not doing it out of self protection. If you attack me but I don't fight back then it is still a fight.

If I fight someone with a knife to protect my family then I'm not doing self protection.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

The more that I think about the term "style", the more that term make no sense to me.

If you cross trained CMA, Karate, and boxing, when you throw a punch on your opponent's chest (within 1/4 second), how do you know whether you are using

- CMA punch,
- Karate punch, or
- boxing punch?

 

[JowGaWolf]

The more that I think about the term "style", the more that term make no sense to me.

If you cross trained CMA, Karate, and boxing, when you throw a punch on your opponent's chest (within 1/4 second), how do you know whether you are using

- CMA punch,
- Karate punch, or
- boxing punch?

By the way you power the punch. Are you pushing into the punch with flat feet or are you pivoting? Is it a long circular punch or is it short circular punch like an overhand punch. What is the fist formation? Does the thumb wrap the fingers? Is the punching fist vertical, horizontal, or diagonal? Which knuckles are used to strick?

From the outside a punch may look the same but structure wise there good be alot of differences that help determine the style of that punch.