Is tradition important?

[pgsmith]

I love how questions such as this one come up periodically, and it always devolves into people arguing minutia.

Is tradition important? Of course it is ... to those martial arts that consider tradition important.

Since I just love analogies, it is very much like going to a forum devoted to the summer olympics, and asking if knowing how to swim is important. Well of course it is ... if you are doing one of the sports that requires swimming.

 

[nocturnal_]

Yeah, I can see the problem. You aren't aware of how these aspects fit in, nor with the detail that much of your listed aspects aren't actually even traditions.

Seems like we have different perceptions of what would qualify to be called a 'tradition'. To me, when something has been passed on for 3 generations, it's enough to qualify it as a 'tradition'. But that's just matters of perception/opinion.

Wearing Gi: Well, while a certain uniform might be traditional, the idea of wearing a uniform isn't really traditional in and of itself. Additionally, it isn't worn for the sake of a tradition, but rather for a range of practical reasons, such as protecting your regular clothes during practice, providing sturdy material for certain grips and holds, and an indication of membership in a group. The same reasons as a modern military uniform, really...

Belts: Again, hardly a tradition. The idea of coloured belts to denote rank is rather recent, and is adopted for, again, practical reasons... the initial usage was for Kano Jigoro to be able to tell the relative experience and skill level of a student he hadn't met when he was going from school to school. In other words, it's specific to the martial skill of the art in question, and not in any way something done "for traditions sake".

Gi and obi don't really matter outside dojo. From a self defense perspective, people need to train when they're wearing their normal daily clothes because they won't wear gi outside dojo, where they might experience some assaults that they have to defend themselves from. They can't say "Wait! Not Now! Let me wear my gi that's comfortable for fighting before we start." That's why in my opinion, wearing gi and obi is not martial related, but I understand your point of view.

I won't address the rest as I think they can either be categorized as martial related or non-martial related depending on the point of view. My point of view, they aren't (and I've given some examples with the first two above), but I can accept that from your point of view, they are. It's just the matter of perceptions.

 

[Zenjael]

I like what my girlfriend does. She respects the idea of tradition, rather than trying to blanket conform to it.

She wears her first gi, and the white belt issued with it. I used to ask her when she was going to go to a school to test for black, and she answered me that she'd be a black belt when her uniform become black.

At our club we train both in gi and regular attire.

 

[Chris Parker]

How the hell is that anything to do with respecting tradition?!?! It's fantasy-driven garbage, frankly, and gets the myth wrong in the first place. Desperate fail. Again.

 

[Aiki Lee]

She wears her first gi, and the white belt issued with it. I used to ask herwhen she was going to go to a school to test for black, and she answered methat she'd be a black belt when her uniform become black.

Are you suggesting that she will never wash her keikogi?

 

[Xue Sheng]

I love how questions such as this one come up periodically, and it always devolves into people arguing minutia.

Agreed and Iam sorry for the part I played in it

Is tradition important? Of course it is ... to those martial arts that consider tradition important.

Agreed

Since I just love analogies, it is very much like going to a forum devoted to the summer olympics, and asking if knowing how to swim is important. Well of course it is ... if you are doing one of the sports that requires swimming.

Nice analogy

 

[Dirty Dog]

I like what my girlfriend does. She respects the idea of tradition, rather than trying to blanket conform to it.

She wears her first gi, and the white belt issued with it. I used to ask her when she was going to go to a school to test for black, and she answered me that she'd be a black belt when her uniform become black.

At our club we train both in gi and regular attire.

That's not tradition, it's fantasy. Your inability to distinguish between the two is well known to people who have read your drivel in the past.

 

[Manseau]

Dirty Dog, what an interesting thread you have started! [I am mounting my soap box] Tradition! Traditional American values, traditional family values, traditional religious values, traditional martial arts,…they all speak to the same thing. One contributor used a good analogy of the foundation of a building; others addressed some of the trappings (window and floor coverings if you want to look at it that way) like uniforms. But I think tradition is what reminds us that we are part of something larger than ourselves, it reminds us that we are on the road many have traveled before us and they have made contributions, sacrifices, that make it easier for us to embrace and become part of what they have built. We have the ability to make it better thanks to their foundation. What is tradition? It is about time invested, it is about respect, it is living history, it is always changing, always growing but never forgetting those special ones who worked a little harder and gave more of themselves to move their passion forward for our ultimate benefit. Forget tradition? We are seeing the deterioration of that around us in our day to day lives. Is tradition important? I suggest that “those who don’t study history are doomed to repeat it”. Is that important in martial arts? I can’t tell you, that is for you to decide in your heart, not just in this question but all that touch on tradition.[I am now dismounting my soap box] Thank you again for the post. Regards, David