Relative to what it was several years ago, the Western Martial Arts revival is getting to be quite significant. It is also being taken more seriously by martial artists in general. I've seen little knee-jerk reaction in the martial arts community against Western Martial Arts.
However, among the general (non martial artist) population, many of the old stigmas still exist. When the western systems and traditions are mentioned, many laymen either don't believe that there is any native European fighting skill, insisting that western fighters crudely relied on strength, or ridicule the practicioners as Ren-faire LARPer geeks. This hinders the growth of the Western arts in America.
There has been much discussion of the "McDojo", stereotypically a strip-mall Tae Kwon Do school that focuses mainly on teachinig children (in a mediocre way). Acknowledging that too much of a focus on growth, popularity and commercial viablility runs the risk of turning a relatively unknown martial art into this, a certain presence in the public conciounsness is still desireable for any art.
Getting to my point, I have noticed very few schools that teach Western styles present themselves as mainstream martial art schools. They appeal to the long-time committed martial artist who also had an interest in the esoteric historical aspects of training. This is great. I fully support elevating the arts. I myself see my training as much more than something to do after work several times a week. It is not a substitute for a health club membership or a class at the community college. It is a part of my life, and almost an obsession! (Isn't that why we spend all of our time not practicing martial arts on the web discussing martial arts?)
Is there any place for a school that presents a Western art as a mainstream martial art? As a better but equivalent alternative to the local Karate or Tae Kwon Do school? With a family focus, and appealing to people who have no martial arts experience? If not, why not? If you have a Western school, do you actively seek people who list the cliched motivations for studying martial arts for the first time (fitness, self defense, discipline, stress-relief) hoping to give them a favorible first impression of your Western style? Or do you chose to attract people who you know will have a serious martial and historical interest in the art?
I dream of the day when a person looking for self defense doesn't just think "I should take Karate or Jujitsu" but also considers Pugilism, Savate or Catch Wrestling. Is there a reason this cannot happen, without the quality of the Western arts suffering?
However, among the general (non martial artist) population, many of the old stigmas still exist. When the western systems and traditions are mentioned, many laymen either don't believe that there is any native European fighting skill, insisting that western fighters crudely relied on strength, or ridicule the practicioners as Ren-faire LARPer geeks. This hinders the growth of the Western arts in America.
There has been much discussion of the "McDojo", stereotypically a strip-mall Tae Kwon Do school that focuses mainly on teachinig children (in a mediocre way). Acknowledging that too much of a focus on growth, popularity and commercial viablility runs the risk of turning a relatively unknown martial art into this, a certain presence in the public conciounsness is still desireable for any art.
Getting to my point, I have noticed very few schools that teach Western styles present themselves as mainstream martial art schools. They appeal to the long-time committed martial artist who also had an interest in the esoteric historical aspects of training. This is great. I fully support elevating the arts. I myself see my training as much more than something to do after work several times a week. It is not a substitute for a health club membership or a class at the community college. It is a part of my life, and almost an obsession! (Isn't that why we spend all of our time not practicing martial arts on the web discussing martial arts?)
Is there any place for a school that presents a Western art as a mainstream martial art? As a better but equivalent alternative to the local Karate or Tae Kwon Do school? With a family focus, and appealing to people who have no martial arts experience? If not, why not? If you have a Western school, do you actively seek people who list the cliched motivations for studying martial arts for the first time (fitness, self defense, discipline, stress-relief) hoping to give them a favorible first impression of your Western style? Or do you chose to attract people who you know will have a serious martial and historical interest in the art?
I dream of the day when a person looking for self defense doesn't just think "I should take Karate or Jujitsu" but also considers Pugilism, Savate or Catch Wrestling. Is there a reason this cannot happen, without the quality of the Western arts suffering?
Others such as boxing/pugilism, wrestling, and even knife fighting may have an easier time of things.
