Newer styles of Karate

[Monadnock]

what "modern aplications are you refering to? sport aplications acording to a set of rules? if so perhaps. but if you are refering to a system for combat and self defence, then no. I have not noticed the human race has added a limb or lost one in the last ohh 20,000 years or so.. so a fight today is the same as it was in 1200AD or 1200BC. now some weapons have changed, but not the fight, and not unarmed combat, or combat with none distance weapons. in short a fight today is the same as it was in 1800 in Naha or Tamri villige or shuri villige, or in shanghi or london. the human body can only move efficently in a few ways in combat. so no matter what system you study you will end up in much the same place if its efficent in real combat. the doctrin and tactics to get there may vary, but not what will work efficently and well.
Traditional systems have been developed at great cost in lives and resorces over a long period of time. they were developed in situations where if they did not work the practioner did not survive! so if you think they do not work today, I myself think you are sadly mistaken. properly trained in any of the traditional systems that are for combat a practioner will be effective today.. or 300 years ago.

You mentioned that you needed lineage to know the past in order to know where you are going. I posited that new systems (with limited lineage) can be just as effective for self defense. (NOT the other way around, that older systems are not effective for modern times) When I mentioned there are modern systems for modern self defense applications, I was inferring the stylistic differences of how people fight today as opposed to 300 years ago. I agree that the elements of distance/timing do not change for anyone.

It is my personal belief that one should study, or at least be familiar with, old and new systems of combat to be well-rounded. If you never get out of the box, you may be in for a big surprise if you plan to use this stuff for self defense. If you think you have found the "all in one" system, well fine, whatever makes you happy.

 

[chinto]

Yes and no. To continue a traditional style and keep it true to its origins, yes, but to start a modern system for modern applications, no. Modern karate can be just as effective today as the traditional.



Maybe, if you have a teacher who can impart that to you.

I think you lost me, if you start a modern style, you have to have a heavy Okinawan influence some where or its not Karate. if you start a system you have to show where it came from, so you can show you are competent. You have say 4 green belts in 4 styles and start a system of your own and I will laugh at you. you show me 4 Godans in 4 good systems and years of training you might be for real..

 

[chinto]

You mentioned that you needed lineage to know the past in order to know where you are going. I posited that new systems (with limited lineage) can be just as effective for self defense. (NOT the other way around, that older systems are not effective for modern times) When I mentioned there are modern systems for modern self defense applications, I was inferring the stylistic differences of how people fight today as opposed to 300 years ago. I agree that the elements of distance/timing do not change for anyone.

It is my personal belief that one should study, or at least be familiar with, old and new systems of combat to be well-rounded. If you never get out of the box, you may be in for a big surprise if you plan to use this stuff for self defense. If you think you have found the "all in one" system, well fine, whatever makes you happy.

I have had the unfortunate experience of defending my life with much less training then I have now. I am not a kid of 16 who has not travailed or been in a fight that was serious. I can say this from experience. A fight today is no different then it was 300 years ago. the anatomy and physiology of the human being has not changed. the range of motion and laws of physics have not changed. a few weapons available have, but then if he has a good rifle at 100M you are screwed any way! but as far as up close its the same today as 300 years ago. gravity, physics, and the human ability to move and use his body as a weapon has NOT changed. this is fact, and not theory or conjecture. when real fights happen they are over very fast and some one is at best hospital bound, and often morgue bound. Its nasty, dirty and NOT fun!!