As a teen in the early 1980s, my lifelong interest with martial arts began. And from the beginning, reading everything I could get my hands on, I was confronted with the idea that traditional arts weren't practical.

 

Many were convinced by these arguments, in some ways myself included. But even as a teen, I found myself wondering how so many could have practiced these methods for decades if not centuries just out of respect for tradition rather than practical use. I also wondered if the original intended use of these moves had been lost or distorted.

 

And so I began training in traditional arts and seeking practical applications for everything I was learning, even if I had to invent them.

 

Over time, I learned that others thought that was not a good idea, you should not make up your own interpretations, you should only accept those as taught by legitimate instructors. But I also learned from studying various styles, lots of reading, and VHS videos (and eventually DVDs and YouTube), those instructors didn't agree on what the interpretations should be. So when any part of what I learned wasn't fully explained or struck me as off, I continued to discover my own.

 

And I learned something else. As I switched schools and styles over the years, my instructors ended up teaching me some of those same things I had figured out on my own and adding even more that I hadn't. When that happened, I knew I had been on the right track.

 

If you're here, I hope you get something out of what I share on the subject. Surely, some will want to tell me just how wrong I am, and that is their prerogative. I invite them to go peacefully on their way and continue to believe whatever they wish.

 

Hopefully, at least some of my insights will be helpful to you. That is all I can hope for.