Me, blogging! I can’t believe I’m entering the 21st century. People who know me, know that I am notoriously lax in using that 1980’s technology, email. My wife is the one who has the texting component of the phone contract. And twitter and IM are completely strange and mysterious to me.
Makes sense if you know me as a martial artist. I am a practitioner of “old school arts.” I use the traditional styles in their intended ways. In fact, I am even more old fashioned than a traditionalist – I am a classicalist. The traditional martial artist is seeking to mimic the founder’s method. The classical martial artist is trying to live in the purpose of the art. A movement passed on from some long-dead founder was passed on because it was useful and effective. I seek to understand and practice that useful and effective method. If I am modern in any way, it is that I recognize that those old movements and concepts must be equally applicable to contemporary situations – either by direct analogy, or by transferable principle.
I should also mention that, because I am a classical martial artists, I am also a heretic. I constantly challenge and discredit the way many people have been taught. “That’s wrong, because…” is a common part of my vocabulary. I am not promising that I will be all controversial here. But, I do promise that whatever I say will be my most honest understanding of the martial arts. I can show why I do what I do, and if you can give me a better explanation for something, or a better way to do something, or a better solution to some problem, I’ll steal it and start teaching that.
So, here’s to the 21st century, and the possibility of modern technology serving the values of the classical martial arts.
Ok, now, go train.
Chris Thomas
