Traditional Martial Arts -- the Difference Between a Way and a Technique

When you hear the term "martial arts," visions of a person defending himself using exotic kicks, throws and hand strikes pops into your head; at least it does here in the U.S. Most people's knowledge of the martial arts derives from movies and television, probably the two least accurate places to receive and education. Those media are made for entertainment rather that information and facts go out the window when flash is more important than effectiveness. Most of what we consider martial arts originates in the East, especially Asia. While there are arts originating in other places and some are beginning to gain in popularity, the Asian Arts are still the best known. Let's pull aside a little of the veil of secrecy and look at a few things about the Asian Martial Arts.

The martial arts from China were referred to as "Kung Fu" for a long time. This is a term that roughly translates as "well-done." The more correct we currently being used is to call them "Wushu" or "national arts" per Martialarm.com history of kungfu. There are way too many different forms and style to get into easily. Basically the Chinese arts are broken down in 2 ways. The first is by whether they originated in the North or South of China. Styles that originate north of the Yangtze River are generally considered to involve high, powerful kicks, fast fluid movement and high jumps, while styles from the South tend to emphasize strong hand and arm techniques, fast footwork and strong stances according to the Original Martial Art Encyclopedia.

There can be great variety of differences within the same style also, these are usually referred to as schools, families, or sects and can cause great confusion as mentioned in the Wikipedia article on Chinese Martial Arts. Another way to divide the arts is to refer to internal and external or soft and hard arts. Soft or internal arts tend to develop internal chi (or ki in Japanese). These arts place emphasis on diverting and avoiding attacks, using circular motions, yielding and redirecting techniques. Hard or external arts develop chi in the limbs and use more strength. They rely more on block and direct attacks and linear motion. Or course, just because an art is classified as hard, it does not necessarily mean it doesn't have circular techniques and vice versa according to the Original Marial Arts Encyclopedia and Comprehensive Asain Fighting Arts. The Chinese arts are generally taught in a manner that involves more than just learning a physical skill, but instead stress mental and spiritual matters as well.

The Japanese arts are a little easier. Japanese, and to an extent Korean, arts can be classified by intent. According to Comprehensive Asian Fighting Arts, an art that ends in with do means that the intent of the art is to be a way of life. Judo is the "gentle way." Kendo is the "way of the sword." Aikido is the "way of harmonious life." Arts ending in jitsu mean the art is practiced for the technique. Jujitsu is the "gentle technique. Aikijitsu is the "harmonious life techniques. Ninjitsu is the "dark or night techniques." An art that is practiced for technique means that the art isn't trying to be more than what it is. You learn jujitsu to learn to fight. You learn kenjitsu to learn to fight with a sword. You learn Aikido to learn to defend yourself as well as learning to lead you life in a way to redirect stress and problems rather than trying to resist or confront them head on. Most do arts were jitsu arts and evolved.

Judo was a style of jujitsu. Kendo derived from kenjitsu. Aikido was derived from jujitsu. Karate is actually karate-do which was once karate-jitsu. Karate actually originated on the island of Okinawa, but spread to Japan. Aikijitsu or aikijutsu came about with a shift in philosophy in jujitsu. Tai Kwan Do is the "way of foot and fist" and Hapkido is "way of joining energy." Kapkido is Korea's version of aikijitsu. Tai Kwan Do is the Korean version of karate-do although both arts contain distinctive kicking styles carried through from older Korean arts and which some of the Japanese arts have begun to incorporate into their syllabuses. Tang Soo Do and Karate-do both mean "way of the empty hand." Tang Soo Do is the name usually used for the Soo Bak Do and Moo Duk Kwan schools or Korean Martial arts. These schools did not unify under the Tai Kwan Do banner. This style is generally considered a mixture of Japanese, Chinese, and indigenous Korean martial arts. Many people have compared it to Shotokan Karate. Wikipedia was consulted to verify the translations of the Asian names.

You can develop physical and mental skills studying any martial art. You can also acquire the self-discipline, and confidence studying any of the arts. Where the do systems differ should be in the attempt to pass on a philosophy complete with a value system and perhaps some wisdom. Many of the new MMA schools are perhaps teaching more along the lines of the jitsu systems. They teach physical and mental skills, but don't attempt to temper the warrior skills with values and a code. What I think many people forget is that the Samurai learned the jitsu arts, but were also given a code of conduct to follow. they were also taught arts, painting, poetry calligraphy in an attempt to temper the edge of the sword, so they would be more than just weapons.

Sources:

John Corcoran (Author), Emil Farkas (Author), Stuart Sobel (Author),
The Original Martial Arts Encyclopedia: Tradition, History, Pioneers
Publisher: Pro-Action Pub. (January 1993)

Donn F. Draeger (Author), Robert W. Smith (Author)
Comprehensive Asian Fighting Arts (Bushido--The Way of the Warrior)
Kodansha International (January 15, 1981)

Kung Fu the History Martialarm.com/history/kungfu

Wikipedia