TRADITIONAL MARTIAL ARTS EFFECTIVENESS

IN TODAY’S URBAN SETTINGS

By Master Clarence P. Murray

Murray's Okinaway Karate

I‘ve often been asked the question relating to the effectiveness of traditional martial arts training and practices as it relates to the modern day urban environment. Does it work? My initial response to this question was yes it does. But that response, just open up a bag of worms and a debate followed with intense arguments which both sides validated with supporting examples.

I am a practitioner and a veteran of 40 plus years of the Shuri-te lineage of Okinawan Karate.  My quick response was based on my style, personal experiences, growth, personal development, training and mental aspect of martial arts. When ask the question today I asked the individual about his/hers martial arts background, years of experience, training, and mind set.  With that information gathered I proceed to answer the question in hand.

As a Life Protection Art practitioner, your mind set is different from the Sports minded practitioner.  Not saying that one cannot evolve or transition from a sports background into a Life Protection Art, one can achieve this with proper instruction and guidance. I started the transition from Sport Karate into a Life Protection Art approximately 25 years ago.  When I first embarked on the journey (Do) of martial arts, I had an advantage; my training was classified as hard core by today’s standards.  It was the mid 60’s, and training was very physical, there was no safety equipment, tournament competition was hard hitting (no cry babies) and you could take your techniques that were learned on the Dojo floor and apply them directly to the street (black top).  What were lacking in our instruction were some applications of kata and movements that were not fully defined by the instructors.  After researching and seeking out knowledgeable first generation students of Okinawan Karate and Okinawan Karate Masters, I began to understand “How things work on a Starship”.  My knowledge base increased as well as my understanding of movement, focus, attitude and mind set improved over the years of training.  With all of these elements firmly in place, I felt comfortable answering the question “Does Traditional Martial Arts Work?

As in everything that exists on this planet, with time, evolution occurs. It’s a natural occurrence of nature.  We see this in all our surroundings, cars, computers, electronics and appliances.  We seek to make things better and we must be adaptable to our environment and surroundings.  Traditional Martial Arts are included in the evolution process.  Extracting the baseline and the basic principles of the Traditional Martial Art and tailoring the techniques so it’s adaptable for present day situations. This is not uncommon.  The Armed Services Elite Teams are great examples.  The key elements are baseline, principles and adaptability.  All three of these components are the building blocks of Traditional Martial Arts. 

Japan evolved from a closed feudal society into a modern day culture during the Meiji Restoration (1868-1912).  This was a direct result of renewed contact with the west.  The Meiji Restoration initiated many reforms from the frequent visits of Europeans.  As a result, the feudal system was abolished; the military was modernized, based on the models of Germany, France, and the United States. What Japan did keep was the philosophy of Bushido (The Way of the Warrior).  This philosophy enabled Japan to come up to speed with the rest of the world, in a very short time.  The Japanese military incorporated the principles of Bushido which lead to their high occupation of Asia during the 1930’s and 1940’s.

All Traditional Martial Arts have a baseline and principles which are the basic building blocks of their particular style or ryu.  One must understand those basic principles and build on them.  When those principles and basics are fully understood and firmly in place, then one can utilizes those techniques and adapt them to neutralize any modern day threat or situation.  So, the answer to the questions is “Yes it does work”.

For 15 years, Murray’s Okinawan Karate operated a Dojo in Palmer Park Maryland just above the Sugar Ray Lenard Boxing Gym.  During those years of sharing resources, the boxers and trainers in the gym had a great deal of respect and admiration for those individuals that trained upstairs in the Dojo.