Traditional Martial Arts

Within the spectrum of Martial Arts there are those that fall under the category of Traditonal Martial Arts (TMA). What distinguishes a TMA from others is the adherence to the cultural traditions and training methods from which the martial art historically developed. Without this aspect of preserving the traditions of the first generation founders and practitioners of the style then the martial art ceases to be a TMA.

The name of a martial arts style can be confusing when trying to figure out whether or not it is a TMA because non-traditional styles that have deviated from their original design often retain and use the name of the TMA from which they started.

Some examples of martial arts designators that could be either a traditional martial art or non-traditional are as follows: Karate, Tae Kwon Do, Aikido, Kung Fu, Silat, Kenpo/Kempo, and Kali/Arnis/Escrima. Of these examples Karate, Kung Fu, and Kenpo/Kempo are the names most frequently misused to represent something that is not a TMA and sometimes it's not even by definition Karate, Kung Fu, or Kenpo/Kempo. The state of affairs in the martial art Tae Kwon Do is such a complex issue all the intracies will have to be explored in a separate entry devoted entirely to that art.

One of the key attributes of the Traditional Martial Arts is the original combat applications of the historical originators are often part of the style that is carefully preserved in transmission from one generation to the next. If time erodes away many of the styles tradition the focus is almost always to preserve the integrity of the style's effective concepts and applications. If those are lost then all else becomes meaningless in the context of the Martial in martial arts.

The majority of TMA's keep meticulous records regarding the lineage or path of transmission of the style from one generation to the next. Any teacher or school claiming to teach a traditional style should be able to provide you with the names of their teacher, their teacher's teacher, and so forth all the way back to the founder of the art. If this is not the case when questioned on the topic of lineage then that's a red-flag warning about that claim to being a TMA. It is the lineage of a Traditional Martial Artist that ties him or her to their style and gives them legitimacy, not an organization, franchise, or certificate.

For the most fundamental of Traditional Martial Artists that strive to follow the "old ways" the teaching of their style is a labor of love and not something they do in order to earn income. These fundamentalists in the TMA's are almost never easily found through internet searches, checking in phone or business directories, and do not advertise their abilities. Often they teach out of their homes, in parks, or in back rooms of various community businesses or Churches. For them the most important quality for students are traits that mirror the values and ethics of the tradition they teach. Classes under these types of TMA's tend to be very small in number and the relationships of those practicing the style more like an extended family than that of a group that share a hobby/activity in common.

Within the global Martial Arts community there are those who advocate strongly for the Traditional Martial Arts and there are those who strongly criticize the TMA's training methods and their effectiveness. The general population unfamiliar with the intricacies of the Martial Arts often don't realize how few Traditional Martial Arts schools exist in reality and how rare they are to find open to the public.

In my experience Traditional styles may also be referred to as "classical" or "feudal".