Excerpt: On Classical Training
I believe in classical training, because many of the requirements and exercises in these older arts can help further the range and skills of a martial artist, even if they aren’t directly applicable to winning a fight. I see this in a variety of subtle ways, but ukemi springs to mind as a good example. I’ve found that it’s more often practiced , and more heavily stressed, in older judo and jujutsu traditions, and I haven’t seen this kind of time devotion and emphasis in their modern derivations, such as BJJ. Why? One reason is that in a competition, no one’s going to tap to good ukemi, no matter how polished or practical it may be. Still, there are benefits in it, ranging from real-life falling skills to enhanced kinesthetic awareness.
So, the benefits of these specialized skills may often be masked or unseen in a martial arena, but other art forms make it easier to realize the benefits of traditional training. Whether it’s exhibited in an electric guitar solo or modern dance performance, the advantage of a classical base can often be spotted through the precision of technique in both music and dance, because of the specific physical demands inherent in classical guitar lessons or the discipline of ballet. Also, Chopin and Paganini may not be dominating the current music marketplace, but that doesn’t mean there’s no worth in what they’ve created. Studying, practicing, and finally understanding this music can give a student a tremendous amount of perspective on more contemporary creations, in addition to expanding and improving technical ability. An understanding of what has gone before can deepen the comprehension why the old was altered to form what’s now the new.