19th century fighting arts in the 21st century:
Why your 20th century martial art will get you beat up

Before the 20th century, except in western civilization, firearms were very scarce. In the west, our hand to hand combat is no longer useful on the battlefield, and has come into disuse except for sport and entertainment. Modern wrestling, boxing, and fencing survive as sports, and are about all that remain of western civilizations’ once powerful and deadly martial arts.

EASTERN MARTIAL ARTS MEET WESTERN FIREARMS

In China, Indonesia, and the Philippines, firearms remained scarce right into the 20th century. In Japan, however, a decision was made to embrace western ideas, and a modern army was conscripted by hired western experts. The Samurai caste wanted nothing to do with this new army, based on the Prussian model, and in fact was discouraged for political reasons from participating. Samurai rebellions were quickly and brutally put down using the same technology that fought the American Civil War. Today, the Samurai arts of Japan, called Koryu, are practiced by a very few Japanese, usually members of the former Samurai caste. Some contain archaic concepts such as how to wrestle someone wearing armor, or how to swim without dropping your spear. They are still battlefield arts, and are still very deadly, but never used.

OKINAWAN KARATE (“CHINESE HANDS”) INTRODUCED TO JAPAN

In Japanese ruled Okinawa and the other Ryukyu islands, however, the old style peasant martial arts were practiced by the peasants. These had been introduced by the Chinese when they ruled these islands. The stories about the Japanese outlawing possession of metal weapons, and the Okinawans using farm implements are basically true; this was also true throughout Asia; wherever the warrior castes outlawed real weapons, other implements were used, especially farming implements, since, again, almost everyone was in agriculture and such implements were common to hand. Pretty much like a modern chef might pick up a frying pan or a construction worker a shovel to defend himself in an emergency.

By the early 20th century, Okinawa had a leisure class of those Japanese who had been sent to rule the Ryukyus for Japan. Some of these Japanese administrators took a casual interest in the Okinawan Karate (‘Kara’ means Chinese, ‘Te’ means hand, in Japanese) and, being rich by local standards, were able to pay well for lessons. One of these, named Gichin Funikoshi, took the art to Japan. Since Japan and China were at war, he changed the Kanji character for ‘Chinese’ to the kanji character for ‘empty.’ The word was still pronounced the same way.

CHANGES IN THE 20TH CENTURY

This new Karate, after a few years, became very popular. It was changed, however, to look ‘more Japanese.’ The stances became wider, because they ”looked better”. Some moves were eliminated because they were difficult, or simply because they didn’t look nice. Free sparring was introduced; with rules and safety procedures drilled into the students so they wouldn’t accidentally hurt anyone.

Many teachers, not trusting some students, would teach “2nd best” fighting moves, or leave out vital bits of training or concepts. If the student proved trustworthy, it was easy enough to show the secrets later. (Some teachers will tell you there are no secrets, because they do not know or understand these ideas. Now that these secrets are no longer needed for fighting, many of them are being revealed. Other secrets reveal themselves only through hints and long study of authentic early material.)

Starting even earlier, Jigoro Kano, an expert in an old Koryu Ju Jitsu style, reasoned that just because the pre-gunpowder martial arts were no longer necessary to fight with did not mean they should fade into disuse. So he developed the sport of Judo by removing most of the really dangerous (i.e., effective) moves.

CHINESE MARTIAL ARTS SUPRESSED

In China, after the end of World War II, the communists under Mao Tse Tung defeated the western backed Kuomintang. For a time, they banned the old Kung Fu arts: none such were needed in the glorious People’s Republic. Many of the old masters were persecuted during the Cultural Revolution, and their schools disbanded.

Starting in the 70’s, it was decreed that China’s traditional martial arts had value after all, for sport and for healing. Once again, crowd pleasing techniques like high jumping kicks and fancy hand techniques were emphasized, and the faster, shorter, and more deadly techniques that couldn’t be appreciated from fifty yards away in a crowded stadium (or defended against in a real fight) were removed.

KUNG FU IN AMERICA

In America, however, many of those smaller and more deadly techniques were preserved by the minority Chinese population that occasionally still needed them, and was cut off from the political developments in the old country. Some of the best genuine Kung Fu in the world is found in America, especially around New York City and the west coast of California.

In the poorer areas of Asia, especially in rural backwaters and in smaller countries, the genuine article still remains. There are living people in parts of Indonesia, the Philippines, and other countries who once depended upon swords, knives, and spears for their lives. Some people still do.

Part 2 conclusions

I am not here to denigrate any particular martial art, or those of any country. Certainly almost anyone who spends 4 years getting a black belt at an honest school is a dangerous fighter. (There is, of course, a growing problem with franchise schools primarily out to make a buck.). Let me make a point that in addition to having managed Tae Kwon Do and Kempo schools, I also hold brown belts in Wado Kai Karate and Jukado Ryu Ju jitsu. I have also studied Aikido at various schools for perhaps a total of two years, and Judo for a year, as well as eighteen months with Uncle’s Silat, and have worked with too many high ranking Kung Fu instructors to name here. This is not to mention my long studies of Dragon Kung Fu and Tai Chi (the deadly 19th century style of Yang Lu Chuan, with Dim Mak and other acupuncture and medical concepts turned to martial arts). I have seen all common styles of Karate, and worked out at least briefly with their proponents. I have extensive formal training with Arnis Larga stickfighting, and have worked out extensively with all of the Okinawan weapons and with the common and a few uncommon Chinese weapons. I love the martial arts, and anything I say here is meant as a useful critique. I do not need to score points on any person, style, or country.

However, my 37 years of experience in the martial arts leads me to conclude that post-gunpowder, 20th century martial arts are missing vital exercises and concepts that prevent them from being what they could. This includes the all 20th century arts that I have seen. By learning the pre-gunpowder arts, and finding new ways to pass them on to modern students, students from my small, local school have become known and respected on a national and international basis.

Benefits of martial arts

There are great benefits to a study of the martial arts. Self discipline, health, fitness, camaraderie, cultural expansion, and a spirit of learning will result from a sincere study of almost any martial art. However, my experience with modern martial arts leads me to believe that only the strong, young, and in shape can use them to defend themselves effectively, at least without many years of training.

Actual experiences

The pre 20th century arts, however, contain programs and concepts that allow anyone, even small teenagers, to defend themselves. No one has ever attacked one of my senior male students, but about once a year or so, I hear of one of my teens or female students using their skills to successfully defend themselves, frequently resulting in an ambulance trip to the emergency ward for their attacker. None of my students have ever been prosecuted, and only one arrested as a result of their actions (a 15 year old male former student was attacked by another teen with a knife and seriously injured him; he was arrested but not charged once the facts came to light). These include some students with only a few months experience, sometimes years after their time with me. Additionally I trained and briefly patrolled with the Guardian Angels, an unarmed vigilante organization, and was able to see the results of my system in action. Young men who only weeks before were enthusiastic but untrained were able to subdue armed criminals with little difficulty. These actions occurred nearly 20 years ago, I am no longer so brash. I feel lucky and blessed that no one, either my trainees or the criminals, were seriously injured. Still, we all entered training with our eyes open, as much as young men can.