I often get asked by people who are not involved in the martial arts what style I would recommend to suit their needs. I read many arguments about which arts to avoid due to their lack of practicality and logic, and I also read about arts that almost everyone states are some of the best. I am not buying it. No art can save you. The key to any art is the instruction that is being transferred from teacher to student.
Of course, I am a die-hard American Kenpoist. But that does not mean that I would necessarily recommend an American Kenpo Karate school to someone over another art if I feel the quality of instruction is severely lacking at the Kenpo school. An instructor has the responsibility of striving to become the best he/she can be, and that knowledge should be passed on to students.
I always here about how great Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is. I find it ironic, however, how 15 years ago, you didn't know many people teaching that art, while now it seems that virtually every school needs to have it as part of their marketing tool just to compete with the other schools in the area. The problem is that much of what is being called Brazilian Jiu Jitsu at many schools is weak at best, and the instructors claiming to teach it should not be because they have not been adequately trained in the art. So, for example, if someone asks me if I would recommend Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, like Kenpo, it highly depends on the particular school and the instructor who is teaching it. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu gained most of its hype from the Gracie's, who believe me, are in a class of their own.
Here is another example taken from Japanese and Okinawan arts. Too often I hear practitioners of these arts bickering about which katas are authentic. My questions is: what difference does it make if the applications in the kata are not practical with respect to street self defense? In my eyes, the practitioners that can make the movements in the kata work on the street are right. I could care less how much older one kata is over another. I am just being honest, but I have seen many “self-defense” movements taken from traditional kata that are so impractical that they shouldn't be taught whatsoever. Why? Because the instructor who is teaching those movements has not sought out proper instructor by a true master in that art who has full knowledge of the movements contained within the kata.
At my school, I value quality instruction and quality students over commercialization. You will not find a class full of kids with black belts on. You have to earn your rank with integrity and perseverance. When I hear about the latest “graduating class” of black belts (which usually means about 20-40 students with a mean age of 10) my stomach feels like it is going to turn over. Hats off to any school of any art that values the martial arts over commercialization.
