What defines your art as traditional?

The term "traditional", like other phrases in martial arts, is a double-entendre. That means it has two distinct meanings.

It can mean a style that, in addition to the business end of practice, uses culturally- and/or historically-influenced manerisms: bowing, respect, dress, teaching concepts, design of the training area, hierarchy, advancement, and the like.

But, it can also mean a style that has been around for many, many years.

Styles like Taekwondo and Aikido can be classified as "traditional" in one, but not both definitions. Karate is classified "traditional" under both definitions. As a result, there is a never-ending argument over whether Taekwondo and Aikido are traditional.

A fighting style like wrestling has been around for many years, and in a sense can be considered "traditional" (though, maybe not a martial art - that's always in debate too). But, there is no cultural or historical significance in any of its practices or mannerisms. It is practiced in the lingua franca, or vernacular, of the local participants: the common teaching language, the commands, and the names of the techniques. There is no Common Tongue.

Taekwondo, on the other hand, can be considered traditional by one definition, because it has a strong Korean (and arguably Japanese) culture tied to it (you know, a belt system; referring to an instructor as "sabumnim", bowing, promotion tests, typical decor of a dojang, even techniques derived from an ancient concept, etc). It's Common Tongue, no matter where in the world it's taught, is Korean. However, it's only 60-odd years old - hardly qualifying as "traditional" by the other definition.

Aikido can be considered traditional because of it's unequivocal cultural inheritance from Japanese styles (bowing and other formalities, it's techniques derived from ancient weaponry, dojo design, advancementm, etc). It's Common Tongue is Japanese, regardless where in the world it is practiced.

Hi there Easy this one but if often breaks the jelly mould that people think defines a marial art. So first bit is look at the words and definitions as to what your asking. The two important words here are Traditional and Martial. Lets look at the second part first martial. Basically it means military arts or arts that were practiced by old military warriors. The Traditional part is a bit harder to pin down so what you have to do here is break down the styles or more importantly how they are trained. This is split into 3 parts. Gendai Budo, Koryu bujutsu and sports fighting. Technically two of these can be considered to be traditional and thats gendai budo and koryu. Sports are not. Gendai budo are arts that contain koryu techniques but are modern. Arts such as karate, Judo, aikido, kendo and some jujutsu schools arent even 200 years old. That makes them modern arts that use old techniques. They have therefore been modified for whatever the reason. Koryu Bujutsu are in fact the only arts that really can be called a traditional martial art. The reasons for this is that they have proven history to warrior families and their techniques have not been altered in anyway. So they are 100 percent pure. Arts like Tekagi hontai yoshin ryu, kukishin ryu jujutsu are koryu arts. Koryu arts all have linage and densho to back up their claims. A fantastic book if you can read japanese and afford the $1400 dollar price tag is the bugei ryuha daijiten. It lists all the Japanese arts that are known to be koryu or gendai budo. So theres your answer Sadly the term martial art is like saying multimedia in that its a general term that people use incorrectly so that they can put all their eggs into one basket. There are fighting arts and there are martial arts. Thats the difference As pugs says its splitting hairs but it is technically correct. Ive yet to meet a martial artist that isnt proud of his art and has passion for what we do thats one of the reasons why people disagree on this for whatever the reason. Just because something has punches and kicks in it doesnt make it martial by any means of the word. Best wishes idai

Kajukenbo is sort of traditional because it has belts, uniforms, salutations, titles, rituals and forms (katas).

In a way, it is non-traditional because it puts an emphasis on street fighting, and has over the top brutal training methods that discourage people from staying in the art. While we have respect for our instructor and our training methods, Kajukenbo teaches that your opponents have no respect for you. If they had respect for you, they wouldn't have tried to beat you or try to kill you in the first place. We are taught that our opponents will do everything to cheat in order to defeat you, so we treat our opponents in the same way. So, this type of thinking is not very traditional. Or this of thinking is not very stereotypical of an Asian martial art.

I consider it "traditional" if it meets two criteria:

1) Maintains some of the traditional disciplines (traditional uniforms, etc.).

2) Follows the traditional method of applying the techniques, to some extent, and openly links itself to one or two primary roots in older arts.

For me, the definition is more often missed on the first count, because those who prefer to train in traditional garb have a different mindset (neither better nor worse - just different), so that mindset tends to differentiate more than the adherence to traditional technique.

What I study is over 200 years old, and apparently a straight lineage that teaches just about all the original ways. The ones that aren't observed are for modern day practical reasons. I say that's pretty damn traditional.

I define Kajukenbo as semi traditional because the arts in it has been practiced for many ages.

Just the age I suppose...Hapkido was 're-discovered' or whatever within the last 150 years but it is based on ancient arts several thousands of years old..so its traditional like a gun is:) the design and function has improved but it is still about using an explosion to launch metal at a target:)

Well, my opinion would be that it is a style that can be traced back, and that is not Olympic style.

For example, I study Tae Kwon Do - a very traditional style. Our Grand Master instructor, trained WITH General Choi, who is considered to be the founder of Tae Kwon Do. (Of course, the styles developed for years, but he helped combine it to what it is today).

One other thing that makes our art traditional is less flourishes- we get straight to the point, and perform our style with precision and as little excess motion as possible (with good set-up of course). [hard to explain that]

Hope that helps.

if it passes on tradition with it instead of just techniques & strategies.

brittish boxing (not greek pygmachia everyone WRONGLY calls boxing!!!!!!) as a sport goes back about 300 years and before that it was used by the knights at least as far back as richard the lionheart.

The forms we practice are like thousands of years old.

And the strikes. And the philosophy.