One thing that traditional martial arts are often accused of, is being too stylised and formal to be effective in the chaos of a real street free-for-all.  Those precise movements, the deep stances, the big long steps, the pulling back of the reaction hand, the pre-arranged exercises; all we’re told won’t work in the melee of a messy fight where an uncooperative partner is trying to hurt us!  So many of these critics have got a “I know of a black belt who got beat up” story.  We are seen by many as being not effective and even obsolete!

Yet most of these traditional martial arts go back to times when they were a matter of life or death, not scoring a point.  So how come these arts that people once used to rely on to save their lives are now held by many in such low regard? Read more

Read More