Since there is no ultimate truth in this world, there is no perfect style taking and putting on. Styles are born and attached to individuals. As the InFi philosophy says, everybody has a different individual fighting style, then, InFi styles have owners. In short, one person - one style. Therefore, ideally, there should be as many styles in the world as human beings. But the world doesn't show this. There are major styles (trends) and minor styles. Some of them are popular, some are stagnant, and some disappear. Corporate (traditional) systems are always struggling for gaining ground, striving for popularity. Hidden traditional methods might be in danger of extinction.
Corporate or traditional ways are products, like cars, houses, or fashion trends. People pick them up from sources outside. Corporate styles are not the peoples' inborn or self-created ways; therefore, they can be commerce. If you pay attention to the martial arts or combat sports world, you can quickly notice new and old trends, popular and old-fashioned styles. All these happenings are based on marketing and selling. For example, the Shaolin kung fu is a well-established old-style system from China. Some very progressive fans of the combative trade do not like it. Recently, new trends like tricking or 'Defense lab' are overwhelming the Shaolin teachings with their unique fashion, modern concepts, appearances, and online marketing strategies. Nobody knows how long...
corporate and InFi styles
Ideally, there should be as many styles as people living. But nobody could see this. The very base of the notion of spreading them is connected with psychology. People are influencing, and there are people affected. This is the actual game in this world. It means, as we all know, equal power between people does not exist. Of course, one is more potent, and the other is weaker in focusing on one subject only. It is natural. However, it is also natural that every living creature wants to grow and spread something. The degree of their success (or failure) is another topic. So let's go back to the theme of styles.
Usually, every influential, charismatic person wants to teach their style to others. This normal phenomenon is the origin of all the corporate styles we know. One was established some hundred years ago, and others were born in the 21st century. These are peoples' artificial styles (pursued styles or represented styles) but not for the founders. We can say that the founders' style - which becomes a traditional corporate style - is their InFi style. But they are not the followers' InFi style!
What kind of people are the founders of combative styles? Bruce Lee, Oyama, and Ng Mui were InFi practitioners creating their combat styles. Founders are InFi practitioners who spread their techniques to the world. (Certainly, Lee did not establish a corporate style, but thousands of people try to copy his style and follow his JKD.) This is a sharing, marketing, selling-buying activity. But to be honest, InFi, like personality, does not exist without the owner. InFi is inseparably attached to the particular individual who created and it. InFi does not want to be shown up. InFi is a personal combat style or ability. However, the inventive charismatic individuals' founders are not aware of this inseparability. Followers are not creators, and duplication is not a creation. When people follow their masters' path, they are like shadows with no autonomy.
Why do founders spread their style, knowledge, or wisdom? Because they want to influence others, want to help others, or want to gain power over others. It is a business in the financial or humanitarian world. Teachers represent something and want us to accept and follow it without a doubt. Very few martial arts teachers and masters buy our uniqueness, and even fewer support our unique styles to develop further. Individuality, in general, is not nurtured by communities. Communities tend to promote uniformity. But our individual fighting styles exist independently, whether we follow the settled path or not. They live either we are aware of them or not. Moreover, the InFi ways do not reveal easily. Sometimes they are lurking just behind our corporate styles. So, whatever happens in the visible martial arts or combat sports world InFi exists and is safe.
In the first table (above), the black ring represents a traditional style taught by a master, and the orange circle demonstrates the person's actual individual fighting style. These two areas are usually overlapping but never the same. Some new founders base their teachings on their 'orange' circle (InFi), and they do not follow the outsider guidelines anymore. In the second picture, there are hundreds of kung fu students. They seem to be the same. But they are different individuals with their differences in fighting too. In the picture, the community rules, common will, and constraints are overwhelming individuality, but the existing InFi is lurking behind forever and ever. If you do not believe it, attack them one by one, and their reactions will be individually different.
Corporate styles are born, spread, concealed or terminated, but InFi existed, exists, and will exist as long as the human race exists. This is why it is helpful to be aware that you have it and develop your fighting style or ability individually unless you are lucky enough to have an InFi trainer either you follow or do not follow others,
SHAPE AND DEVELOP YOUR PERSONAL STYLE!
