Natural Style (karate-InFi)

Have you ever noticed that many karate men's styles are totally different in a real fight from karate? Have you ever noticed that in spontaneous free fighting, competitors' traditional styles cannot be guessed (if they are not already known)? Isn't it interesting that the corporate styles are evaporating pretty much in real fights? The reason is simple. Unpredictable situations are the territory of InFi. No outsider styles have power over the power of InFi there.

My friend John said that the body reacts naturally using movements, techniques that have been instilled over time. Yes, it is true. That is the result of learning. Repetition creates automatic reactions. But does it have any connection with the personal style I am talking about? Yes, but only partially. A part of the individual style is learned (copied or invented), and the other is inborn. I would say that the base of a natural style is inborn, then shaped, developed, and improved by experiences from birth onward. Sometimes it is very difficult to modify this natural individual style by conscious learning without real (unpredictable) situations.

(karate) InFi by Tanaka

Karate (standard) by Kanazawa

After conscious learning (exercises, workouts, repetition) there are still two different styles (at least). One is the individual style, and the other is the conscious acting, representing a style system. To put it another way, a karate man can be exercising and demonstrating standard karate consciously as a play-role and also can demonstrate InFi in the street or competition with limitations. These two styles might be radically different. One is the acting, and the other is the automatic natural style. If the InFi looks like beautiful standard karate, which is very rare, we can call it karate-InFi. However, if the standard karate practiced is far from the natural personal (inborn and developed) style, the revealing InFi does not show too much relation with the karate. 

If a man were acting naturally according to the settled standard way, he would be a programmed machine, not a human. Hence karate men always have their individual fighting style more or less different from the ideal karate. In simple, if you are a karate guy, you are the representative of that karate, and you have your InFi too. InFi and the corporate style in appearance overlapping but never the same. Similarly, if you are a kung fu guy, you are the representative of that kung fu, and you have your InFi too...

Moreover, if someone has been studied several different style systems and feels the influence of all, realising the existence of an individual fighting style is much easier. Albeit, it does not mean that others have no InFi. Everybody has InFi skills and style. You have InFi!

In conclusion, a particular system helps to improve the individual fighting skills and styles

to the extent it contains situational practices. No one's InFi is the same as any traditional style or system. The more corporate styles have been studied, the stronger the awareness of the existence of InFi. The karate in my examples above can be substituted with any other styles (Wing Chun, Savate, Taekwondo, Shaolin, kickboxing...etc.).

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Bruce Lee paradox

Yesterday I put forward a question whether Bruce Lee was right or wrong by saying, 'I do not believe in styles'.

The base of the question is the known fact that styles exist and have continued to exist ever since he claimed this statement in an interview in 1971. Seemingly there is not too much effect of his claim on the popularity of styles, even though he appears to be the most famous, influential, legendary martial artist. Millions of Bruce Lee fans and believers are practising one or more martial art styles. Millions of martial art beginners, inspired by Bruce Lee, started to learn traditional martial art styles. Consequently, some contradiction is apparent, and the question is justifiable.

Now, I publish my friend Milagros' great answer to the question.

'The Dragon is right; people should not rely on style. People try to keep an open mind; I believe this is what the Dragon wants to install in his teachings. Those who rely on styles limit their own potential. Also, I believe the Dragon is trying to help his students minds to be set free

(Why do you think styles exist?)

I think people want to build a false sense of security and say to them selfs. "Hey this is my style or this is not my style". Thus, creating a false identity. People want to put their ability forward on a style level to receive acceptance. People want to categorize themselves to belong, this is the worst thing to do. It's OK, to be part of a community. But, the community can't be a part of your soul. This is the reason the Dragon had always said don't duplicate. I believe he wanted to push his students to work with what works and not even copy him. I'll use my self an example, this way I no one has to feel as if they are targeted. I have a background in Tai chi, Kung Fu, Mantis, and I just started Wing Chung. I would not consider this my style; I would consider this a part of my skin, a way to honestly express myself(as the Dragon said). Others may take a completely different path to express themselves. One is not wrong, and the other is not right. It's really what you have inside as a graphic designer when people see my work. Some ask me, What is this?. I respond, what do you see?. I receive many different answers. Everyone sees what they have inside. That is why there is no such thing as style. You can't label a soul a style. You can't label vision a style. You are what you are. This is what the Dragon, I believe was trying to teach.'

Let's think of a situation when someone wants to be a Karate, Taekwondo, or a Wing Chun student, and Lee goes to him saying, 'don't be!' just express yourself. Would he understand?

In some subsequent posts, I will investigate and explain the problem philosophically and psychologically with some significant facts about him. 

Just for thinking forward, relying on his persuasive opinion, can we ever say that 'we do not have styles'? Can we say Bruce Lee had no style while thousands of people try to copy his distinctive 'style'? Isn't the way of our self-expression our style? Is the concept of 'Individual Fighting Style' manifested in reality??

Individual styles behind traditional styles

Creating our (individual) style is a natural process. Everyone makes their style automatically. The statement is general but can be applied to any specific field. Martial art, combat sport, and self-defence are not exceptions. People who are practising fights, creating fighting styles. They are unconsciously (or consciously) creators of their fighting styles.

Whatever one is learning, only a part of it will be absorbed. The other part is going to be rejected automatically by selfhood. Moreover, every absorbed aspect will be accompanied by the person's uniqueness. The evolving individual fighting style is separated from the favourably practised traditional style. In other words, practising a conventional technique entails improving the invisible individual fighting (InFi) style.

For example, if someone is studying Wing Chun kung fu or Kyokushinkai karate, teachers control improvement according to the tradition. At the same time, behind the scenes, the InFi style is evolving automatically, according to the nature of the person in question. Then there will be two styles for each practitioner. One is traditional (socially directed), and the other is the natural individual fighting style. The conventional style is visible during the learning process or demonstration, and the InFi style reveals in unexpected situations only. For example, while a traditional style teaches 108 techniques in a rigid choreography, the personal style contains only 23 flexible techniques with their unique and personal taste and twist. Consequently, the individual styles are created, not learned.

But what if someone is making a new style from two or more combative systems with the intent of sharing, spreading and teaching, for example, for business. (Many traditional styles were born in this way.) That created style is not going to be InFi anymore. InFi style (personal combat style) is not reproducible since it is individual. Teaching one's style will be a corporate style with rigid rules and forms but not InFi. InFi is a living, ever-changing, and evolving personal style. Hence, in theory, there cannot be two same InFi styles - similarly as two men cannot be the same. In theory, the Individual Fighting style is inseparable from the owner.

In summary, my friends, think it over and be aware that whatever you are practicing (karate, kung fu, boxing, aikido, jiu-jitsu, krav maga, or mixed martial arts), it is on the conscious surface. It is the visible part. And behind it, there is your authentic InFi style evolving or dormant. InFi is not a school; InFi is your secret style. Nobody knows your InFi style better than you!