Over the past 27 years of practicing martial arts probably the most common question I get asked is “What style of martial arts do you teach?”
And I’m sure they’re expecting a specific answer like… Karate, Kickboxing, Kung Fu or one of the many other martial arts disciplines.
I guess this way they will be able to categorise it in their mind and compare it to something they know of, have heard of , or even have done before. They can classify it according to whatever assumptions they have made and then it will make sense to them.
So I’m sure my answer sometimes either sounds like I’m either trying to be vague or maybe even a little awkward?
But here it is…
When someone asks me what style I train in or teach my answer tends to be along the lines of …”Whatever Works!”
However, I do usually need to follow that statement up with some level of explanation to help the other person understand that “Whatever Works” is a concept. And that I overlay this concept over everything that I train in and then of course teach.
To help me give you a clearer understanding of what I mean. Allow me to share some words from probably the most respected man and influential martial arts icon the world has ever known …Bruce Lee.
Here are three quotes from Bruce Lee that I think are just priceless and can be applied to all areas of our life. Of course in this context though we are talking about Martial Arts and they will pre-frame my explanation of what I teach at my academy.
So, here’s what Bruce Lee said;
“Expose Yourself To Various Conditions And Learn”.
“Use Only That Which Works, And Take It From Any Place You Can Find It”.
“Absorb What Is Useful, Discard What Is Not, Add What Is Uniquely Your Own“.
Oh, okay, here’s one more nugget from him…
“Don’t get set into one form, adapt it and build your own, and let it grow, be like water. Empty your mind, be formless, shapeless – like water. Now you put water in a cup, it becomes the cup; You put water into a bottle it becomes the bottle; You put it in a teapot it becomes the teapot. Water can flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend”.
And, here’s what I thought when I first came across this knowledge;
“If This Is How Bruce Lee Thought, (and in my mind he is a remarkable man) Then Maybe It Will Serve Me To Think Like This Too!” So I do, and it influences every aspect of my martial arts investigation, training, teaching and development.
And subsequently in my 27 years of training (to date) have also learnt that you can only learn martial arts freely and totally if you are able to look ‘Beyond Any Particular Style’. So if you’re really serious, and want to find out what martial arts really is about, then you must have no style at all. This way you can be flexible in what and how you learn. And as a result you will then be free to train and develop …”Whatever Works” for you.
We then need to take “Whatever Works” for us and investigate and develop it through a systemised approach to learning …So you can actually Learn it …then you Train it …then you can Teach it …and then, and only then you can begin to Master whatever you’ve learnt.
Once you have the ability and mindset to do this you can then apply this philosophy and method to any system or style you choose.
And this is the reason behind the core training level in my Academy. It is firstly a systemised method of helping you learn how to become the best martial artist you can possibly be and I call it FreeStyle X.
FreeStyle X then, is then a progressive martial arts journey that cross trains the most effective techniques, methods and concepts commonly found in the following disciplines …Karate, Kung Fu, Ju-Jitsu, Kickboxing, Arnis, Silat, and Street Defence. The concept of Freestyle X should be of no surprise to you now …It’s to help you develop “Whatever Works For You!”
And all the X-Programmes in my academy stem from this concept with Freestyle X being at the core. The are all related and completely ‘X-Cross Train’ with each other ensuring that there are no limits applied to your training and development. And that’s why I refer to it as The Ultimate Martial Arts Experience!
Bruce Lee himself believed that it is a mistake to concentrate on one style alone. Here’s what he said about the FreeStyle concept…
“To Put The Heart Of Martial Arts In Your Own Heart And Have It Be Part Of You, Means Total Comprehension And The Use Of FreeStyle… When You Have This You Will Know That There Are No Limits!”
Adopting this philosophy as part of my mindset has served me well not just in my martial arts training but in many areas of my life.
Maybe it will serve you too?
All the best
Master Lowndes
Master Lowndes is a Personal Development Coach, Exercise Physiologist, Advanced Personal Trainer, World Champion and 6th Degree Black Belt Martial Arts Expert.
He holds a seat on the Masters Council for the United Kingdom Black Belt Schools Association and is a consultant to most of the top professional martial arts schools in the UK.
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