One of the clearest signs of inexperience in martial arts is this:
Dismissing other styles.
You’ll hear it all the time:
But experienced martial artists tend to sound very different.
They don’t mock other systems.
They study them.
Dismissing other styles.
You’ll hear it all the time:
- “That wouldn’t work.”
- “Our style beats that.”
- “That’s useless in a real fight.”
But experienced martial artists tend to sound very different.
They don’t mock other systems.
They study them.
Every Style Solves a Problem
No martial art was created randomly.
Every system was built to solve a specific set of problems, such as:
When you understand this, something becomes clear:
A style only looks “incomplete” when you don’t understand what it was designed to do.
Every system was built to solve a specific set of problems, such as:
- Fighting in armor
- Civilian self-defense
- Battlefield survival
- Sport competition
- Law enforcement control
When you understand this, something becomes clear:
A style only looks “incomplete” when you don’t understand what it was designed to do.
Different Doesn’t Mean Inferior
A boxer stands differently than a grappler.
A wrestler approaches differently than a striker.
A traditional system may look different than a modern sport system.
That doesn’t mean one is fake and the other is real.
It means they are built around different assumptions:
Change the assumptions, and the “best” style changes with them.
A wrestler approaches differently than a striker.
A traditional system may look different than a modern sport system.
That doesn’t mean one is fake and the other is real.
It means they are built around different assumptions:
- Distance
- Rules
- Environment
- Objectives
Change the assumptions, and the “best” style changes with them.
What Inexperienced Practitioners Miss
Beginners often judge styles by:
But they haven’t yet:
So their conclusions are limited.
- Appearance
- What they personally struggle with
- What they’ve been told
But they haven’t yet:
- Faced enough different opponents
- Trained across enough ranges
- Felt how different systems apply pressure
So their conclusions are limited.
What Experienced Practitioners Understand
More advanced martial artists recognize patterns:
And most importantly:
Every style teaches something valuable.
Even systems you don’t adopt can improve:
- Every style has strengths
- Every style has gaps
- Every method works somewhere
And most importantly:
Every style teaches something valuable.
Even systems you don’t adopt can improve:
- Your timing
- Your awareness
- Your adaptability
Respect Does Not Mean Blind Acceptance
Respecting another style does not mean:
It means:
Without losing your own foundation.
- Believing everything in it works
- Ignoring flaws
- Abandoning your own system
It means:
- Understanding its purpose
- Recognizing its strengths
- Learning what it can teach you
Without losing your own foundation.
Why We Emphasize Respect
In our system, this mindset is built into how we train.
We don’t come from a single narrow background.
We teach multiple animal systems, Wudang-based internal work, and applied combat methods across ranges. Our instructors have trained in—and in many cases taught—other disciplines as well, including operating schools in systems like grappling and jiu-jitsu.
Because of that, we don’t view other styles as “wrong.”
We view them as:
This allows us to integrate what is useful while still maintaining a cohesive system, rather than a random collection of techniques.
We don’t come from a single narrow background.
We teach multiple animal systems, Wudang-based internal work, and applied combat methods across ranges. Our instructors have trained in—and in many cases taught—other disciplines as well, including operating schools in systems like grappling and jiu-jitsu.
Because of that, we don’t view other styles as “wrong.”
We view them as:
- Specialized solutions
- Different expressions of combat
- Pieces of a larger puzzle
This allows us to integrate what is useful while still maintaining a cohesive system, rather than a random collection of techniques.
The Real Divide
The real divide in martial arts is not:
Style vs style
It is:
Open-minded practitioners vs closed-minded practitioners
Style vs style
It is:
Open-minded practitioners vs closed-minded practitioners
Final Thought
If someone claims their style has all the answers,
they usually haven’t asked enough questions.
Serious martial artists don’t need to prove superiority.
They pursue understanding.
And in doing so, they become far more capable than those who only defend what they already believe.
— Marek Aquila
Founder
Imperial Combat Arts
they usually haven’t asked enough questions.
Serious martial artists don’t need to prove superiority.
They pursue understanding.
And in doing so, they become far more capable than those who only defend what they already believe.
— Marek Aquila
Founder
Imperial Combat Arts