# Style or Approach?

- Link: https://brianejohns.com/2012/03/01/blog-style-or-approach/
- Published: 2012-03-01T21:36:00-05:00
- Author: Brian Johns

This entry is written from the perspective of self-defence needs and does not delve
into the competition-oriented arts or those geared toward personal development. 
Specifically, I address whether you should care more about an instructor’s approach
than his style.

Some claim the superiority of one “style” over another….such as karate over judo
or vice versa. This even extends to those practicing the same style…look at the 
various Wing Chun groups as an example. You can see Wing Chun Group A denigrate 
Wing Chun Group B. I have observed the same for other martial arts.  In my opinion,
such thinking is juvenile and outdated in the 21st century.

### Any martial art is good as long as its approach meets the needs of today’s society.

A good instructor should understand the underlying concepts of their art and apply
them to today’s world. If you run into an instructor that insists that the art must
be practiced exactly as it was 25, 50, or 100 years ago, look elsewhere. On the 
other hand, [if an instructor can apply the concepts of his art to today’s environment, give him or her a chance](https://brianejohns.com/2021/01/04/blog-the-video-game-generation/).

If you are not able to view this video, click [here](http://45b757).

### For example, let’s take a hypothetical martial art and split them up into Group A and Group B.

Group A would be classified as “traditionalists” because they practice the art as
it “has always been [done that way.](https://brianejohns.com/2015/05/17/blog-it-has-to-be-done-this-way/)”
They are not interested in evolution and not necessarily addressing the self-defence
needs of the 21st century. [Everything is done for “tradition’s sake.” ](https://brianejohns.com//2015/05/17/blog-it-has-to-be-done-this-way/)

Group B consists of folks who take the underlying concepts of the art and apply 
them to today’s society. They apply the concepts of the art to various mugging scenarios,
ground situations, knife attacks, or carjacking scenarios.

Even though Group A and Group B practice the same martial art, they take different
approaches. Now, we’re no longer talking about which martial art style/system is“
superior,” are we?  As alluded to elsewhere, instructors are often the most critical
factor in determining their approach. “Styles” or “systems,” in my opinion, are 
just labels. The most crucial factor is the instructor.

### Find a good instructor who understands the concepts, and you’ll be in good hands.

## Additional Reading

 * [From Pixels to Stick Fighting](https://brianejohns.com/2023/11/15/from-pixels-to-stick-fighting-the-video-game-generation/)
 * [Macro Awareness for Self Protection](https://brianejohns.com/2022/07/27/blog-macro-awareness/)
 * [“It Has To Be Done This Way!”](https://brianejohns.com/2015/05/17/blog-it-has-to-be-done-this-way/)
 * [A Stranger Approaches And..](https://brianejohns.com/2010/03/26/blog-a-stranger-approaches-and/)
 * [The Age of Open Source Information](https://brianejohns.com/2022/05/04/blog-the-age-of-open-source-information/)

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