Style vs. System

Caveat: Please make note that this article/post is my personal analysis of the subject and the information used was chosen or picked by me. It is not an analysis piece because it lacks complete and comprehensive research, it was not adequately and completely investigated and it is not balanced, i.e., it is my personal view without the views of others including subject experts, etc. Look at this as “Infotainment rather then expert research.” This is an opinion/editorial article/post meant to persuade the reader to think, decide and accept or reject my premise. It is an attempt to cause change or reinforce attitudes, beliefs and values as they apply to martial arts and/or self-defense. It is merely a commentary on the subject in the particular article presented.

This article is mine and mine alone. I the author of this article assure you, the reader, that any of the opinions expressed here are my own and are a result of the way in which my meandering mind interprets a particular situation and/or concept. The views expressed here are solely those of the author in his private capacity and do not in any way represent the views of other martial arts and/or conflict/violence professionals or authors of source materials. It should be quite obvious that the sources I used herein have not approved, endorsed, embraced, friended, liked, tweeted or authorized this article. (Everything I think and write is true, within the limits of my knowledge and understanding. Oh, and just because I wrote it and just because it sounds reasonable and just because it makes sense, does not mean it is true.)

Style: a distinctive appearance, typically determined by the principles according to which something is designed; a manner of doing something; design or make in a particular form; designate with a particular name, description, or title.

System: a set of connected things or parts forming a complex whole; a set of things working together as parts of a mechanism or an interconnecting network; a set of principles or procedures according to which something is done; an organized scheme or method.

It should be noted that I have used both style and system somewhat interchangeably when writing articles. In essence that is incorrect. I used them interchangeably to describe things in martial arts. That was inaccurate and incorrect.

In truth, a style of martial art is how someone or some group designates and distinctive manner of performing that form of martial arts, i.e., be it karate - a striking style vs. kendo - a sword or weapons style. A system in martial disciplines is that underlying method that is a set of principles, i.e., such as the fundamental principles that drive how one strikes or kicks through physiokinetics, etc.

When I refer to a martial system I am trying to get practitioners, readers, to focus on those underlying foundation of all styles, the principles that make any one style work and actually transcends “Styles.” I don’t think I actually explained that to this degree and find my articles needed the clarity. 

A style therefore, from my perspective and perception, is more about the individual personal rendition and practice that makes it unique to that individual and/or group such as the hard style of goju-ryu over a softer style such as shorin-ryu. They both rely heavily on principles, the same in both, yet the individual expresses them through the individualized distinction of the created style.