What exactly qualifies as a Traditional Martial Art?

**thrutch** · Posted On: 1/11/2013 4:51pm

Originally Posted by W. Rabbit

No I don't believe so. There are traditional arts without forms.

Forms are specific to certain arts, not "old" versus "new".

And I didn't mention "old" versus "new" - I was looking at traditional versus non-traditional, or at least what lots of people consider to be TMA.

Which are the "TMA" that don't do forms out of interest? I've had a good think and can't come up with many/any, although my CMA knowledge is limited at best so I accept there may be loads of kung fu styles that don't.

**RWaggs** · Posted On: 1/11/2013 4:53pm

Muay Thai is traditional as they come, and I don't think there's much in the way of forms there.

**MrGalt** · Posted On: 1/11/2013 4:56pm

There was a brief window in which martial arts could be founded and be considered traditional.

If it was founded in 19th/ early 20th century: Traditional
If it was founded more recently: Non-Traditional
If it was founded millennia ago: Non-Traditional

**MrGalt** · Posted On: 1/11/2013 4:56pm

Originally Posted by thrutch

And I didn't mention "old" versus "new" - I was looking at traditional versus non-traditional, or at least what lots of people consider to be TMA.

Which are the "TMA" that don't do forms out of interest? I've had a good think and can't come up with many/any, although my CMA knowledge is limited at best so I accept there may be loads of kung fu styles that don't.

I wonder if sumo counts as tradition. I don't think they have forms.

**thrutch** · Posted On: 1/11/2013 5:08pm

Originally Posted by MrGalt

I wonder if sumo counts as tradition. I don't think they have forms.

Oooh. Good call.

**Azatdawn** · Posted On: 1/11/2013 5:09pm

Originally Posted by MrGalt

I wonder if sumo counts as tradition. I don't think they have forms.

Is it a martial art, though?

**alex** · Posted On: 1/11/2013 5:15pm

Originally Posted by Azatdawn

Is it a martial art, though?

yes.

traditional is a misnomer. could use something like static i guess? muay thai over the course of its history has changed quite a bit. forms in arts dont change though do they?

**thrutch** · Posted On: 1/11/2013 5:20pm

Originally Posted by RWaggs

Muay Thai is traditional as they come

You get get more traditional than MT though right? *dons tin hat* How about Muay Boran?

Also MT is a sport, with rules and all that ****, therefore not TMA.

*doffs tin hat*

**Lindz** · Posted On: 1/11/2013 5:26pm

There is no fucking definition.

**Azatdawn** · Posted On: 1/11/2013 5:31pm

I dunno how it works in English, in German you'd say there's a difference between "traditional" and "traditionalist", with "traditionalist" meaning (and I'll simplify a lot here) that a person or a group of people have made the more or less conscious decision that there's, for a example, a certain custom that's worth the be preserved.

It has a certain museum quality to it. Sort of like trying make a niche for something that would not have survived on its own; mainly concerned with the preservation itself, in cases without any actual connection to its original meaning or use.