FLAMING WATERDROPS

Since there is no ultimate truth in this world, there is no perfect style to take on or put on. Styles are born and attached to individuals. As the InFi philosophy says, everybody has a different individual fighting style. Therefore, InFi styles have owners. In short: one person — one style. Ideally, then, there should be as many styles in the world as there are human beings. But the world doesn’t reflect this. There are major styles (trends) and minor styles. Some are popular, some are stagnant, and some disappear. Classical (traditional) systems are always struggling to gain ground, striving for popularity. Hidden traditional methods may even be in danger of extinction. traditional and InFi styles Classical or traditional ways are products—like cars, houses, or fashion trends. People pick them up from outside sources. Classical styles are not people's inborn or self-created ways; therefore, they can be sold. If you pay attention to the martial arts or combat sports world, you can...

Yesterday, I raised the question of whether Bruce Lee was right or wrong when he said, "I do not believe in styles." The basis of this question lies in the well-known fact that styles do exist and have continued to thrive ever since he made that statement in a 1971 interview. It seems that his claim has had little effect on the popularity of martial art styles, even though Bruce Lee remains the most famous, influential, and legendary martial artist of all time. Millions of Bruce Lee fans and followers continue to practice one or more traditional martial art styles. In fact, many beginners—initially inspired by Bruce Lee—end up learning and devoting themselves to traditional styles. As a result, a certain contradiction becomes apparent, and the question is entirely justifiable. Now, I’d like to share my friend Milagros’ great response to that question: “The Dragon is right; people should not rely on style. People try to keep an open mind—I believe this is what the Dragon wan...

There is plenty of evidence that interest in martial arts has been declining over the last decade. This is apparent, and I believe the reasons are the internet, globalization, and changing trends. People who are drawn to combative activities and want to explore and develop their own InFi style simply don’t stay in schools for long. They train for a while and then move on. The internet opens the eyes of the open-minded. You can watch anything you want online, and masters can no longer keep their secrets the way they could 30 years ago. As a result, teachers are no longer seen as authority figures; they’ve become more like customer service providers. Changing trends are another factor. The popularity of martial arts fluctuates. MMA, Krav Maga, and tricking are the current trends. In my opinion, it’s just fashion. The fact that these are popular doesn’t mean they’re better—they’re simply newer and heavily promoted through the media. When it comes to individual fighting styles, some tr...