although i agree that we got to take into account that MAs change, they change regardless of where they are. TKD in Korea has evolved too..... so then do we need to start defining traditional korean TKD and modern TKD and western TKD etc....
i disagree that the philosphy would define the art. although i think that it is essential to an art, i do not see it as the defining thing. beliefs change with the times and adapt. and an idea is much more volitile and contextually dependent than a movement or the principal of the movement. so for example, just because i am not learning Muay Thai to prove my worthiness as a warrior and to shapen my skills for war, does not mean that i am not learning muay thai. the reasons for an art can change multiple tmes through out history, or even from person to person... the consistency and thus defining characteristic comes from the movements and the "martial" aspect.
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"To know oneself is to study oneself in action with another person" - Bruce Lee -
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