This comparison with the Godai is only a metaphor and not to be taken too literally. It is a model of consciousness, a way to understand the program.
Like the gears of a car, you need to change between the elements as the need arises.
It is a mistake to think "I'll be fire and beat everyone that way". Every karate "master" who was taken to the mat and choked out by a Gracie found out the folly of this approach. You need to have all 4 elements.
But the final goal is to be a White Tiger not a representative of WTMA.
A Tatsujin - a Human Being, not a Human Doing. I've been writing about this a lot recently.
The goal is to be Void - the neutral gear. Eventually you will be like an Automatic - the gear changes will hapen beneath the surface without any conscious effort from you.
THIS is where you want to be.
DO NOT pick a single element and try to be just that or you will be destined to fail. You will have limited yourself to a structure. The Truth is liberation from all structure.
Having no way as way, having no limitation as limitation.
In combat there is balance between the elements.
Compare a contest between fire and water.
If there is enough fire it will boil the water out of existance.
If there is enough water it will put the fire out.
Of course by adapting you can also overcome.
Water cannot dilute water.
Again, these are metephors, not to be taken too literally.
The Godai is read from the ground up:
Void
Wind
Fire
Water
Earth
these are the elements
However another version of the elements:
Metal
Wood
Fire
Water
Earth
this version can be seen in the Gotonpo of Ninjutsu - the elements of escape.
The 5 elements appears in the Western mysticism as well - the 5 elements are a big part of pagan and wiccan symbolism.
Ths is similar to how the number 3 pops up - the torite kihon sanpo, how we have 3 ranges in serrada, and 3 drills, each with 3 moves.
And in wiccan, the 3 aspects of The Goddess which relate to the 3 phases of the moon. In Christianity the Holy Trinity Father Son and Ghost.
Again, none of these symoblic metaphors are too be taken too literally, they are to help build a model of consciousness for understanding of technique and tactics.
To update this:
under the current refinement of STMA, each of the 3 main elements has 3 main arts to it
Kali - weapons:
Sinawalli double stick
Serrada single stick
Kadena de mano knife and hand
Kickboxing:
Boxing
Muay Thai
Savate
Karate[/b
Kempo
Wing Chun
Jujutsu
the fourth, and lesser, phase of grappling comes primarily from Jujutsu and has 2 sections
throws and takedowns
ground grappling
although it takes from 3 additional arts:
Judo - as an extension and style of jujutsu
Greco Roman wrestling
Sombo
The goal of a White Tiger:
to fear NO man at ANY range!
