hi Fubo, Great question.
To clarify, This method is almost entirely aimed at people who do not study or train in good internal martial arts. Indeed, almost all of those i now teach are not from the internal arts. Those that do train internal arts are often only looking at a few of the 6 attributes that may not be well represented in their lineage. The core group of people I now teach are Combat Sports Athletes, Traditional 'External' Martial Arts instructors (Karate etc), Bouncers etc.
However it is very important to point out that this is NOT a replacement for anyones traditional, sport or self defence practice. It is NOT a martial art!! It is a supplimentary method of developing attributes that can support, bolster or improve their individual interest.
But to dig a little further. Most internal artists i have met have some of the 6 qualities very, very well trained, they may be heavy, connected and complex in movement etc. But also there are plenty out there for whom the traditional syllabus is not yeilding complete results. The Tai Chi people who i teach tend to be stuck in their feet, they cannot move their feet swiftly and tend to stay in place, for them the Agility training in Elastic Body and the flow training in FluidBody are perfect additions that need not interfere with their traditional work. For the Aikidoka i have taught, they are normally all too happy to move, they focus on their footwork and turning or spinnig with the partner, but often lack connection, complexity in small space and weight in their motions, for them ConnectedBody, SpiralBody and HeavyBody may be appropriate ... often these people find it hard to resolve things in their body prefering movement.
In this regard training this work becomes a bit of a pick and mix, people are able to pick up what they feel they lack, ask me for help or some pointers, then go away and train it for themselves.
MartialBody should be viewed in the same way that a physical training concept like CrossFit could be viewed. Someone may come to cross fit as a long time lifter but may not be able to run any distance. They may come as a runner but not be able to lift a weight. There would be little point in these individuals going through a lengthy 'syllabus' everyone starting with running, then everyone doing lifting. The two idividuals would be wasting a large amount of time going over things they already know.
Instead their coaches would focus them on their dificiencies. In the same way, MartialBody is aimed at focusing the training on someones dificiencies rather than presenting them with a 'syllabus' that must be followed to the letter. It is highly individualised and the person is placed at the heart of the training, not me as a coach, or the system as a dogma or something 'New'.
One very important point here that also deviates from a martial arts style, is that I am totally unimportant to the training in anything but program design and coaching. In a similar way that CrossFit is not about Greg Glassman, MB is not about me, and what i can or cant do is immaterial to someones personal training and growth. Coaches are generally not as good as their elite athletes, look at every great athelete and there is a great coach behind them that cant do what the athlete does. With my 40th year fast approaching it is unrealistic for me to g round after round with a young 20s full time MMA pro. But that is not the importnat part of the relationship i have with these guys. They either get something from training MB or they dont. More often than not, they do
There is plenty in here that stems from internal training either in Daito Ryu or the CIMA. I have selected the things i have found to best produce the attribute that we are aiming to gain. However, there is also alot in here that is not from that world at all. Be it in some of the methods of relaxation taken from sports therapy, some of the agility and elastic methods taken from sport science, or the nutritional services given to athletes trying to prepare for competition. This is why i have qualified to a foundation level in these various areas to provide basis for their adoption. Now i have a few quals i am hoping to begin a Sports & exercise science or sports therapy degree this year ... we will see if i have the time (and the money!) and this is aimed at further developing methods to help the martial artist. I would say there is a 70% internal concepts to 30% other stuff in this material as it stands, but it is always open to change, and nothing is static.
Hope this answers the question. All the best.
Chris.