Listening to the music is a form of martial art.
Answers
NOT EVERY TIME
ONLY SOME TIMES
Talking about music and martial arts in the same sentence feels a bit like poking an ants’ nest with my big taekwondo toe.
I miiiiiiiight JUST get away with it unharmed or…
I may exit the scene shortly in a vast hurry with a few savage bite marks.
Either way! Where some will fear to tread, The Mortal Mouse will dive right in.
Stand by dear reader: Here it comes!
Is there a tradition?
Some research on the topic and discussions with others failed to find any evidence of silence being the traditional way to practice patterns.
Some martial arts history recounts their early development as a type of military training without the requirement for a partner.
Silence could have been part of the scene simply because there wasn’t the means or technology to play music.
At my club our instructors voice a count for us as we perform our patterns. Another enthusiast I spoke with says his club uses a drum for the same purpose. I LIKE the sound of THAT!