Blog Article/Post Caveat (Read First Please: Click the Link)
Family, Tradition, and Courage: those things that are handed down from generation to generation; those things that create, develop and adhere a culture to its people. In this new film I find it of such inspirational value that I had to write about its core value of traditions because many in the martial arts community also believe in such traditions.
This movie, see snapshot and view the trailer at the link below, also tells another story of great value in that traditions are not something that remains unchanged over the generations but at times must change and change in a way that fosters and builds on the culture through its traditions. In the transmission of such traditions, customs and beliefs from generation to generation, are a way to pass along those things most dear to the tribe, the clan, or to a society. It ties the people of the moment to those people of their past, a connection that is the cornerstone of a social culture.
In this documentary it is obvious that the traditions were passed only to the males of the tribe but even with such deep and historically significant traditions the tribe embraces a change that would seem to some blasphemous and a break from that tradition. In truth, the tradition is not broken just because the passing process and recipients change for the core, the essence, of the tradition isn’t changed at all.
It is inspiring that such an ancient peoples and culture have the open minded ability to change even if that change may seem unchangeable for the change marks a new historical tradition of the tribe, change without change. It is this inspiration that should be embraced by all humans, all disciplines and all traditions.
Change is nature and through change we evolve and evolution of the species is about survival. Survival is about traditions that are a critical part of the foundation of every tribe, clan or society. If we want our culture and beliefs to exist and survive then we need to embrace change for change is nature and evolutionary processes toward survival.
In my personal instance and belief of my karate called Isshinryu, the lack of change has resulted in its existence almost disappearing from the very culture that inspired its creation and naming in the 1950’s. It almost went into extinction yet still survives on Okinawan from the efforts of only a very few dedicated to the traditions built in the practice of Isshinryu.
The very traditions and nature of Okinawan karate have evolved from the ‘old traditions’ to the ‘new traditions’ and are still tied to the evolving cultural beliefs of its people and that makes me wonder if they had not embraced the changes, that is their cultural nature to begin with, would karate on Okinawa, the birthplace of karate, have survived?
To believe in, adhere to and pass down traditions, those symbolic meanings and special significance of the traditions origins are about the past but not prohibitive to the change of the present and the new traditions of the future, requires an openness to the nature of change but must be attached to the past for the culmination of all traditional historical cultural beliefs are what create tribal, clan and social connectedness that allows survival throughout the ages both past and future.
To have a tradition means to transmit, to hand over, and to give to those who follow those traditions necessary for survival, for safekeeping over the generations. It is how those who follow inherit the wisdom of the forefathers and foremothers to the generations of family, students and community members over the millennia. It is once again about survival.
In karate the traditions are found in kata, the beliefs and customs and skills of those who came before being passed down to those who follow but not in such a dogmatic unrealistic and unchangeable form but rather a form that analyzes the past, compares to the now and synthesizes for the future in a world of human nature called - change. It means to me that by the passing of kata, regardless of the form, is a tradition that remains while the content and intent of that kata will change accordingly.
Embrace the traditions but don’t become mired in the past except to learn and change the moment and future. It is about survival; survival of the individual; survival of the family; survival of the clan or tribe or dojo; survival of the system or style; and survival of the traditions of the traditional; the survival of the culture; survival of the beliefs and survival through changes that make for traditions.
Traditions are our heritage, it is our belief system created and maintained through the process and discipline of traditions. and it is a way to share our history, customs, culture and tribal body of teachings.
Traditions are comprised of objects, beliefs and customs; they are about rituals of social interactions; there are phrases and gestures and they can be larger concepts practiced by the dojo, group, tribe, clan and/or society. Embrace your tribes traditions but don’t get lost in them either for change is a tradition of the human species and makes it possible for humans to survive.
“In archaeology, the term tradition is a set of cultures or industries which appear to develop on from one another over a period of time.” - unknown
Note, that traditions in archaeology are about those developed traditions over time that means to me over time as to how things change in our environments. To ignore the environment and its changes are to place obstacles to survival in the way of human evolution.
Bibliography (Click the link)
“In order for any life to matter, we all have to matter.” - Marcus Luttrell, Navy Seal (ret)
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