Blog Article/Post Caveat (Read First Please: Click the Link)
In the most recent article at the Shinseidokan Dojo blog he addresses what I assume are seminars. At first, I had to laugh and then I stopped laughing and thought to myself, “Why do they attend if they are not getting a thing out of it?” Then I remembered my studies of association in the psych book I am reading on the Psych of Influence. In the end, they are all pretty good salesmen and they probably don’t even realize it because they are, in all likelihood, just mimicking those who came before and who created this new karate, martial disciplines.
Honestly, I am not trying to insinuate that I am above all this or that I am judging it but I do have questions and more often than not I do find answers - sooner or later with later being the key word since I am discovering things in my latter years of study and practice.
It is about appearance, status and other such things because we tend to need the feeling of uniqueness and importance. When we cannot get that directly then we associate ourselves with others who have allowing for an association that makes us feel good and gives us the appearance of expertise by proxy.
For more in-depth of my theories read: “Why Karate-ka are drawn to Karate Luminaries …”
As that article explains (the one linked in last sentence/paragraph) using sports and the seriousness brought to that activity it does explain a lot about why we humans do what we do. I have often wondered why friends would go to such lengths in watching sports, almost to the level of fights and such, and until recently could never figure out what all the hoopla was but now I get it. I also thought the same about other sports such as football and so on but now I get it.
In all my years of karate and martial disciplines I thought too that such teaching methods was necessary and feel considerably lucky that I was able to see from the efforts of a few professionals that my direction was not wrong but not the true path I, personally, should follow. No regrets but what a wonderful lesson to learn even at this stage of the game.
I remember once a fellow black belt who as an associate at the dojo I was attending taking me aside and respectfully telling me that I talked too much, it was a bit like although my intentions being good I was trying to convey as much as I could in the hopes of conveying a better understanding yet in truth, as Clarke Sensei writes, I was causing those blank looks and then the triggered karate tapes, click-whirr, that regurgitated the old canned response, “Yes Sensei.” At least I would then have them break off and actually try to train and implement the stuff - sigh, if only we could develop a universal guide to teaching … oh wait, I did an article about the traits of a sensei … oh my ;-)
Back on topic Charlie, as can be seen by the article I came to think, back on subject, why do they attend if they truly do NOT come away with some benefit and practice but end up just returning to the same of way of doing things, the status quo. Well, one highly placed karate-ka told me once when I asked about a visiting Okinawan Sensei, i.e., “Well, we invited him and then followed his teaching at the seminar but once he leaves, and after he presents us with certificates and promotions, we just go back to what we want to do.” In short, they used him to sign certificates as if his status in karate would rub off on them and give them validation even while ignoring his teachings once he left. Sigh … it does give credence to those psych of influence studies I mentioned.
So, seminars and such along with lecturing, lecturing, lecturing is not about learning, teaching and understanding but a means to associate oneself to provide the appearance of status and perceptions by association rather than, as Colonel Boyd would say, by “Doing!”
In the end, talking about what it is you need to practice is actually good and beneficial but with one caveat, sparingly and over time is better. In other words, about 20% discussion of the topic at hand then 80% getting out there and practicing, practicing and practicing. Allowing the discussion to be validated in actions which leads to understanding - understanding of an intellectual nature as well as a physiokinetic nature. You cannot get this and accomplish this type of thing in a seminar.
Ok, now I am on the the soap box of the benefit of seminars. Seminars are not teaching venues, they are selling venues. It is not about learning and taking things back to the dojo but selling venues to get you to buy something, their “Valuable time as experts and masters” so you can say, I trained under <so-n-so master> therefore I am, by association, a better karate-ka and so on. Ain’t life grand?
In closing, if you have not read Clarke Sensei’s article (which is totally different, separate and distinctly unique to his thoughts), this quote says it perfectly.
“So, the next time you're in the company of an instructor who demonstrates their karate on a complaint assistant, talks endlessly about how they did it and then ends their little pantomime with..."Does that make sense?" (or something like it), try to be brave, hold your hand up and say: "No!" If you do, you may well find you learn something of real value...about you, and the guy who likes to ask loaded questions.” - Michael Clarke Sensei, Shinseidokan Dojo Blog excerpt/quote :-)
Questions, questions and then questions are necessary but in karate as true of martial disciplines it is about translating that into actions, actions and actions. In short, 20% academia and 80% on the dojo floor.
Note: Hope this rambling bunch of words makes some sense :-)
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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