The Rule of Thumb

Blog Article/Post Caveat (Read First Please: Click the Link)

I write a lot, I do have opinions and ideas and theories and beliefs but in all that you may have perceived my pension to lean toward fundamentals and principles or in one view, “Fundamental Principles.” There is a reason I have gone this route and until I read the next quote in an article, you should click the link and read that article for clarity, it never occurred to me that his good rule of thumb really does explain fundamentals well enough to inspire interest and, hopefully, continued study, research and understanding. 

“A good rule of thumb is: A fundamental is something everyone -- regardless on their perspective on a subject -- can agree upon.” - Marc MacYoung, Breaking the Spin Cycle

When I read this, my hope became more, I hoped that in martial arts and karate communities although in separate tribes or clans called styles would see the very fundamentals that are style-less, holistic and embrace all styles regardless but what I fear is a thing called cognizant dissonance and conformation bias, to name the two primary ones, will obscure and block this fact and leave them in the current state of, “My style mentality.” 

I did not come to this conclusion quickly, it took time, effort and study to begin this paradigm shift. I don’t say or believe that we need to get rid of styles because we don’t, they are a most excellent human tool toward survival and they serve a purpose, i.e., “All bottles are good, they all serve a purpose.” Styles create social entities called dojo, tribes or clans as you wish and they provide a natural human conditioned survival reflex to collect into small groups conducive to learning, practicing and understanding of those like minded people that promote evolutionary improvement and change for progress. 

If only we can accept this rule of thumb, then apply it to everything martial arts and karate in all forms, and then see their value to our styles we can start to come together in a socially constructive way that would allow us to create cross-over fundamentals that would allow each style recognition, progress and to evolve - as a style with strong fundamentals and fundamental principles. 

Bibliography (Click the link)