Harmony and the Martial Arts

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

Harmony, a concept hard to feel and to live by but easy to define, at least academically. Harmony is the quality of forming a pleasing and consistent whole. In the Asian practices such as “Chado (tea ceremony),” “Shodo (calligraphy),” and especially, for this article and for us as karate-ka and martial artists, “Karate-do, Budo, etc.,” the philosophy of Zen influences the practitioners and the arts into a spiritual discipline (not religious but religious in a kind of non-religious way) that is focused on calmness, simplicity, and self-growth. 

In the more physical violence part of these disciplines harmony is a model of conditioning that drastically reduces and conditions the practitioner toward the reduction of effects from adrenal stress-conditions inherent in fear, anger, and other emotions triggered by facing grave harm, extreme violence and possible death. 

Practicing a way of martial art and karate toward a harmonious way of not just applications in the various forms from sport to fighting to self-defense provides us a dualistic complementary way of training, practice, study, understanding, applications and experience that is, harmonious in that it creates a one singular wholehearted way. 

When practiced with Zen principles in mind, practice and training can be a peaceful journey through the chaos of a blunt, physically demanding and emotionally challenging discipline where self-cultivation leads to harmony in conflict, where calmness leads to a positive state of relaxation that reduces drastically those mental obstacles that rise under stressors, the serenity of mind to make decisions quickly speeding up the OODA loop while maintaining a mind-set and mind-state that pulls appropriate legal and socially acceptable actions toward safety and security let alone toward a mind, body and spirit that builds character and personality toward social connectivity building a tribe, clan and group dynamic that is a contributor to the social fabric of our society and culture. 

Then there is the need for “Concentration” that all this practice, training, experience and applications teach us to handle life challenges even with stress inducing conflict along with associated violence of both psychological and physical. 

Zen harmony practices focus on the mind, body and spirit unity, the one whole that is harmonious to nature, to the self and to others in your community. It creates an attitude whereby the benefit is a harmonious nature and feeling while creating a means to act in the moment and in the no-mind state of primal conditioned response created by training in karate, martial arts and Zen-Buddha-Harmony for balance in mind, body, and spirit. 

Harmony is an attitude, a mind-state, while harmony leads to proper attitude, a mutually beneficial way that is represented in the symbol of the, “Yin-Yang.” 

Zen-harmony of the martial arts and karate-do provide pathways toward other benefits that create a sense of aesthetic balanced harmonious presentations, actions and deeds by teaching us to appreciate moderation, asymmetry, perfection of imperfection, rusticity, and a naturalness along with a Zen connection with nature that is demonstrated in Japan by the value found in Shintoism. 

Zen teaches respect of nature by not managing or controlling nature but finding that connection with nature where one establishes and maintains a spiritual bond with nature as can be observed in various Japanese art forms such as chado or the tea ceremony or when admiring the Japanese Zen garden. 

For the martial artist and karate-ka Zen was morphed into its practices from the very culture of Japan and Okinawa because in MA and Karate one emphasizes self-composure, vigilance, and tranquility for life and for the purpose of facing grave harm or death in Self-defense. In its practice toward detachment the practitioner learns to detach the mind in the present moment from distractions of the past and possible future and from the material things that would lead the mind astray toward things not needed in the moment. 

Zen’s connection to the martial arts and karate-do provide a road to a philosophy, a fundamental principle of the discipline, so that the practitioner can better understand that martial philosophy. A philosophy that transcends the mere physical toward the full spectrum of self-defense of theory, physiokinetics, technique, philosophy, self-defense, the chemical cocktail - all principles that govern all forms of conflict along with the psychological and physical violence associated. 

Harmony is something that is often undetectable and unobservable in a direct conscious way when you meet others who have character and personality that just connects with others both in and out of that persons tribe, clan or group. They reflect leadership, brotherhood and a strong sense of honor. 

Bibliography (Click the link)

Leading Later

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

To lead, one must establish a connection that fosters “matching” i.e., where the leader first achieves status by telling people what they are “Ready to Hear” because they already think what you are saying is true but just a different way of explaining the truth they are already thinking. You need to “Match” yourself and the subject with the others, either one or several people, to establish a connection where you have others ready, willing and able to follow because now you established a belief in their minds that you, and they, think and feel the same way - now, you can lead. 

It is often the mistake that because one has a certain expertise, that they have been in positions of certain levels of status in a group and have experience in a field, discipline or system then add in their understanding assume they can just walk in and take charge. Many black belts, first level sho-dan’s, assume because they earned that belt they can just walk in, open a dojo, and teach others and the others will assume and accept what they teach. Now, in some cases this works but in the long run, not so much.

When a person first enters into a group to accomplish a goal, that group must first create connections and become a group. Just being in a group does not achieve the respect, status and acceptance of abilities, education, understanding and experience. Having credentials is not about getting others to accept you and what you can offer, it just opens the door where they are willing to listen until you prove to them of your abilities. What I have presented above is just one way to open the doors to acceptance. It allows all the members to get to know one another, to experience the social connections through experiences they have together and then they build upon those established connections to create confidence and a “Brotherhood” that establishes the character and personality of the individuals as well as the collective, individuals as a tribe, a group or a clan, etc. 

The reason so many dojo collapse regardless of the Sensei’s desire, service oriented efforts and the mutual goals of Sensei and the dojo if there is not connection, to pacing to reach that point and not confidence regardless of symbols, credentials and perceptions then there is no clan, no group dynamic conducive to connectivity and cohesiveness and not feeling and like-minded thinking, etc. Therefore, the dojo fails, the Sensei fails and the membership lose. 

This is why I advocated that one not attempt to take the teaching role alone, I advocate that one who achieves sho-dan to remain under the tutelage of more senior and experienced until they learn these types of requirements and who have a chance to establish teaching abilities so that when they enter into a new venture, a new dojo, they can first earn others respect, confidence and beliefs so that when it comes time there leadership will have established a solid foundation so when you lead, they follow and by that established relationship one builds a dojo, a dojo family and future teachers of the arts. 

Avoid the first mistake of sho-dan, assuming your accomplishments, experiences and knowledge with understanding are going to be accepted simply because you wear a black belt or you have won a few competitive matches or you have achieved experience in the application of your arts. People don’t work that way, even tho I have a degree in a certain field along with extensive experience to back up that credential I have found that until I establish this kind of connection most will NOT accept me or my abilities until I pay my dues. Dues in this case is first, accomplishing the art of matching that literally can bring about that thread of attachment that allows us to bridge the span between strangers thereby making them friends, associates, co-workers, tribal contributors and interconnected like-minded group supportive members of the same clan whether family discipline oriented, etc. 

Bibliography (Click the link)

True Shugyo

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

We all hear stores of how the dojo went in the dead of winter to practice a few days in the snow and if possible did sanchin under a waterfall of icy cold water but I had to ask myself, “Is that true shugyo?” Although challenging; although it takes many way outside their comfort zone; although it is probably more than most have ever endured as to hardships in their lives it is still not shugyo, not in my view.

I prefer to call such things - challenges, those events and situations you allow or place yourself in that take you out of your comfort zone and hopefully present you with things that prepare you for life events especially if that involves a career in disciplines that expose you frequently to conflict and violence. 

When I think of shugyo, I first consider boot camp for the United States Marines. Within that training there are other challenges that take you beyond the shugyo of boot camp such as what I experienced, at the time referred to as, “Motivation Training.” Now, another form of shugyo is what I would call the training to qualify for and get into military special operations. In my time it was Marine Recon Training and today has been morphed into Marine Raider Qualifications and Training. Now, that is shugyo!

Often it is more than a few hours or even days of high stress physically demanding training but weeks and even months. In some military operations after qualifications you still have to endure heavy stressful demanding training for a minimum of two years where at any time you could end up out and back to the regulars. 

The types of shugyo training I have researched in karate and martial arts is not true shugyo but a realistic self-test challenge of being stressed and taken outside what you have experienced to date and into something never experienced before but not true shugyo. 

Lets find out, at least from one translation source, what the actual characters/ideograms mean, i.e., Shugyo [修行] The characters/ideograms translate to, “Ascetic practices (Buddhist term); training; practice; discipline; study.” The first character translates to, “Discipline; conduct oneself well; study; master,” the second character translates to, “journey; going.”

First, I notice that in this translation there is no reference to austere but to ascetic as to a Buddhist term. That word is defined as follows, i.e., “Characterized by or suggesting the practice of severe self-discipline and abstention from all forms of indulgence, typically for religious reasons; a person who practices severe self-discipline and abstention.” It must be noted that the word “AND” exists between self-discipline and abstention and lets not forget “RELIGIOUS” reasons. This does not mean that the term, Japanese and English, are not accurate because it occurs on a regular basis even in Japan that translations, meanings and definitions depend on the person, their education and understanding and the area of cultural beliefs drive how it is used and defined, etc. 

Second, as you put together the translated English words it could define a person who practices severe self-discipline and if enough accept that as a use then it may end up in the definition of said translation but note that this does not happen in the translation programs used. 

Austere, not a word found in this translation, means, “Severe or strict in manner, attitude, or appearance; (of living conditions or a way of life) having no comforts or luxuries; harsh or ascetic; having an extremely plain and simple style or appearance; unadorned.” But does this include a more temporary setting for shugyo or austere training because the strict definition of the English word indicates a living condition or way of living your life meaning to me, it is not just in a set time, place or way. Is close, close enough to give the meaning to shugyo that is provided in martial arts and karate communities? This is why I use, seishin shugyo as defined below although references “Spiritual Training” as its use and definition it does rely heavily on the acceptance from the community, and does it? 

Bibliography (Click the link)

Other articles of shugyo:

Shugyo: Austere Training

Do I Still Need Shugyo?

Winter Years for Us Winter Guys

Shugyo: Going the Distance

In another way of seeing shugyo, it should be the type of experience that consistently and accumulatively adds to the challenges of each instance, i.e., in short, once you experience the first challenge always make the next one more demanding and more intense than the last. If it is not at least this type of challenge then it can never be truly shugyo, austere training. 

Also:

Seishin Shugyo [精神修行者]

Seishin and the first two characters/ideograms mean, "Mind; soul; heart; spirit; intention." The first character means, "Refined; ghost; fairy; energy; vitality; excellence; purity; skill," the second means, "gods; mind; soul." Note: See the shugyo entry for that word and set of characters.

The Okinawan's believe that Seishin Shugyo or spiritual training is the "training that comes first." They use a phrase, i.e. Oku Myo Zai Ren Shin," that has a meaning that, "in order to find the secrets, one must first have spiritual training." It is also said, "Polish the heart through the polishing of technique." 

This adds more meaning to "shugyo" and its importance to the study, practice and training in the art of karate-jutsu, the Okinawan art of the empty hand.

Shugyo [修行] The characters/ideograms translate to, “Ascetic practices (Buddhist term); training; practice; discipline; study.” The first character translates to, “Discipline; conduct oneself well; study; master,” the second character translates to, “Journey; going.” 

Teaching Martial Arts and Karate

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

It has been stated (“I do not consider teaching training. Teaching you do for others, training is for yourself.”), at least once, that teaching is not training so I had to ask myself, “Is this true?” After much mindless meandering, thought and contemplative thinking I came to the conclusion that if teaching does not train or teach the teacher than the teacher, the trainer or the mentor, is not teaching - they are instructing and that means something else all together.

In the military I was an instructor. The reason they used that term is because every single lesson is INSTRUCTED, i.e., we use set lesson plans and set syllabus that is only changed from higher authorities in the discipline being instructed. Instructors don’t have leeway to adjust, change, correct or modify the instruction, period. The instruction material is created, modified and adjusted outside the authority of the instructor. The instructor must submit any changes with appropriate justifications so that the experts who actually create the instructions can test, analyst and then change or synthesize appropriate changes to be disseminated to all courses of instruction from a central point. 

Teachers create all their own material using sources and references that support the material being taught. It starts and ends with the teacher and they tend to be seen as and are the experts. Teachers use instruction materials along with reference materials, etc., as a source referenced in the make up of material being taught. This is why being a teacher is more important and requires more authority and puts a great deal more responsibility on the teacher over an instructor. 

So, if I am a teacher then I have to continue learning, changing, analyzing and synthesizing materials at ever turn because change is about the needs and requirements of every moment, every person and every detail. If you don’t learn from how you apply your teachings while teaching students then you do disservice to them and to yourself. 

Here is a more detailed explanation of teacher: 

Being a Sensei: Teaching -n- Instructing 

Teacher vs. Instructor 

Learning Teaching 

Teaching Martial Arts and Karate 

Teaching Too Early

Teaching, to my philosophical perspective and belief, is more than mere instruction and it requires, is critical, learning while teaching and teaching while learning. After all, sometimes students can present perspectives and perceptions that will be beyond the teacher and therefore should “INSPIRE” the teacher to continue on-going learning processes of analysis and synthesis, etc. 

Training is training and it is best to not assign any particular meaning to it because then it loses its ability to teach and becomes dogmatic unchanging and stifling rather than inspiring, fluid and changing/changeable. 

"I can instruct you on how to do kata, I cannot teach you how to use kata. I can inspire you on how to use kata but you have to learn how to use it yourself." - cejames

Bibliography (Click the link)

Adornments, Accoutrements and Other Stuff

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

Hash marks, worn and frayed obi and a rainbow of colored uniforms both in traditional styles as well as creative styles of the individual and/or dojo and/or organization. What is up with that some may or may not say, either privately or publicly but the real question is, “Does this have any effect in the practice and application of martial arts and karate?” No, not in the slightest. Where the issues take on sometimes heated discussions is when one faction, the traditional or classical martial artists and karate-ka, faces off in a discussion with another faction, the modern martial artists and karate-ka and reality is on that one, that is all about group dynamics and personal/group beliefs tied unconsciously to the survival instincts of humans. 

So, why bring it up? Well, because I can and often do just to create a thinking mindless meandering process of analysis and synthesis toward a way of looking at things in a better way - at least personally and hopefully, inspire others who read this to do the same thing.

I once read an article, another person actually admitted to me they did this when they achieved sho-dan, where newly frocked sho-dan would take the new obi, wash it first with bleach to fade the black a little and then later, they would tie it to rope and then tie the rope to their vehicle, a truck in this case, and drag it around on country roads until it achieved a level of frayed and fade that closely matched that of their sensei’s obi. 

Why do folks do this or want this? There are as many reasons I have come across then there are stars in the night. One reason is a drive to be perceived as experienced, someone who has been practicing and training for a long, long time. Well, when you are anywhere between the ages of sixteen and twenty-two years wearing such a belt it does occur to me that at those ages unless you began at age five and achieve sho-dan at age ten there is no way that the obi could be in that state even in those six to six year span of training and practice, especially when that happens maybe three times a week for about two hours each. 

Now, there are those who are awarded their black belts currently worn and owned by their Sensei. It could be about awarding that obi to an individual as a personal symbol of the Sensei to student relationship as well as some special meaning toward the progress and progression of that student vs. the normal student and time to sho-dan. There is nothing wrong with this but rest assured from my personal experience that may not be exactly true for my Sensei used his obi at most sho-dan promotions so he would get that students newly purchase black belt so he would not have to buy a new one every few years. It was almost always faded a tiny bit with maybe a fraying where the knot ties every time it is put on. 

Personally, I used to adorn my karate-gi with a few extra patches in those early years. Not too many because I am a bit of a minimalist but one or two more than just the styles patch normally over the heart on the left side of the jacket. I also went through a phase where I wanted to wear an obi other than the standard black like the paneled obi when I reached a certain level in black belt. I even had a special obi I wore for special occasions such as when I would promote someone above second-dan or ni-dan. It was a gift that was created with a Zen like mind and meaning attached and that represented that age old legend and story about the obi worn till it turns dark from use, blood, sweat and so on till it came full circle back around to being almost white again. Except, this one looked and remained looking new since it was worn maybe three times. 

I like to think that I am a bit more traditional, I tend to feel that the basic white karate-gi is appropriate with just one patch, totally voluntary to put on, be on it at the left over heart position such as the Isshinryu patch. I now have hanging in my closest a really quality white karate-gi with just one thing in the patch position, the embroidered kanji for Isshinryu. I hung that one up a few years ago and now train and practice in my street clothes, yep you heard right - My Street Clothes.

Anyway, it is best to remember that regardless of what you wear and other such things in the end what you train and practice for is truly the cored critical and important thing you do because in the end when all is said and done, your actions and your deeds and your beliefs and your philosophy are what truly matter. 

p.s. If for some reason, such things really bother you consider why and ask that question of yourself, could it be because you are jealous or that you would like to belong and does it trigger that group dynamic of belonging and the social needs connected to the deep dark mind of species survival? Ask a bunch of questions like this and then decide because you may find that in truth it doesn’t really matter anyway - it does not change you, your knowledge and expertise in your art and who you truly are …

Bibliography (Click the link)

Evolution: Natural Progression

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

We are all in a hurry, we want to get to places fast and we want our instant gratifications over easy, with coffee and plenty of ego stroking self-soothing strokes. We seem to be moving further and further away from our natural human state of being into a controlled techno-managed life where everything is done for us even if we don’t know we don’t know if we want it and it runs our lives. This is true even in the disciplines we practice such as karate and martial arts. 

We want that black belt and we will pay and do what ever it takes to get it even if we have to take a lot of short cuts and leave out a lot of the less obvious beneficial foundational teachings for the glamorous, self-gratifying and aggrandizing fun cool stuff. Our way of life is missing critical components that make for expertise, mastery and proficient ways. We are breaking the natural way of nature and life, we are trying to circumvent, bypass and overcome natures natural progression of things called, “Evolution.” 

Yes, this is about karate and martial arts as well as just about any other discipline. I use the term discipline because that word is about dedication toward the self-discipline necessary to achieve the natural order of the studied discipline like karate and other martial arts. Taking short cuts, leaving out critical components just because they are not cool and fun as well as focusing on goals, tactics and strategies that are self-fulfilling agenda driven personal goals over those necessary to get-r-done is not beneficial, conducive to proficient efficient master and not adequate to the actual end-goals of the arts practices, training and most of all, applications. 

Everything and I mean everything has a natural progression set in stone by nature, the world and the entire universe. They are immutable except through a natural progression of evolution so that we take the time, have the time and achieve the changes necessary for, wait for it, “Survival.” 

Evolution is a process by which living organisms of all types are believed to develop and absorb changes from the natural effects of some environmental and species needs for survival. It is a gradual development of something toward a change that is often simplistic to a more complex form. It is about changing and evolving for survival of our species such as when the industrial evolution hit, it takes time, decades to millennium, to evolve toward the effects of that change. It has occurred again in the agriculture revolution and now in the techno-evolution. The question always comes down to, “Is the changes that occur happening faster than our very humanity by evolution?” This is especially so in the technological revolution we are living in now - Hey skynet, hows it hanging dude?

This is true of martial arts and karate, there are things that must be and there are requirements that must be and there are natural steps up that chain of things within that must be taught, trained and allowed to naturally be conditioned into our minds, our primal dark lizard brain. You are not born as masters of karate or martial arts; it takes time, considerable effort, large quantities of patience, and so much perseverance it isn’t funny and to short-cut any of it is detrimental to the individual and to the system or discipline being studied. 

You cannot join a dojo, learn how to form a rudimentary fist and then use it against an attacker let alone against a heavy bag or makiwara, you have to understand the fundamentals, you have to condition them into your primal lizard brain and you have to understand how the process of striking, punching and pushing are done under so many different stimuli-conditions both of sport, the way and especially the fight it ain’t funny yet many don’t want to take the natural evolutionary progressive way, they want it now - can you say a drive for instant gratification or suffer some emotional immature effect? 

To achieve development and conditioning, to grow with the process, to progress without losing critical foundational components and to unfold what is, what may be and what could be takes time, patience and other such things or you end up just being stroked, fooled and tricked into thinking and believing is something that is not realistic reality-based stuff. 

Personally, I had some previous experiences in the fighting or conflict with fighting stuff so when I joined a dojo I found I could achieve black belt in about one year. I thought that was cool and a huge accomplishment then over time after making black belt I self-discovered that a lot was overlooked, lost or just not used and taught that actually made the black belt of value and beneficial as a symbol, actually made the black belt of substance instead of merely a belt to hold up my trousers. I feel and felt it was many, many years of effort, sweat-equity, discipline and research using analysis and synthesis to create a black belt practitioner in me. It taught me this very lesson, that all things of the Universe has a pace, a rhythm, a cadence and a immutable progression with requirements to move from level to level of knowledge, understanding and applicable ability in the physical systems of martial and karate origins (this includes things like sports, i.e., football, basketball and even darts, etc.).

Bibliography (Click the link)

And the Debate Goes On …

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

I love the martial arts and especially karate, it gives me something I thoroughly enjoy doing, teaching and studying along with all the writing I do on the subject. It is an awesome way that benefits my every day life and has been the impetus of self-change in my life. I find connections, you can say biases if you wish, from it to almost all things in some way or form or another. It has taught me how to relate to one thing as representative of that other thing while allowing me to synthesize something unique about that other thing. Make sense?

Debate is a good thing as long as communications flow between parties and it remains respectful, relevant and useful to either or all parties involved. It is that one thing not often related to but an intricate part of our species needs toward survival - in all forms, etc. The only true way to unbias (this may not be a word, but you get the idea, right?) one’s biases is to find an open-mind, gather around as many experts in a subject as you can, all with as diverse experiences possible and then gather around a table, pop a beer top, have a drink that is a social brotherhood type of activity and then begin to discuss the topics of concern. 

In many subjects debate rises up when one expert or group of experts present some factual and/or historical piece of data. The other expert or group of experts, not within the first group, believes that the first groups piece of data is not accurate, incorrect or just plain wrong. I liken it to the age old debate on rank, the criteria on historical lineage type stuff, promotions and other such things in the martial communities, and how the system and/or style is practiced such as traditional, classical or modern. More often than not, rarely does the debate come to a mutual accepted and valid consensus resulting in change of one or both groups. 

So, when I was reading a blog article today on cognizant dissonance and confirmation bias on a particular subject in debate the following quotes, slightly adjusted to meet my biases - uh, needs - as example of how we humans get ourselves caught up in such ongoing debates causing a separation of a group, such as a style that breaks off and separates its members, into factions of say, the system or style. 

The semi-quote:

Tell me why you should not automatically trust the expert in this situation. Assume the following three things ARE true. What’s missing?

• The source is the best expert in the world on martial arts/karate.
• The source currently teaches, trains and practices in the discipline or system or style.
• The source is a great communicator, answers all of your questions, etc.

See what’s missing yet? The thing that is missing is that you can’t know what the expert didn’t tell you. If you are not an expert in the field yourself, how could you possibly know what has been left out? Even if you are an expert in the field, you also cannot know what you don’t know. 

You also don’t know if the expert is suffering from cognitive dissonance. It would look exactly the same to you. And cognitive dissonance is common to all humans, including experts.

I’m also confused by the fact that apparently there is more than one expert that gets the “right” answer for the subject situation, etc. Shouldn’t there only be one? 

My position on the experts information is that BOTH sides of the debate are completely credible to the people already on their side, thanks to confirmation bias. But that’s where the persuasion ends. Neither side has the tools or talent to sell their beliefs to the other side in any wholesale way. 

If you are frustrated with the people who are on the other side of the debate, no matter which side that is, I think you should give them some slack. There is no way for this sort of information to be credibly conveyed to human beings. And the problem is not always on the receiving end.

- Scott Adams, excerpts from his article, “Could a Climate Science Expert Change Your Opinion?”

Bibliography (Click the link)

Traditional Karate and 100 Kata Day

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

I use to feel that 100 kata day was not karate, not beneficial and more a sales process than anything yet I finally came to realize why it is beneficial and although not a traditional practice of karate it still promotes many aspects of the human species it benefits and has become a tradition of karate worthwhile, valid and great fun too. 

You see, human behavior in a very deep instinctive way is about two things, survival and procreation. I will leave the procreation for another time and focus on the human drive toward survival. 

To survive we need to gather into groups for there is truly strength in numbers as well as the innate need through nature to gather together humans, a somewhat weak species as individuals when compared to other animal species, etc., to survive. 

A principle of synchrony, the coordinated activities of the tribe, are the very core of survival in that it creates a brotherhood that creates, supports and promotes self-sacrifice, cooperation and that feeling of unity - building blocks of the tribe, group, at the base level of survival and procreation, etc. 

The one hundred kata is about the connectivity group dynamic development of and toward survival by its very activity of group coordinated activity. 

Bibliography (Click the link)

The Teaching Way: A Karate System

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

The Teaching Way/Teachings (Kyo-do [教道])

A Karate System (Karate Kei-do [空手系道])

There is a difference between a system and a style, i.e., a style is a manner of doing something; a something of a distinctive appearance; to design or make in a particular form; or a designate with a particular name, description, or title. A system is a set of connected things or parts forming a complex whole; a set of principles or procedures according to which something is done; an organized scheme or method (methodologies).

When a karate program is referred to as a style that is true because said style is a particular manner of doing the empty-hand discipline, it has a distinctive appearance derived from the creator and it is designed in a particular form with a particular name, description, and title.

When a karate program is referred to as a system, that system is a set group of things or parts that form a whole by a set of principles and methodologies according to something done as in fighting, competing and/or self-defense. The system is organized and with minor modifications can be used to achieve goals, goals being fixed end results such as survival. 

The big, glaring, difference I see from this model toward today’s karate teachings is most are styles consisting of many goals such as basics, kata, self-defense techniques, etc., while the model I am implementing in my training, practice and studies is a system consisting of fundamental principles with sub-principles, multiple methodologies and levels of force toward a gaol of survival using self-defense. 

In the past my teachings and articles spoke of both styles and systems as if they were one and the same yet that is and was not my intent. A style can encompass a system therefore both can be applied with certain distinctions mentioned. Saying style/system is indicating that in my view the style of Isshinryu is being taught, trained and studied as a system while the styles particulars are used as tools in that endeavor to demonstrate and practice the use of fundamentals, methodologies and force requirements/levels. 

To my mind, styles are designations toward a system symbolized toward a certain character and personality of both that style and toward its creator so that individuals can find a style that best meets their own personalities and character. Once chosen it is suggested they find out if it is just a style being taught or is it a style teaching a system as described? 

Bibliography (Click the link)

Isshinryu: Myths and Legends

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

In Isshinryu, as in any other belief or thing, myths are traditional stories, especially concerning histories and people, that explains some natural or social phenomenon that is widely held but a false belief or idea - mostly. A legend is a traditional story popularly regarded and factual and authenticate but actually is unauthenticated and it also applies to people, especially in a particular field or in this case a discipline. 

Over the last forty or so years I have, in all probability, heard all the myths and legends regarding Isshinryu and its creator, Shimabuku Tatsuo-san, that are held as gospel yet when you consider some other factors in the research toward validation and proof to be somewhat mythical and legendary in nature rather than true facts and proof. 

In Scott Adams’ most recent post he makes a few statements that when tweaked point toward the why and how such historical facts as true beleifs are more myth and legend than otherwise. 

“No matter how much research I do on my own, a real climate scientist will still know things that I don’t know I don’t know. If I do my own research on climate science, all I will know in the end is what I do know. And that’s not enough for any kind of credible evaluation. The stuff I don’t know could easily be more important than the things I do know. One would need to live in a particular industry, the way a climate scientist does, to have any confidence that all the important variables are being considered.” - Scott Adams, What if Climate Change Causes more CO2?

Let me rewrite it a bit to better provide my reasoning as an example. 

“No matter how much research I do on my own, a real karate professional/expert will still know things that I don’t know I don’t know. If I do my own research on Isshinryu’s history, etc., all I will know in the end is what I do know. And that’s not enough for any kind of credible evaluation. The stuff I don’t know could easily be more important than the things I do know. One would need to live in a particular discipline, culture and belief system, the way a person who lives in that discipline, culture and belief system does, to have any confidence that all the important variables are being considered.”

So, to start, I have lived and breathed the discipline of Isshinryu for a bit over forty years. I have also studied it and its associated disciplines of martial arts and karate for that same period of time with greater effort and emphasis in the last decade or so. I consider myself an expert and professional practitioner, sensei and philosopher of karate, martial arts (in general) and philosopher, etc. Even with all this I still only know the things I know and there are always going to be things I don’t know and that I don’t know I don’t know. In Isshinryu particularly there is only one source of definitive source that knows it all and he has long since passed away. 

None of the students of the discipline whether they studied under the creator or not can truly know it all. Providing what I believe are facts and by demonizing anyone who may refute, discuss or argue against my version just makes me less credible, even if I am right and that is the crux of most proverbial facts of Isshinryu regardless of the sources. 

Every one of the first five original Isshinryu first-generation students who brought Isshinryu to the America’s in the late fifties and early sixties, all have their own versions of what Tatsuo-san wanted of his creation and students. No one, and I mean no one, did any real in-depth digging to find the true facts of all that transpired with Tatsuo-san before we came, while we trained and studies and after we left to bring it here to the good ole US of A. 

Everyone has the true history; everyone has the true teachings of the creator; everyone teaches and studies the traditional and traditions of Isshinryu, Tatsuo-san and Okinawan karate and YET they all disagree and you have to wonder, since they all are of solid integrity, honesty and of moral standing, who has it right. 

This began the long time effort of an attempt to gather in what ever form that meets the needs, beliefs and proofs that would finally and irrevocably refute the beliefs, etc. of those others that has not gotten the job done yet in over fifty plus years of American Isshinryu. 

What happens, especially since there is NO written documentation by the Okinawans or the karate community that includes Tatsuo-san, is each faction leadership will work hard to resolve the issue by providing more, “Facts and proofs” along with vehement refutation of others views, opinions, proofs and beliefs. All this does, in the long run, is systematically reduce the credibility of those professing the truth and facts over time, outside their respective groups of course, even in the face of right or wrong on either side of the dojo. 

What is the cause, well in my feelings it is both “Cognizant Dissonance and Conformation Bias!”

p.s. I am guilty of this as well, after all I have given and written a great deal on the subject that smells of more facts on why I believe what I believe I know even knowing that I don’t know of things I don’t know and so on. 

Bibliography (Click the link)