Wagging the dog?
It's not very often that I stop myself in though and pose the question: what would Miyagi Chojun do? But, let me tell you, it's become a common thought in my heard of late.
A growing number of friends and colleagues are becoming weary of the politics and the pettiness of karate. They are tired of power struggles, they are fatigued with being left of major decisions that affect their association and the shape of their karate. Thus, the title of this entry - referring to the obfuscation of rules and regulations whilst the very nature of their karate changes around them. But, do not get me wrong. It is not the masters changing the face of their karate, it is a handful of gaijin that seem to have alignment and support of like-minded gaijin who have come from the sport-karate world to this new org.
It's not so much that my friends are disloyal to the organization, it's that they are frustrated with the lack of transparency in communications and decision-making. They are concerned with the future of the organization and the seeming hard-reverse shift in the association's philosophy. A traditional Okinawan karate group has moved towards being like every other flavour in the karate smorg: participating in and holding tournaments. Assigning world champions from small pools of competition. Going against the grain of what the masters themselves taught and believed.
Yet, many of the same folk who are rah-rahing the tournament shift are the first ones to quote and reference the great masters, including \Miyagi Chojun. I find that sort of talk hollow. More and more often, I am considering it lip service at best and a name-dropping grab at authenticity at worst. I would think much the same of a Shotokan stylist who spouted maxims of Itosu and yet ran the competitive circuit from pillar to post.
So, in this case, I do wonder what Master Miyagi (the real one, not the movie one) would do. Though I have little doubt in my mind that the movie one would spin in his grave now.
In fact, I can almost feel a concert of masters spinning in their graves at high rates of speed. Considering I am on the other side of the planet at this time, that is some serious spinning!
In consideration of the fact that many of these folk represent significant gains for their association's spread on the map, it would be highly disappointing for their org to lose them now. Especially for some of the reasons that they are choosing to walk away. Some of them may leave without addressing the vacuum of democratic discussion and sharing, and the seeming incongruity and outright unfairness of some of the issues and stands being posited by the org.
I am not a stranger to politics and pettiness by any means. I have seen it play out in many organizations, and I have seen the angst it causes when the shit hits the fan. What I have not seen, and this is new even for me, is the number of power bases being amassed and the sharing of power and control and manipulation of the people at the top. The organization that my friends belong to espouses equality of dojos in the group, but it seems, much like the characters of Orwell's Animal Farm, some dojo are more equal than others. Traditional karate bad, quasi-traditional karate (in the guise of traditional karate) good. Sorry, but that sort of thing does not fly on the farms of many of these karateka.
Signing on to be part of a dojo with a proud heritage and a solid lineage is one thing. But when there is influence from players who hold the master`s ear to move the art in a direction that falls from the values, purpose and structure of Japanese karate (and some of the co-opted Okinawan schools who now follow the tournament gods), well kids, in my opinion, you have now moved into the world of karate-light. And if you only take on karate within your own association OR you choose only to do one element of tournament karate, then it seems that the values get corrupted towards a direction that bothers me even more: Olympic karate.
When you lose your identity and the one thing that makes you different, that makes you distinct, then you become bland, you lapse into mediocrity and you move towards clinging to values, goals and missions that would make the deceased karate masters weep. To quote a wise man 'if you do not stand for something, then you will fall for anything.' Another wise man once said “The strength of a nation is derived from the integrity of its homes.”
Of course, this is my take on their problem. But, it is a position that they share in their issue. And it is one that I am all too familiar with.
So, I speak out on rhis and all decisions that corrupt and compromise the character and spirit of Okinawan karate. Everyone can have their own opinions on their art. But this one is mine. And it was the opinion of the one that my friends signed on to when they joined their org. It was the philosophy of association I aligned myself with. And if I have to speak out to retain the values of mine, then, by God, I will. And damn the consequences.
This quote fits my current beliefs to a T: “Have the courage to say no. Have the courage to face the truth. Do the right thing because it is right. These are the magic keys to living your life with integrity.”
I'll settle up with those who came before (the masters) in the next life or in that ethereal dojo in the great beyond. But, at least I will have had the courage of my convictions and the strength of my beliefs to back me up.
And so will my friends...
A growing number of friends and colleagues are becoming weary of the politics and the pettiness of karate. They are tired of power struggles, they are fatigued with being left of major decisions that affect their association and the shape of their karate. Thus, the title of this entry - referring to the obfuscation of rules and regulations whilst the very nature of their karate changes around them. But, do not get me wrong. It is not the masters changing the face of their karate, it is a handful of gaijin that seem to have alignment and support of like-minded gaijin who have come from the sport-karate world to this new org.
It's not so much that my friends are disloyal to the organization, it's that they are frustrated with the lack of transparency in communications and decision-making. They are concerned with the future of the organization and the seeming hard-reverse shift in the association's philosophy. A traditional Okinawan karate group has moved towards being like every other flavour in the karate smorg: participating in and holding tournaments. Assigning world champions from small pools of competition. Going against the grain of what the masters themselves taught and believed.
Yet, many of the same folk who are rah-rahing the tournament shift are the first ones to quote and reference the great masters, including \Miyagi Chojun. I find that sort of talk hollow. More and more often, I am considering it lip service at best and a name-dropping grab at authenticity at worst. I would think much the same of a Shotokan stylist who spouted maxims of Itosu and yet ran the competitive circuit from pillar to post.
So, in this case, I do wonder what Master Miyagi (the real one, not the movie one) would do. Though I have little doubt in my mind that the movie one would spin in his grave now.
In fact, I can almost feel a concert of masters spinning in their graves at high rates of speed. Considering I am on the other side of the planet at this time, that is some serious spinning!
In consideration of the fact that many of these folk represent significant gains for their association's spread on the map, it would be highly disappointing for their org to lose them now. Especially for some of the reasons that they are choosing to walk away. Some of them may leave without addressing the vacuum of democratic discussion and sharing, and the seeming incongruity and outright unfairness of some of the issues and stands being posited by the org.
I am not a stranger to politics and pettiness by any means. I have seen it play out in many organizations, and I have seen the angst it causes when the shit hits the fan. What I have not seen, and this is new even for me, is the number of power bases being amassed and the sharing of power and control and manipulation of the people at the top. The organization that my friends belong to espouses equality of dojos in the group, but it seems, much like the characters of Orwell's Animal Farm, some dojo are more equal than others. Traditional karate bad, quasi-traditional karate (in the guise of traditional karate) good. Sorry, but that sort of thing does not fly on the farms of many of these karateka.
Signing on to be part of a dojo with a proud heritage and a solid lineage is one thing. But when there is influence from players who hold the master`s ear to move the art in a direction that falls from the values, purpose and structure of Japanese karate (and some of the co-opted Okinawan schools who now follow the tournament gods), well kids, in my opinion, you have now moved into the world of karate-light. And if you only take on karate within your own association OR you choose only to do one element of tournament karate, then it seems that the values get corrupted towards a direction that bothers me even more: Olympic karate.
When you lose your identity and the one thing that makes you different, that makes you distinct, then you become bland, you lapse into mediocrity and you move towards clinging to values, goals and missions that would make the deceased karate masters weep. To quote a wise man 'if you do not stand for something, then you will fall for anything.' Another wise man once said “The strength of a nation is derived from the integrity of its homes.”
Of course, this is my take on their problem. But, it is a position that they share in their issue. And it is one that I am all too familiar with.
So, I speak out on rhis and all decisions that corrupt and compromise the character and spirit of Okinawan karate. Everyone can have their own opinions on their art. But this one is mine. And it was the opinion of the one that my friends signed on to when they joined their org. It was the philosophy of association I aligned myself with. And if I have to speak out to retain the values of mine, then, by God, I will. And damn the consequences.
This quote fits my current beliefs to a T: “Have the courage to say no. Have the courage to face the truth. Do the right thing because it is right. These are the magic keys to living your life with integrity.”
I'll settle up with those who came before (the masters) in the next life or in that ethereal dojo in the great beyond. But, at least I will have had the courage of my convictions and the strength of my beliefs to back me up.
And so will my friends...
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