Over-simplification has been a major theme running through Okinawa Karatedo – from its emergence into the school system on Okinawa, its transplantation onto mainland Japan, and its exportation to the rest of the world. One of the dangers of simplifying Karatedo for publication consumption is that people can believe that the simplified Karatedo is the genuine item that is actually used. People forget the elements to Karatedo: conditioning, techniques, Kata, etc. These were inadequately described, abbreviated, ambiguous or left-out altogether. As a result this over-simplified view of Karatedo has become sacrosanct in the majority of Karatedo dojo and the public all over the world.
For example, take Itosu’s idea (and many other contemporary teachers during his era) that Kata was the “essence” of Karatedo and that by adopting this stance it allowed him a means of instructing large groups of students. This dim-witted point of view distils Karatedo down to its simplest notion and negates much of the requisite training methods, conditioning, techniques and person-hours necessary that go into mastery.
Hi Mario,
I think you have correctly identified the point, in karate history, when the “dumbing down” began. I can only hope it was done with the best of intentions. In many ways, the Okinawans must take responsibility for the way karate is today, but again, if we look at the way things were “at the time” it is easy to see how karate began it’s slow decline into it’s present state.
I’m not big on dwelling in the past, so I maintain that regardless of what other people are doing, if I’m trying my best, if I’m being honest with myself, and if I’m not going along with the pretence so many seem to think is “traditional” karate training these days, then I’m playing no part in the decline of this great martial art of ours.
The essence of Karatedo is not to be found in the techniques, or the kata, or any of the physical training for that matter; I believe it’s essence to be an “attitude”. Throughout the ages, it has been this attitude that has proven too difficult for people to adopt…hence the dumbing down to lift the numbers.
Just a thought!
Mike
Hello Mike:
I’d also like to think that the Okinawans had the best of intentions when they tried to standardize Karatedo for public consumption, but the end result was disastrous in some respects. And it would be literally decades before they got their act together and try reclaim and reshape Karatedo in a direction that they agreed on. Still, the “dumbing down” had already taken place and it will be hard to “throw the baby out with the bathwater.” They’re stuck with the model they’ve created for the time being.
The characteristics you listed: honesty, integrity, self-reflection, effort, etc are the essence of Karatedo, not the techniques, kata or physical training as you say. However this is the attitude of senior, mature, practitioner, not the “average” Karateka. I doubt very much that most Karateka will ever reach that stage and would have long abandoned Karatedo before he got there.
Thanks for the food for thought.
HOSSU !! I GO WITH MIKE ..THANK YOU .
Simple and to the point. Well said.