Osu! Seienchin really seems to understand the point I was trying to make. I was not directly criticising instructors per se, just pointing out the direction Kyokushin Karate seems to be headed in. There is so much more to Karate than the fighting or competition aspects. If a student is only concerned with the sporting aspect of his/her training, they will never perfect the "upper level" techniques, the secret mysteries of Budo. Kyokushin Karate is a total martial arts journey, with roots that go back to the very origins of the martial arts principles. That is why Sosai always advocated that his Karate had so much more to offer training students.
Another problem these days is that too many Instructors have broken all ties and connection to Japan, the birthplace of Budo Karate. It is a shame that politics and other situations have deprived students of the chance to experience Karate in it's mother country. Also, many of the top Kyokushin masters are no longer in Japan, but living abroad. When Kyokushin was one, alot of students dreamed of going to Japan to do training there. Alot of them went there and was disappointed because the great Shihans were no longer there. Again, they missed the point. Japan is the spiritual home of Karate, the very culture itself should be experienced, not just the technical aspects of the training. An example from religion: All Muslims dream of making a pilgrimage to the Holy city of Mecca one day before they die. They know Muhammad the great prophet is no longer alive, but they still want to go and visit this holy place anyway. That is what I mean by all Kyokushin Karateka should visit Japan at least once and experience the culture and people there.
I truly hope Kyokushin Karate will go forward to the next generation and remain a "Budo Karate". It has so much to offer the misguided and troubled youth of today. It is absolutely essential that Kyokushin remain disciplined and strict. This is totally up to the individual Instructors and their preferences. Osu!
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