Osu! GJEChamberlain writes "It's a real shame that in (some) Martial Arts the instructors squabble amongst themselves to gain the biggest slice of the pie, while expecting their students to blindly follow and pay through the nose". This is a little off topic from the original point I was trying to emphasize about Kyokushin Karate not being as strong today spiritually as before. However, he makes a good point here about proper attitude from Martial Arts Instructors and the examples they set for their followers(students).
When Sosai Oyama wrote the Japanese version of "THIS IS KARATE" so many years ago, he had an entire chapter in the back of the book devoted to "Karate & Morality". I don't know why, but this particular chapter was never translated into English for the English language editions of this great book. I read, write, and speak Japanese fluently so I could understand what Sosai was conveying in this chapter. It basically said Katateka have a big responsiblity to carry themselves with dignity and honor, not doing disgraceful acts or behavior. Most of the morality Sosai was talking about came straight from Bushido, the Samurai code. I wish alot of Instructors would delve deeper into the martial art they teach and represent, instead of just focusing on the technical and physical aspects.
Nowadays, when I hear about the shocking and disrespectful behavior of alot of prominent Kyokushin leaders and instructors, I am mortified. I have never had an interest in the game of "Karate Politics" and have been able to avoid this shallowness for over 40 years. Some people even believe I am just not ambitious, with no goals or purpose. That's not it at all. I just love Budo and see it for what it is: a simple, uncomplicated activity that can upgrade the quality of your life. I sleep just fine at night, completely headache free (Ha! Ha!). I realized a long time ago that I only have one chance at life, why waste it worrying about things you can't change or fix. Too many "Chiefs" and not enough "Indians", as the saying goes. Why does everyone want to be the Boss?
Instuctors have a great responsibility to set positive examples for their students to follow. Instructors need to train more and study (the philosophy) more so they can properly teach their students the correct spirit and attitude of Japanese Budo Karate(Kyokushin). I never feel I have learned everything. I have over 40 years training & experience, and I'm always open to learning new things. The day you stop learning is the same day you die. So, I hope instructors will train harder themselves and then that spirit will rub off on the deshi(students). If that starts truly happening, we may be able to recapture that strong "Spirit" I was talking about when I originally started this thread. Osu!
|