Before kobudo training tonight, a mate who we train with, lent me a few Okinawa karate & kobudo related books. After skimming through the first few pages, I had a smile on my face.
It read the following:-
“Our dojo teaches traditional Okinawan What’s-it-ryu karate, the instructor told the prospective student. Our class schedule is posted on the bulletin board. Here is a copy of our fee structure. We emphasize a balance between basics, kata, and sparring, and you see can see from the many trophies our students have won that this is a successful formula.”
I won’t type the remaining paragraphs that left me unable to wipe the smile off my face, but in recent days, the above mentioned is rather relatable. With the ease of access to videos and social media, a growing number of people are finally discovering this “mystical” art of Okinawan karate for the first time. For some karate-ka, even having trained 30+ years, doubt may be starting to creep in as to what on earth it is they are actually doing. Too many times many mainland Japanese karate clubs withhold learning a higher kata or certain information until a certain rank. Why? Maybe because deep down they don’t know much or have in their so-called curriculum to teach students, as a result, random and irrelevant drills, and long lost kata (maybe from other styles) may be introduced. And this is where their implementation of “Okinawan karate” comes into place.
Let’s take a quick look at the following examples I have witnessed too many times.
1) “Ok, I have just seen a makiwara for the first time, I’m gonna build one ASAP, I must be teaching Okinawan karate now.”
2) “I’ve been to Okinawa and trained with several big masters, taken many photos with them….now I can go back and promote my club as having some kind of connection with Okinawa…”
Ummmm - A big fat no ladies and gentlemen! What you are teaching or have is NOT Okinawan karate….I won't go into much further detail, however, if you are not happy with what you are learning or teaching, what’s stopping you from changing to a different style or even martial art altogether. There is no need to implement any weird or wonderful new kata, not even a makiwara. But to introduce “Okinawan” elements into your karate style because you are running out of ideas to teach your students is misrepresenting what true Okinawan budo is.
This is not a writing to moan but simply wanted to state, be proud of your own style whatever it is. Be happy with what you are doing, and if you're not, then maybe just maybe - it’s time to finally delve into something deeper or different.
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