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Traditional Martial Arts
Author: Stephen Grayston
Each and every traditional martial art master, teacher, and student must become an echo of the past, a reflection of all that has been good in the traditional martial arts. This isn't a hope, or a request, but an explanation of the key to true development. For many will tell you that understanding the old is the key to building the future.
These words are easy to say yet not so easy to put into practise, for we live in the west and the 'wa' (harmony) that exists in Japan is seldom found in the west. Many who have visited Japan will tell you that there is an air of contentment in everyone you meet, albeit they may have the same problems in life as you do - but they don't show it and dignity and deportment are an art to the Japanese.
If you are to gain satori (enlightenment) from the practise of your art, you need to find inner tranquility so you may move forward, for how many Japanese/Okinawan masters do you see who are stressed and in a panic over something? They do get like that the same as we do but they have public face and private face, as they do not want to burden society with their troubles. Each of us is trying to emulate the ways of the old masters (even those of us with western systems), for these men were the watermark for standard, behaviour, honour, dignity, and duty.
Many of the dojo+ I have visited in the UK seldom use the Japanese language and when they do, mispronunciation is common, which is partly the fault of English teacher lineage. For if the teacher has no interest to teach the language because their teacher did not bother, then what encouragement do you have? And, without the proper terminology there is no custom, and without custom, no real values to guide you. However, it doesn't have to be this way as there are teachers out there who are teaching traditional martial arts with the customs, the language and the spiritual teaching you will need to have the wisdom and enlightenment of one of the old masters.
If in your dojo you experience addressing your teacher by their first name, and bowing and respectful behaviour is uncommon, then I am afraid you really need to question whether the dojo 'is' traditional. For these are the tell-tale signs of a modern school where you will only find the physical, and, mental/spiritual tuition will never be found. I heard a story of a teacher in the Essex area who conducts his class by sitting on a table, smoking a cigarette whilst barking the odd orders at the bemused students. I thought, surely not until I heard it from four different people, one an ex-student of his.
Many organisations advertise 'traditional' in the art they teach, but that gives a deep obligation on their part to honour the past and conduct themselves in a certain manner, and this appears to be too much hard work for some. They simply add that in the name of their group as they've seen others do it, when in truth, they have no concept of what 'the what' actually means. This trait became so bad in the late eighties/early nineties that many of the old traditional schools would advertise themselves as 'Classical' arts to distance themselves from those who would claim to be traditional schools yet conducted themselves with the behaviour of our aforementioned table smoking chum from Essex!
It may sound as if I am verbally attacking parts of the 'traditional' community, and in truth, I suppose I am. I want them to be true to themselves and honest with the beginners who walk through their door knowing nothing of the arts at all. Don't tell people you are a traditional school if you are not; be honest and say, "We are a modern school," or, "We are a sport school." There's no shame in it and the techniques you show may well be proficient and of a high standard but having your students address you by your first name, using only English to describe techniques, and spending 80% of the lesson time sparring, is not traditional. It is a misrepresentation to members of the public who do not know any better. If you advertise traditional at your dojo, then mean traditional. It's good for the public and good for your conscience.
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