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| Benjamin Button couldn't have done it any better |
Few pieces of advice left to us from past karateka have been used as frequently as the words said to have been issued by the late Gichin Funakoshi..."Look to the past to understand the future" (or something like that). But, like most things we humans come across, we bend and twist it to suit our own purposes, which is fine, so long as you're okay with having something that's different to the thing you first got your hands on.
Reverse engineering, once the pastime of only the most geekiest of karateka, is now entrenched in the mainstream of karate; the result of which has been a race back in time to validate what you're doing today. People are falling over themselves to reach an era when karate was a mysterious fighting art known only to a few, a deadly method of combat shrouded in secrecy. But let's take a closer look at the backward looking search being undertaken by so many today and ask a few questions that need asking...
How far back are you prepared to go?
What evidence do you have to prove the opinions you arrive at?
Are you familiar with the political and social milieu of the time period you're basing your 'knowledge' on?
Can you speak/read/ Japanese/ Hogen?
Why do you have confidence in the sources you're relying on?
The list goes on and on, and touches upon aspects of human nature that the overwhelming majority of karateka today are too impatient to consider. I'm not sure why spending time in the dojo, or elsewhere, and simply practicing your karate/kobudo is no longer considered enough. My feeling is that it's related to a desire, in some, to make easy money rather than work for a living; which, just like the techniques and knowledge on offer, is hardly unique. So what's wrong with 'easy' you might ask? Look...if you don't know already, I don't have the words to explain.
Ironically, convincing yourself that you're different from the guy up the road running classes in mixed martial arts, kung-fu, yoga, ground fighting, stick fighting, panjek silat, first-aid, kendo, Zen Buddhism, origami, and resuscitation techniques known only to the ninja, is nothing new. Cultivating masse appeal is a long and trusted commercial tactic. It's why Hollywood and fast-food joints form partnerships to peddle their 'food?' with a free Star Wars figure. It's an easy way to make a lot of money because it taps into a desire to be a part of something. The easier a desire can be satisfied the more attractive its appeal.
But wait a minute, 'wanting' runs contrary to the thinking found in both Budo and Zen, so you see the problem for karateka, right? "Karate and Zen are One." is another of those sayings left to us from the past. Hmm...doesn't suit your thinking, right? That's okay, just make a few adjustments to how you think and you can have both. Change what you're doing into a product, then you can get what you want by selling it. Meanwhile, busy yourself in your backward looking 'research' as proof that you're the genuine article. Forget for a moment that history is littered with examples of people making the same mistake you're making now and you'll be okay...at least until you wake up!
The most profound piece of advice I've ever had in over forty-years of practice is so succinct, so simple, so clear, and yet at times so difficult to follow. It was something the late Eiichi Miyazato sensei said to me, and others, quite often....."Just do it!"
Now there's an idea..!