Gichin Funakoshi Claims That Karate Is Not The Karate It Was!
It is a well known fact that the only thing that doesn't change is that everything changes. That is the unavoidable truth residing at the heart of this universe. That this is true in Karate (and other martial arts) was put forth by Gichin Funakoshi, the father of Karate.
Before I tell you his words, let me make a point through the words of Matsu Basho. Follow not in the footsteps of the masters, but rather seek what they sought. While this article may seem like an attack on traditionalism, it is really merely an admonishment to look deep.
To look deep is to find the truth of oneself. To delve deep is to uncover the true martial art. To look deep is to perceive the truth of yourself.
Hoping to see Karate included in the universal physical education taught in our public schools, I set about revising the kata so as to make them as simple as possible. Times change, the world changes, and obviously the martial arts must change too. The Karate that high school students practice today is not the same Karate that was practiced even as recently as ten years ago [this book was written in 1956], and it is a long way indeed from the Karate I learned when I was a child in Okinawa.
The preceding paragraph are the words of Gichin Funakoshi. There may be some paraphrasing or substitution of terms, so if you want the real quote, simply look in his book. Karate-Do: My Way of Life.
The point here is that to memorize the forms and techniques is fine, up to a point. And at that point one must give up the Monkey See Monkey Do type mode of instruction and start digging deeper. This is the only way to get to the heart of the real martial arts.
The Martial Arts, and we are speaking of Karate now, were created for specific solutions to exact problems. Was it created for defense against weapons that are no longer used, armor that is no longer seen, mind sets that are no longer showing? Was it translated for children, for different nationalities, for languages and cultures and mind sets?
The answer is yes, Karate has changed over the years, and not always for the best. Thus, one must look beyond technique, beneath words, and beyond even the visions of our teachers. One must look deeply and long, else one will never realize that Karate is not what it was, and they will miss the sight of oneself.
Before I tell you his words, let me make a point through the words of Matsu Basho. Follow not in the footsteps of the masters, but rather seek what they sought. While this article may seem like an attack on traditionalism, it is really merely an admonishment to look deep.
To look deep is to find the truth of oneself. To delve deep is to uncover the true martial art. To look deep is to perceive the truth of yourself.
Hoping to see Karate included in the universal physical education taught in our public schools, I set about revising the kata so as to make them as simple as possible. Times change, the world changes, and obviously the martial arts must change too. The Karate that high school students practice today is not the same Karate that was practiced even as recently as ten years ago [this book was written in 1956], and it is a long way indeed from the Karate I learned when I was a child in Okinawa.
The preceding paragraph are the words of Gichin Funakoshi. There may be some paraphrasing or substitution of terms, so if you want the real quote, simply look in his book. Karate-Do: My Way of Life.
The point here is that to memorize the forms and techniques is fine, up to a point. And at that point one must give up the Monkey See Monkey Do type mode of instruction and start digging deeper. This is the only way to get to the heart of the real martial arts.
The Martial Arts, and we are speaking of Karate now, were created for specific solutions to exact problems. Was it created for defense against weapons that are no longer used, armor that is no longer seen, mind sets that are no longer showing? Was it translated for children, for different nationalities, for languages and cultures and mind sets?
The answer is yes, Karate has changed over the years, and not always for the best. Thus, one must look beyond technique, beneath words, and beyond even the visions of our teachers. One must look deeply and long, else one will never realize that Karate is not what it was, and they will miss the sight of oneself.
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