Getting Your Priorities Straight

I find it interesting that karate teaches methods of mayhem alongside of social responsibility. At least that's what most schools strive for. Budo (martial ways) and bujutsu (martial methodology) are defined as having similar goals, but stressing different ones. The priorities that distinguish budo and bujutsu are laid out in Classical Budo:


Classical Bujutsu

1. combat
2. discipline
3. morals

Classical Budo

1. morals
2. discipline
3. aesthetic form

Note that 'combat' missed the top-three spot on the budo list. Apparently martial arts strictly as a combative system (bujutsu) give morals relatively short shrift. Being a moral person usually, but not necessarily, gives rise to other traits, such as politeness and humility as one karate blogger puts it. I agree these are desirable attributes to be found in the karateka.

This brings up a pertinent question: Is karate training really capable of transforming an otherwise brutish lout into a 'nice guy'? Traditionally, the master of a dojo would interview a prospective student to see where he was coming from. Drunkards, layabouts and alpha-male tough guys need not apply. The whole idea of learning self defense is to ward off these jerks in the first place.

I believe the "polite and unassuming" students one sees in the dojo likely started out that way before they ever stepped onto the mat. More than likely their training in a budo form accentuates already innate positive tendencies.

I've personally seen how transformative the martial arts can be. Those lacking in confidence, physical coordination and even social grace can make amazing progress in these areas as a result of dedicated training over a period of time.

But are traditional martial arts more about making good citizens or good fighters? I believe that budo - with its emphasis on morality and social responsibility - requires a combative core to make it all worthwhile. If a style or system gets too bogged down with philosophy or the "art" aspects to the detriment of realistic effectiveness, then it's simply not worth it. Equally, a style that lacks an understanding of right living is missing something very important.

Different Ways, Same Path

The martial arts. There are few areas of interest available that offer such rich and diverse subject matter. This is one of the reasons I love writing about them, but ironically, this can become a pitfall. It's easy to delve into related areas such as psychology, ethics, and even esoterica and get so far removed from the original topic of the martial arts that they are no longer being addressed. A case in point is the problem of accurately defining what the martial arts are. The soaring popularity of tai chi and mixed martial arts (MMA) fighting contests, for example, make it clear that certain disciplines that are given the generic label of "martial arts" are neither martial nor artistic. Internal styles such as tai chi tend to draw a pacifistic following that want nothing to do with combative fighting methods or racking up a collection of tournament trophies. Equally, an MMA fighter has little or no interest in meditation, chi, or adopting a canon of philosophical tenets in accordance with bushido. The modern martial arts, as I see it, have as much to do with the ways of fighting as they do with certain concepts unrelated to fighting. Bujutsu (martial arts) and budo (the martial path) are two sides of the same coin. The problem arises when exponents from these camps see as what they do as being exclusive, and lines are drawn.

A similar schism that exists in the martial arts concerns the time-honored traditional ways versus the eclectic schools of mixed-martial arts. An Isshinryu karate school I once visited had a sign up that read "We Teach Traditional Karate". Isshinryu was systemized in the 1950s. Can something that's been around for just half a century be categorized as "traditional"? Actually, its founder, Shimabuku, wanted to do away with the stagnation of tradition in creating a progressive style of karate. The advent of mixed-martial arts were influenced by Asian combative systems and are seen as something new. Yet the ancient Greeks had developed a combative sport called pankration that documents training methods and techniques that bear a striking similarity to the current mixed-martial arts methods that are in vogue today.

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

The Middle Path

While philosophy, ethics, and camaraderie are values that rightfully belong to any martial arts curriculum, practitioners should not forget that the martial arts are first and foremost martial in nature. Budo (the way) comes from bujutsu (the art itself). They are not, nor ever should be regarded as separate. This is important to understand, because leaning too far in either direction is fraught with problems. A budoka who can recite passages from The Art of War, but can't really defend her/himself is just as inept as the black belt badass who has visions of becoming a legbreaker for the local shylock. It is possible to master waza (techniques) sans the all-important core values. But having a rich knowledge of martial philosophy without the actual skills to back it up is ludicrous. The complete warrior needs both ability and insight.

The dichotomy of ability and insight in the martial arts can be summed up in Musashi's tenet, "The way is in the training". We train, not only to improve, but also to maintain already acquired skills. For the practitioner, training is not only a means to an end (jutsu), but also an end unto itself - training is the prelude to self-discovery and self-knowledge (do). Draeger wrote, "...training for a skill can lead to inner self-mastery as well as outward mastery of a technical skill."

Keeping It Real

Reality training in a martial arts school is not as simple as it may sound. Quite often, uke and nage over-cooperate with one another in self-defense drills to the detriment of learning proper function and technique. Donn Draeger recalled one of his instuctors wacking him over the knuckles with a wooden bokken because he failed to hold his weapon properly. Aikido founder Morihei Ueshiba instructed his disciples to attack him full force with spears. These days, students wear head gear, chest protectors, and hand guards - I'm all in favor of safety, don't get me wrong, but sometimes safety equipment can do more harm than good in preparing students for actual battle. Jiu-jitsu ground-fighting takes on a whole new meaning when it's moved from the mat to the concrete sidewalk.

Training in the martial arts should be approached with passion and conviction. When training with a partner, make her/him work! Make it as real as possible. Pretending uke is a jerk or bully works wonders. Realize your bujutsu skills will be most sorely tested away from your school, your sensei, with your shoes on, and quite possibly with a loved one in your presence. Remember, how you train is how it happens.

Living With Death: The Sojourn of The Classical Warrior

Conflict is at the cornerstone of daily existence. Not only people, but in nature as well. In the wild, predator and prey maintain a balance in the ecosystem, while at the molecular level, anti-bodies converge to fight off invading viruses and diseases. If the focal point of martial arts is dealing with conflict, then they well should be regarded as a metaphor for living.

Behind the advent of conflict is the possibility of annihilation- death. Death is a topic of major concern for all the world religions and philosophies. Carl Jung noted that the only way to have true passion for life is to embrace the fact that someday we are going to die. For the classical warrior, mortal combat was his chosen path. In his "Book of Five Rings", Miyamoto Musashi exclaims that there is a life beyond the dojo walls, that the aspiring trainee should become familiar with activities that will deepen his or her spirit; composing poetry or music, calligraphy, or painting. These become artifacts that will endure our physical lives. Martial arts reflects the art of living, of creating, and through creation, we sow the seeds for our true nature.

Tournaments and Trophies

Tokyo, 1964: Jigaro Kano's dream of having Judo included as an event in the Olympics became a reality. More recently, Tae Kwon Do has entered the Olympics arena. Competition, especially in this country, has made martial arts very popular and attractive. Americans love to win and take home trophies. But the aspect of sport imposes some limitations on the martial arts that must be considered.

Sports are founded on rules. In traditional bujutsu (combative martial arts) there are no rules. Your "opponent" is trying to take your life, not your title or whatever. There exists no "fair-play", time-check or referee. In modern budo (martial art ways) the objective is self improvement through discipline and character development. Physical fighting technique becomes a by-product. Spiritual growth is not possible through the acquistion of trophies and ribbons.

This all sounds like I'm opposed to competitive martial arts. I'm not. I've competed in kata and kumite with varied success. And I certainly don't mean to take some lofty, holier-than-thou, arrogant stand against competitors. Pride can be a major stumbling block to self-perfection. When you go out to compete, remember, you're really competing against yourself. So are your opponents. We should all strive to be better tomorrow than we are today. That's the real journey.