Do you enjoy learning or exploring the history behind it all

[Tibby]

Yes, yes, and yes!

[Sasori_Te]

I like learning the history. The tall tales are interesting but I can take them or leave them since they have no impact on me one way or the other. The problem with studying martial arts history is separating fact from fiction. I guess that would be the problem with any history, but martial arts history has more than it's share of tall tales and deeds. Also I find that a lot of the "history" is biased by the practitioners of the style the "history pertains to. For example you hear from Shotokan stylists that Funakoshi changed the Kara kanji in karate to represent the emptiness or zen of the do. The reason that I can find is because the Japanese weren't getting along with the Chinese at the time and in order to perpetuate karate in Japan this change had to be made. My point being is to make sure as best you can that what you're taking as history is history and not *.

[karatekid1975]

I totally agree with you, Sasori_Te. It's hard to tell these days what's * and what's not, though. But I can figure out a "rough" history from the "different versions" that I have read, so that good enough

[Sasori_Te]

The thing is to stick to what it is your trying to find and ignore as much of the extraneous stuff as you can. One piece at a time will give you the whole puzzle sooner or later.

[karatekid1975]

Good thinking, Sasori_Te

[battousai16]

i love learning about any history, really, be it MA or european or asian or american or whatever. the trouble with the history of my style, as i believe is being talked about in another thread as we speak, is it's very messy and it seems to come down to one guys word against anothers. i like the tall tales, too, those are always fun to read