Lost in Time - The Modern Way

[White Warlock]

This post was originally published as an article in a dedicated KarateForums.com Articles section, which is no longer online. After the section was closed, this article was most to the most appropriate forum in our community.

 

The mixed martial art competitions, which have dominated the minds of many martial artists for the past decade, are also a mixed blessing. In their presentation, they awakened many to the fallacies of techniques and the errors in presumption. However, they also trivialized some of the more lethal of techniques as being inapplicable in the ring merely because they are inappropriate, given the setting. Awareness has been brought forth on the importance of eclectic studies, as opposed to concrete specialization. As well, mixed martial arts has provided an endless stream of debate as to what works, what doesn't work, who is bigger and who is badder. But, in many cases, what it has failed to do is recognize who to learn from.

 

In this day and age, with all the mixed martial art competitions, there is one grand wrong occurring. As our attentions are on the young and vibrant fighters, smashing their fists into yielding flesh and causing bodily fluids to shoot out into the ravenous crowds, elder instructors are being dismissed, lost in the fanfare and exuberance of predacious spectators, ignorant of even the most basic combat skills. It is the box office magnates that are deciding who are the masters and who are the posers and it is the fans who flock to them, praising the young winners and openly chastising the losers, or the non-combatants, as the elder masters are now being called.

 

Countless fighters, and a few brawlers, are building names for themselves while they cover their expenses. Modern day prizefighters showing their wares and entertaining the ignorant masses for a paycheck. With this comes the assumption that these prize fighters, at the peak of their physical performance, are somehow better instructors, more knowledgeable martial artists, than those who have practiced for decades longer and who now teach quietly throughout the world in schools, in parks or in their garage. Their health and vitality having declined over the years, these venerable instructors, gems of knowledge and insight, are lost to us. For, while we encourage the spectator sports of physical confrontation and brutal testosterone, we discourage the deeper insights and more important aspects of martial art studies. Those of entering into oneself and finding core answers to the actions of man, as a whole.

 

We dismiss the knowledge obtained by our elders and, instead, surround the young martial art stars... reaching through the crowds to obtain a signature or a smattering of sweat. Pop stars of combat, these overnight heroes, have taken center stage while yet another entertainment mogul counts his changes and gloats. Yet another capitalization on the martial arts. Yet another get rich quick scheme.

 

Master Tri Thong Dang brought to my attention the vast amount of knowledge an elder martial artist attains. I met this diminutive elderly Vietnamese gentleman during or around 1997. He had just published his second book and was in the process of completing his third. I had already read one of his books, Beyond the Known, and found it to be a charming folk tale. It was centered on the experiences of a youth undergoing acceptance as a student into a martial art master's home. The subtle insights in this book, and the second book of this series that he completed later that year, hinted at a vast knowledge hidden behind the hands that had written these works. Personal responsibilities forced me to leave his instruction. He pulled a copy of his tai chi book, signed it and I left, vowing to return.

 

I eventually did return, over a year later, only to find that the doors to his dojo were closed. I asked around and found, to my utter dismay, that he had passed away. A small, quiet man that I had known for so short a time and yet he had made a far more lasting impression than any other instructor I had ever encountered.

 

Time is a merciless entity. We dismiss it and yet it takes away from us at every opportunity. Great masters are being lost to us and we do little to preserve their knowledge or what they have contributed to the martial arts community on such a microcosmic level. A thousand videos exist of our newfound masters, most of which have yet to reach their 30's and yet only a handful exist of the true masters. Those who have dedicated their entire lives, five times the experience of even seasoned artists, cannot be reasonably captured in video or in print, but the mere fact we do not try... begs the question.

 

Are these elderly masters to be lost in a quiet, lonely senior citizen home? Are they to be forgotten, pampered and given a nursemaid? Do we dismiss them as grandparents and lose forever the vast knowledge they have accumulated in their studies? Is it the way of modern martial arts to learn only from the students?

Edited November 10, 2004 by White Warlock

[Patrick]

Thank you for the submission.

[italian_guy]

Good Article WW my congratulations.

 

It suggest me two considerations: one is related to the first part of your article and the other to the second one.

 

Sometimes I feel ashamed that in Italy real fighting sports are disappearing from the media, even boxing that used to be so popular here is rarely found on our tv programs now and when they show it, is not definitively on prime time.

 

This may be not good for the popularity of this kind of sports and for MAs as a whole

 

On the other hand if we really have a deeper look on what is shown today in the media maybe this lack of exposure may contribute to preserve the genuineness of the MAs themself. So-called reality shows with no reality at all in it domiminate the stage, and professional wrestling that receive a relatively high exposure can be considered the reality show of fighting sports.

 

So at the end is better not to be a part of today showbusiness and preserve the art as it is; an expression of the body through fighting.

 

The second consideration is about the legacy of the old masters.

 

Time has changed and the old model of the inside or in-house students is not applicable any more. I think it is time for the old masters to re-invent a model to pass their art to the future generation. I think it's their responsability to do this, if they fail in this battle their art will be lost.

 

What we can do to help them is showing our dedication and our passion for the art, but it's up to them to invent a way to pass the art to the future generations.

[White Warlock]

Thanks Italian Guy and thank you Patrick for publishing this article. I made some silly grammatical corrections. Not sure if that was acceptable or not, but missing commas bother me.

[Patrick]

Its alright, I'll have a quick go through. Reminded me that I needed to turn that ability off, if nothing else.

 

Thanks.

[ninjanurse]

Excellent article WW!!!

 

[ps1]

WW,

 

I bow humbly to you for your enlightening words.

 

domo arigato

[White Warlock]

Thanks.

The second consideration is about the legacy of the old masters.

 

Time has changed and the old model of the inside or in-house students is not applicable any more. I think it is time for the old masters to re-invent a model to pass their art to the future generation. I think it's their responsability to do this, if they fail in this battle their art will be lost.

 

What we can do to help them is showing our dedication and our passion for the art, but it's up to them to invent a way to pass the art to the future generations.

 

I'm of the thought the 'older' masters may not be in-touch with modern technologies, as most older folk aren't. I'm leaning towards the idea that us more 'technologically' aware practitioners/students could step-up and provide alternatives for these masters. DVD video, Flash & Shockwave interactives, scanned-notes libraries, taped and videotaped interviews, etc.

 

Thoughts?

[ninjanurse]

In a way I agree WW but I also feel that the integrity of the art must be preserved along the way. One thing that is equally important though is that those of us that are "old skool" have an obligation to our students to modify those aspects of training that have been proven to cause damage to our bodies in the long run. Modern technology and science can definitely contribute in this area. I think the Masters would agree.

 

[italian_guy]

Thanks.

The second consideration is about the legacy of the old masters.

 

Time has changed and the old model of the inside or in-house students is not applicable any more. I think it is time for the old masters to re-invent a model to pass their art to the future generation. I think it's their responsability to do this, if they fail in this battle their art will be lost.

 

What we can do to help them is showing our dedication and our passion for the art, but it's up to them to invent a way to pass the art to the future generations.

 

I'm of the thought the 'older' masters may not be in-touch with modern technologies, as most older folk aren't. I'm leaning towards the idea that us more 'technologically' aware practitioners/students could step-up and provide alternatives for these masters. DVD video, Flash & Shockwave interactives, scanned-notes libraries, taped and videotaped interviews, etc.

 

Thoughts?

 

Yes, I agree that technology can help in this operation and some master are aware of that... since there are recorded performance of those master that were alive when multimedia started to appear.I'm thinking about Morio Higaonna, Mas Oyama etc.

 

However, what I think is more important is to find a new way to teach directly to the most dedicated and proficent student, now that the old models are not viable any more. I think that the old masters should find those student and work out with them some schedule and some way to pass the art to those that should be the masters of the future. They should invest their time and their availabilty in this effort. Multimedia are useful reference tool but you cannot create a Master with them.