Karate Politics?

[kcconnor]

Okay, what gives with Karate politics over the last 15-20 years?

I started my studies at age 12 in Minnesota, in a Shotokan school. I joined the ASKF because it "was the thing to do" and required of students who tested for rank. I got up to 4th Kyu and my parents moved when I was 15, to Washington.

In Washington, there was no Shotokan in the little town we were in. There was Shudokan, though, and I got my Shodan there in high school.

I trained in college, moved around a bunch after graduating, finding all sorts of schools to train in (Shitoryu, Gojuryu, Shorinryu, more Shotokan) until I find myself today at age 30 re-enrolled in a Shotokan school I like.

But: I'm really concerned about some things.

Seriously, what can be THAT toxic between instructors that factions grow up and different shotokan federations develop as a result? What gets so bad that instructors peel off from one association and join another?

Because this junk is affecting my training. And I don't like that.

I remember my instructor in Minnesota actually teaching bunkai for kata. It was immensely useful for learning to properly execute the techniques of the kata, rather than merely waving your hands around in the air.

When I moved to Washington and changed styles to shudokan, bunkai was still a focus.

Now that I am back in shotokan, my current instructor (who knows my instructor from Minnesota) does not appear to emphasize bunkai at all.

Add to that the confusion of going from Shotokan to Shudokan (and the change in technique application and minor variations in kata), then a reciprocal change back from Shudokan to Shotokan.... I really need bunkai to re-understand the intricacies of my Heian/Tekki/Bassai kata.

I've been told that this de-emphasis on bunkai is a function of different factions of shotokan karate. Is this true? My current dojo is a member of ISKF.

Please help. I don't want to make waves and be rude, but I am absolutely dumbfounded by the unapplied arm-waving going on with kata, the attempts by my new instructor to correct my technique without applying it, and the discovery of factional infighting in Shotokan.

[The BB of C]

It happens. I don't know how and I have yet to figure out how to fix it (other than locking all the leaders of the organizations in a room together and not letting them out until they've unified). But it happens. That's part of the reason I don't join a school for style or if it's a member of an organization. I always join for consistancy, quality of students, average power level of the students, and the quality of instruction.

I've always noticed that martial arts organizations don't usually do anything for martial arts except create beaucracy within them. Which, I believe, is the last place you want such a thing.

[tori]

I feel very fortunate that our organization has not been associatied with any others. I would dislike having someone dictate how our training must go, according to their own policy.

As for bunkai, how do you learn kata without it? It wouldn't make sense and it wouldn't even be fun practicing. It really would be just dancing around on the floor without thought or cause. I wouldn't love kata as much if there was not Bunkai taught.

[Killer Miller]

This has been going on since the late 60s and early 70s. It is part of the Big Split back then and has carried on since. Yes, it's ridiculous, but that's what it is. Part of the split was the hard work being put forth by many Americans and not being advanced in rank or wins in tournaments over the Japanese competitors. Back then, if you were Japanese, you would likely be awarded black belt 1st go round, make the team, win matches, and progress to higher ranks. Americans, would have to retest for black belt several times before getting it, lose matches, not progress to teams, and typically not achieve a rank higher than Sandan.

Many people and groups had different idea of this concept. Felt there were different applications for kata and bunkai, and different ways that Americans should be trained and managed. For this and other reasons, therefore there was a Big Split on the one to many organizations.

This split hurt the unity and comradity of the once primary group, to many groups with a serious bad taste in their mouth - so to speak. Yes, it happened, there is a tremendous amount of politics involved with it, it will always be there, etc...

The up side, these are "all" still a great bunch of guys/gals. You can learn a lot from all (maybe most would be more appropriate to say) of them. There will still be variations in training concepts, there will be some instructors better and worse than others, but over-all a pretty good deal.

You have to learn to just tune it out and not get involved. Be polite, but let it just go in one ear and out the other... It's not going to change, and probably never will...

- Killer -

[Tiger1962]

I understand where you're coming from but from my experience when a martial art is part of a lead organization or federation, what you learn is usually dictated by that lead organization unless you have an instructor who is a bit of a rebel and teaches you things off the curriculum on the side. The only problem with that is the instructor runs the risk of being reported to said organization. That however, hasn't stopped other people from separating from their lead organization and running their school independently without being under an organization. (which I've heard seems to be happening more frequently these days.)

I don't know the solution, but I do know that I've discovered that some martial arts schools have almost as much politics as working in an office. If one can find a school that operates independently but still teaches effectively, then stick with it. As long as it's not a belt factory or McDojo. You may find that there is even more politics to be found in schools that are run by family members!

[bushido_man96]

As long as we as humans decide to gather in groups, we always have these political types of rifts, no matter what. It is human nature to be different, and to want to do things our way. These types of splits and politics will happen.

[Wa-No-Michi]

Well unfortunately it's the way of things and has been for a long time.

As Killer mentions, a lot has to do with the transmission of karate into a western culture. Scant comfort I know, but Karate (and its styles within) is not on it's own here, as other arts like Aikido and Jujutsu go through exactly the same thing.

In the most part though, I believe it is to do with the almighty dollar, and these people wanting their own piece of the pie.

This in it's self though is not a wholly western thing. Its human nature at the end of the day

That said, you have to strike a balance between training with a small (un-affiliated) group and a larger / national body. Standardisation of training does not mean a lot to many people, but I would like to think that I could take my karate to any Wado club around the world and find we were talking the same language.

People like tg would argue what does it matter as long as the club you train at teaches you everything you want out of your training and I agree, but perhaps international arts like Shotokan are different in this respect.

[Wa-No-Michi]

Dang,

You beat me by one minute Bushi.

Still, I guess we are on the same wavelength.

[bushido_man96]

I saw that. When I saw the time stamps, I didn't know if you saw mine yet or not. But yeah, we're pretty much on the same page there.

The bottom line is, we all tend to see things differently, and we tend to have a preference for the way we see things. When others start to agree with us, they come along with us. Thus divisions, and thus, politics.

[Wa-No-Michi]

I saw that. When I saw the time stamps, I didn't know if you saw mine yet or not. But yeah, we're pretty much on the same page there.

The bottom line is, we all tend to see things differently, and we tend to have a preference for the way we see things. When others start to agree with us, they come along with us. Thus divisions, and thus, politics.

Hmm!, could be, although the cynic in me says its more about money and power in the most part.

I see things differently to my sensei, and I hope my students will see things that I haven't, thats healthy evolution but we still practice the same karate in the same group.

Mind you, I have no plans for global domination just yet