When Ingredients Are So Complicated!!

[sensei8]

Politics, are what they are. Some live for the drama and thus they love the politics that surround the MA. While others avoid the drama and thus they hate the politics that surround the MA.

Our Hombu isn't immune to the pros and cons of politics. No, we don't look for it but it'll rear its ugly head from time to time.

Some of the issues are mundane and some are quite intense. Still, they've got to be handled in a timely manner as well as in a professional way. Never make personal attacks because the situation is what needs to be attacked, and not the person.

To make a peanut butter sandwhich, one only needs three ingredients:

*Bread

*Peanut Butter

*Jelly

That's it!! It's not rocket science!!

However, politics dictate that these simple ingredients are to be complicated across the board. In our sandwhich, the politics make the simple task of making our aforementioned sandwhich very difficult.

Some will argue with the type of bread we are to use. Should we use wheat or white or whatever else is available.

Some will argue with what type of peanut butter we are to use. Should we use creamy or crunchy or whatever else is available.

Some will argue with what type of jelly we are to use. Should we use grape or strawberry or whatever else is available.

Bottom line for me is this...

JUST MAKE THE DARN SANDWHICH!!

Stop making a mountain out of a mole-hill. To argue just to argue isn't productive and our students suffer in the long run.

My own Hombu's hiearchy can't agree on the most basic ingredients to make a website or a facebook site or how to make a video or anything else that our students will benefit from.

Why?

They don't want to just make the darn sandwhich without making a political issue out of it. I just want the darn sandwhich. Our students want the darn sandwhich. Meanwhile, our students MA betterment is starving.

Politics are not a delicious ingredient with an governing body!!

Your thoughts!!

Edited November 3, 2015 by sensei8

[Harkon72]

The sad fact is that some in our MA community seem to revel in the Political side of MA life. Some opposing Sensei will not make an adult argument in your face; they will not voice their concerns in public. What they do is communicate in secret with your Sensei or Association officials. I'm not an advocate of the stand off in the car park, but if you have issues with us; the door to our Dojo is always open.

[bushido_man96]

It seems to me that politics will always be a part of the MAs, due to the fact that high-ranked individuals are always involved in the decision making, and when you get too many people together, they want their ideas to be heard and used, and so on, and there you have it...politics!

[Spodo Komodo]

Politics is what people do in all organizations when they feel threatened, aggrieved or bored. I can't possibly see a future for any Martial Arts organization without some politics as the alternative is a mono-culture of sycophants. I think that some political dialogue is a healthy thing as long as it is seen as secondary to the actual business of learning and teaching the art, when it becomes someone's main focus then they really should look at what they are contributing to the common well-being of the group.

Lets face it, politics has led to a variety of styles within individual martial arts. Some styles suit people better than others but almost all were born out of political disagreements or stylistic disagreements that became political. However, once the initial disagreement is over then the styles should have the maturity to keep in contact and learn from one another, then everybody wins.

[neoravencroft]

This is perhaps the best description of politics I've ever read. Thank you.

[JR 137]

And if politics don't divide an organization, money will. The whole 'why am I paying dues to you and getting nothing in return?' mentality.

[Nidan Melbourne]

Politics, are what they are. Some live for the drama and thus they love the politics that surround the MA. While others avoid the drama and thus they hate the politics that surround the MA.

Our Hombu isn't immune to the pros and cons of politics. No, we don't look for it but it'll rear its ugly head from time to time.

Some of the issues are mundane and some are quite intense. Still, they've got to be handled in a timely manner as well as in a professional way. Never make personal attacks because the situation is what needs to be attacked, and not the person.

To make a peanut butter sandwhich, one only needs three ingredients:

*Bread

*Peanut Butter

*Jelly

That's it!! It's not rocket science!!

However, politics dictate that these simple ingredients are to be complicated across the board. In our sandwhich, the politics make the simple task of making our aforementioned sandwhich very difficult.

Some will argue with the type of bread we are to use. Should we use wheat or white or whatever else is available.

Some will argue with what type of peanut butter we are to use. Should we use creamy or crunchy or whatever else is available.

Some will argue with what type of jelly we are to use. Should we use grape or strawberry or whatever else is available.

Bottom line for me is this...

JUST MAKE THE DARN SANDWHICH!!

Stop making a mountain out of a mole-hill. To argue just to argue isn't productive and our students suffer in the long run.

My own Hombu's hiearchy can't agree on the most basic ingredients to make a website or a facebook site or how to make a video or anything else that our students will benefit from.

Why?

They don't want to just make the darn sandwhich without making a political issue out of it. I just want the darn sandwhich. Our students want the darn sandwhich. Meanwhile, our students MA betterment is starving.

Politics are not a delicious ingredient with an governing body!!

Your thoughts!!

Politics and Running a Body of Schools can be a massive headache.

I know my sensei who runs his own club, and is only affiliated with Karate Victoria (State Body), Australian Karate Federation [AKF] (National Body) and the World Karate Federation [WKF] through the AKF. They don't really affect how my sensei runs the club, they will usually go you need to fulfill these requirements or need to do a, b or c and they will be happy.

But this is a rare occassion that they may do that or if even ever.

My Sensei has his own website that has videos of majority of the kata that we have for our school, and the same for the facebook page we have where videos are usually of what he thinks is appropriate or people think that may be beneficial for others.

For Videos my logic is to agree to show what is for the curriculum and that is it or also do videos every now and again showing valuable information or lessons like what Wastelander does.

[Spartacus Maximus]

The larger a governing body is and the more branches it has, the more complicated politics get. Combined with personality and financial issues it is a recipe for conflicts and dissolution sooner or later. There is very little that can be done to avoid it completely.

It probably is not common but sometimes there is more than one hombu for a style. Being smaller allows for closer cooperation and better management of administrative work. It also helps to minimize the adverse effects of petty, tedious political bickering.

[sensei8]

Nidan Melbourne and Spartacus Maximus...

Solid posts!!

[Spartacus Maximus]

In case it may be difficult to imagine a governing body with more than one hombu, here is what the structure looks like:

The most senior students of an instructor are asked or chosen to be responsible for teaching their martial art in different wide regions(ex: by continent or country).

These senior instructors answer only to their common teacher for any advice. As far as administration, they are free to manage however they see fit. So instead of a pyramid structure, it is more like a network. The heads of each hombu may meet and train together as often as feasible but none has any authority over another as far as administration or dojo management is concerned.