The article below by Aikido Journal Editor Stanley Pranin has been selected from the extensive archives of the Online Aikido Journal. We believe that an informed readership with knowledge of the history, techniques and philosophy of aikido is essential to the growth of the art and its adherence to the principles espoused by Aikido Founder Morihei Ueshiba.
What is the headmaster of a classical martial school to do to fulfill with honor his role as the keeper of a tradition and ensure the survival intact of his art? This is the dilemma faced by the heads of the few remaining classical martial art schools in Japan today. It is not a new problem as these historical ryuha have been in decline since well before the Meiji Restoration (1868) when the death knell was sounded with finality for the samurai caste.
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Perhaps martial arts are challenged by the prevalence of a pretty peaceful society. Americans and Europeans, aside from those who pursue martial careers, are warriors only in case of necessity. Many, but not all, will fight in self defense using whatever strength, weapons of opportunity and fighting spirit they possess. Fewer will provide some contingent means of defense, such as a 12ga shotgun. Fewer still will practice and become proficient in self defense, usually with firearms. Proficiency in hand-to-hand technique requires some investment in time to obtain and maintain that skill. Practice attracts relatively few and the return on effort also looks unattractive. Yes there’s physical fitness, but you can go to a “health” club and do stair (stare?) master. Take a back row machine and the view might be pretty attractive. My son has gotten pretty good with climbing walls. Indoor climbing clubs also have a pacific and social ambiance. Just his luck that he also has a pretty good punch, however, when some gang-bangers were looking for a little white kid to beat up.
I guess the question is how high a value do you put on winning a hand-to-hand situation, how likely is one, and how likely is it that if started hand-to-hand it won’t escalate to firearms? Of course you CAN contend with an armed opponent, but the odds aren’t in your favor. And, while our (SF) local DA cleans the slate for illegal alien violators, she promises to prosecute firearms violations (presumably including concealed carry) to the max. So, unless a felony will enhance your cv, you WILL be unarmed in a situation.
The article raises valid points on the future of koryu.
I can relate my personal experiences with Daito ryu here.
I believe the remaining traditions should discard the “historic” secrecy surrounding the art and do more to “open up” their art. I have been exposed to two Daito ryu traditions over the years and I never really got the sense that I was really welcome from either of them.
I had attempted to explore another DR tradition but was met by a somewhat intensive 21 questions type of interrogation. I withdrew my membership application after that.
The American Way…stun gun and taser…little training needed…great effect…easier than 30 yrs learning Sankyo.
Taisho – the American Way, Arizona style: anybody who wants to walk the streets armed may. the “other” American Way, “go ahead. hurt me and i’ll sue…”
Bob & Stan, maybe the question comes down to what constitutes “survival”? it is highly unlikely that in a time of general peace and security, and absent the social norms of a samurai class, that TMA will thrive. survival, however, only requires the propagation of the art to a new generation. one master – one student might do just fine. would something be lost? probably. am told that the Katori shrine was once “Samurai U”, teaching literature, math, astronomy, calligraphy… now its curriculum is limited to martial arts.
In Arizona now you can carry concealed weapon without permit…so in AZ expect a weapon…or carry your own.
Budo is perennial. The principles of balance we may learn in training, if paying attention, may perhaps enable us to face the “new enemy” that is slowly closing in.
One that will require new thinking, clear vision, new skills and much foresight.
No, not terrorists, not aliens and neither the current bogeymen. Nor “communists” or other failing ideologies, all which are passé and thankfully can’t be revived. They are all worn out, tired, done-to-death and just as dysfunctional, if not more so.
There is no “relative peace.”
Have you, of late, experienced or been affected by an earthquake, a flood, a tornado, a mudslide.. or the results of an oil spill?
Have you watched the global news of late? And compared it with even 50 years ago.
Nature, an active living planet “hitting back” whilst re-establishing a balance in the inextricable and interconnected web of life, will be the frontier.
Not so much to “conquer,” rather to understand and harmonize with, before it really recoils seriously. Which it will.
Much of that balance has been undone by our myopic greed and stupidity as a species.
What have we as a species actively done to address this challenge? Other than a multitude of babel talkfests, merely talking about “the environment,” hot air which only serves to add to global warming. The one that doesn’t exits according to some.
If we learn nothing else from budo practice it is the fact that making yourself useful after the event is usually not possible. That the work, learning and getting of skill has to be done well in advance of the attack. And that denial of facts is not a sound strategy.
But that depends on where our focus is and whether we can see ahead clearly. That, among many others, is also is a faculty that regular budo training will activate.
What we do with those skills after that, is up to us.
Performance artists have long had the problem of preserving their work for future generations. Composers can annotate their music, but other performance artists can only seek to make a perfect recording. Perhaps traditional martial artists should seek to make a perfect recording. With computer graphics technology, there is now a means to make a perfect recording. In the movie Avatar, the N’avi were complete computer generated. Their faces were recorded from the actors and morphed onto the N’avi forms. With this kind of recording technology it may be possible to record the performance of martial arts techniques in a way that captures very subtle nuances. Then in the absence of continuing students and schools it may still be possible for new scholars to go back and learn from the masters.
Maintaining senior student interest and their continuing advancement in their study seems to be a major reason that various disciplines don’t survive. Actually the technical levels are appearing to diminish, instead of advancing. Observing the videos of the previous generation of masters and comparing their performance to what is going on today is why this statement, for the most part, appears to be true (a notable exception is the Russian Systema people.) Perhaps in monastic seclusion this may not be the case.
In this time period of world wide communication and disbursement of knowledge, it would seem likely that progress would be made in leaps and bounds. However this is not the case. Just as other ancient, long lost skills are re-discovered; the pursuit of the higher levels of performance can be fulfilled in the martial arts.
Most likely, it is preconceptions and the ability to think outside the box that are holding us back. Maybe we are being told, and shown, what to do and aren’t listening/hearing what is being said.