SORRY, BUT MR. MIYAGI IS NOT REAL!
Most people identify, model, karate (that being all martial arts in general) after the fictitious movie character of Mr. Miyagi (Karate Kid movies fame). I am sorry, but if you are in that fold, I am about to burst your bubble, as that perception could NOT be further from the truth! Most people perceive the martial arts (in general) the same way they see the character of Mr. Miyagi. That view, as the martial arts being presented in a non-violent, almost pacifistic, way. That perception is quite new, regarding to the age of martial arts, which span over centuries… This present-day identity given to martial arts and its practitioners is derived from post-World War II (WWII) (end of). A time when the winning side, the allies, had a determination to DE-militarize/de-martialize the Japanese. For that matter, the entire oriental regions of Asia had just endured a terrible, bloody experience from WWII. So, there was a desire by those cultures to decouple from the combative, military way of the martial arts.
I am sure that I will perhaps, have what I am saying here to be taken negatively by some, or many, of my martial arts peers, and friends. That is not my intent, BUT I must be honest with you now as the reader, to my students & staff, but more so, honest (finally!) to myself! I now no longer believe that what we know as traditional karate, and that would include Okinawan and Japanese, and further I would also include ALL the traditional martial arts are NOT what they were, “in the day,” before the mid twentieth century. This is because today’s martial arts are based on timelines of today> post-WWII, not the past> pre-WWII! And, they are structured either (or all) on: rules, archaic posturing or etiquettes, overdone/inefficient/slow tempo movements that are doomed to fail! Further, like in two man drills or self defense routines, where the attacker throws/executes one action/attack, and then seemingly just sits still with the attacking arm still extended??!! Or if a kick is thrown, after the kick, they just stay in place. (What the…??!!) Most, if not all, modern systems of Karate, and I would add the others too like Tae Kwon Do, Kung Fu, Grappling systems, have gone by way of Sport, with Rules. Rules that inhibit the practitioner from the one, main rule of personal protection:
I am sure that I will perhaps, have what I am saying here to be taken negatively by some, or many, of my martial arts peers, and friends. That is not my intent, BUT I must be honest with you now as the reader, to my students & staff, but more so, honest (finally!) to myself! I now no longer believe that what we know as traditional karate, and that would include Okinawan and Japanese, and further I would also include ALL the traditional martial arts are NOT what they were, “in the day,” before the mid twentieth century. This is because today’s martial arts are based on timelines of today> post-WWII, not the past> pre-WWII! And, they are structured either (or all) on: rules, archaic posturing or etiquettes, overdone/inefficient/slow tempo movements that are doomed to fail! Further, like in two man drills or self defense routines, where the attacker throws/executes one action/attack, and then seemingly just sits still with the attacking arm still extended??!! Or if a kick is thrown, after the kick, they just stay in place. (What the…??!!) Most, if not all, modern systems of Karate, and I would add the others too like Tae Kwon Do, Kung Fu, Grappling systems, have gone by way of Sport, with Rules. Rules that inhibit the practitioner from the one, main rule of personal protection:
Greater violence always wins! And that does NOT come with additional rules! You need to develop the ability to flick that switch! Ability to turn on your Dark/Violent Side and apply it through your techniques. In order to protect yourself, you may have to do "bad things." That does NOT make you bad, only a SURVIVOR.
That is the important balance to the scales of survival against a harmful, or potentially lethal, threat! Greater violence always wins! Additionally, always strike to injure! (That will be discussed in another segment/page.) Further, most modern Karate systems have gotten away from its combat form, now more towards the development of character and of course to have that, "tournament look." Fact: Skill alone will NOT help you near enough! And being the nice guy when being the bad guy is called for in a threat incident, yeah all that "good character" is gonna go well with your eulogy at your funeral! Many want to know, or think they want to know, how to defend themselves, but do not want to find their violent side> we all have it, it is engrained. Just for most, it is suppressed. The martial arts of today, by majority, are merely a synthetic, pacifistic presentation that does not reflect the source code of its origins... In “The Old Days,” practitioners of martial arts, used their arts to protect themselves from harm, and did whatever was necessary to achieve that goal! It was never pretty, and it never came with rules of engagement. Only one rule:
Greater violence always wins. (And always strike to injure!)
Hanshi C
That is the important balance to the scales of survival against a harmful, or potentially lethal, threat! Greater violence always wins! Additionally, always strike to injure! (That will be discussed in another segment/page.) Further, most modern Karate systems have gotten away from its combat form, now more towards the development of character and of course to have that, "tournament look." Fact: Skill alone will NOT help you near enough! And being the nice guy when being the bad guy is called for in a threat incident, yeah all that "good character" is gonna go well with your eulogy at your funeral! Many want to know, or think they want to know, how to defend themselves, but do not want to find their violent side> we all have it, it is engrained. Just for most, it is suppressed. The martial arts of today, by majority, are merely a synthetic, pacifistic presentation that does not reflect the source code of its origins... In “The Old Days,” practitioners of martial arts, used their arts to protect themselves from harm, and did whatever was necessary to achieve that goal! It was never pretty, and it never came with rules of engagement. Only one rule:
Greater violence always wins. (And always strike to injure!)
Hanshi C
"Any man who is a man may not, in honor, submit to threats of violence. But many men who are not cowards are simply unprepared for acts of human savagery. They have not thought about it (incredible as this may appear to anyone who reads the papers or listens to the news) and they just don't know what to do. When they look right into the face of depravity and violence they are astonished and confounded"
- Jeff Cooper: A United States Marine, the creator of the "Modern Technique" of handgun shooting, and an expert on the use and history of small arms.
- Jeff Cooper: A United States Marine, the creator of the "Modern Technique" of handgun shooting, and an expert on the use and history of small arms.
Karate By The Sea & LIONHEART Kenpo Jeet Kune Do are divisions of Conley's Martial Arts