TRADITION
Practitioners of eclectic martial arts often speak with utter disdain when referring to classical martial arts. Their arguments against this way of training often make a lot of sense, especially in today’s world. On the other hand a martial artist, who studies a classical system tends to look down his nose at anyone not studying an art that is not deep and rich in tradition, and they also have some valid points.
In Musashi-Do, we blend the old with the new. We can do this because of the traditions set by Miyamoto Musashi himself, were in effect his way of breaking with the traditional studies of the samurai of his time.
Miyamoto Musashi was samurai in every sense of the word. He lived by the code of Bushido, with honor and respect. When it came to swordsmanship however, Musashi took a different view at it than most. To him swordsmanship was more than just a way of life, it was, in his mind, life itself. In addition to the code of Bushido he set upon himself a strict code of guidelines, designed to keep him on the path to enlightenment. Musashi did not concern himself with the trivia of which system of swordsmanship a particular technique came from. To him all techniques came through nature, and anything that comes through nature belongs to all who want it.
Miyamoto Musashi was a "ronin", a masterless samurai, who traveled across Japan seeking the truth in life through swordmanship. He fought and killed over sixty men in battle, and although he read many books on strategy and history, he eventually found the truth within himself. He soon became a master of not only swordsmanship but also the Tea Ceremony and, he also excelled in painting. The reason he was able to become so proficient in
so many different types of arts was that he realized that the only difference between these arts were the physical actions it took to perform them. Through this Musashi showed that the true core of all arts was the mindset that was common throughout all of them. Once that mindset was achieved, learning the rest of the art was just a matter of learning how to do them.
Tae Kwon Do, Aikido, and Shotokan are three martial arts that are considered traditional martial arts. What makes these arts traditional? All were created this century, two were, in fact created within the last 50 years. They all are products of the founders’ experience. In all three cases, the arts that were stated here are martial arts derived from other martial arts. The founders studied several martial arts and drew from them, combined them in a way that fit them. They formed their art on what worked for them. This being true, doesn’t this actually make these arts eclectic in origin? It seems that as long as an old Asian man in a black and white photograph created the art it’s considered a "traditional" martial art.
In other words, in regards to martial arts, what we call traditional martial arts are, in many cases, eclectic martial arts taught in a traditional manner. The rituals of various schools differ in many ways. However, you will find a common thread that runs throughout most. Some schools wear white GI’s and train on hard wood floors, while others wear white GI’s and train on mats. While still others, will wear black GI’s and train on mats. The rituals of these schools add to the atmosphere, an atmosphere of discipline and learning.
Whether you bow with your hands in fists or to your sides is meaningless. The fact that a student of lesser rank will always bow to a student of higher rank, regardless of their age or social status, is one of the many rituals that run throughout traditional martial art schools. A martial arts school should have some level of disipline. At first, bowing to a room or picture may seem strange to a beginner, but after some time of training, these rituals not only become second nature, they take on an importance to the practitioner. Performing these rituals will make the student feel as though they belong.
The concept of blending traditions is ingrained in our culture. It’s become something that almost every married couple has had to deal with. Two individuals are raised in two different families, raised with certain values and traditions that they hold dear. In order to find the way for them, the way their own family will be raised, they have to blend these traditions with care. This blending will take place slowly and with a certain degree of importance and compromise. They might even decide on creating new traditions to start themselves.
The comparison to the martial arts is clear. If a student looks at the tradition, rituals and attributes of other styles, he can blend them together so that they are right for him. To do this the practitioner has to have a base art to build upon. The practitioner needs an art that can bring it all together, a matrix and a way of thinking: this matrix, this way of thinking, is found in Musashi-Do.
When a new student enters a dojo for the first time he notices several things. First he looks at all the students practicing their techniques, then, he will look around and see some pictures of the founders of the art as well as some form of decorations on the wall. At first glance a dojo reminds newcomers of chaos, but after a while what first looked like chaos is in reality an order, a system of rituals and procedures.
Discipline is very important when we learn martial arts. Without it, a class would be extremely dangerous to anyone who happens to be there. Only with discipline can an instructor keep control of a class. An instructor has to be able to keep his eye on all of his students. Through a disciplined class an instructor makes sure that all of his students are doing the techniques correctly and safely. Without discipline, a dojo truly would be chaos.
Discipline in a martial arts class is not just an adherence to the rules and traditions of that style; it’s what we call an "inner discipline". This "inner discipline" is the responsibility of each and every student. The student has to have the discipline of self-control to keep his mind on the training at hand. He must not let his mind wander to events happening outside the dojo. A student must also have the discipline to push himself and his fellow students when they want to quit. As part of this "inner discipline" the student must make an effort to get to class on time and as often as he or she can.
As we can see, tradition is an excellent way of honoring our forefathers in the martial arts. It’s also a good way for a teacher to keep order and control of his dojo, but we must be very careful not to be caught up into a set way of thinking. In Musashi-Do we keep our traditions, but are not bound by them.
Designed by Ovidiu Semenea
