Category: History

It Takes A Lifetime... Or Does It?

9/23/2018

Author: Bret Gordon

One of the most deeply held convictions in the martial arts today is that it takes a lifetime to master a single art. Those who claim high rank in more than one art are often met with a scoff, and a condescending "That would never happen in Japan." Except that it did...

In this article, I want to explore the numerous cases of both young achievers of high positions (yes, plural) as well as those who were fortunate enough to attain mastery of more than one art. Now, before I do so let's get two counter-arguments out of the way. The two most common I hear are that times were different back then, they were able to train for 12 hours each day and so progressed much faster. That sounds great, except that even then they had jobs and families to tend to just like today. The second myth is that the life expectancy was so short, 20 was middle-aged. The global average life expectancy in the latter half of the 19th century was around 70, also much like today. When you think about it, the conditions were not different and so what we really have is a self-inflicted inferiority complex of the Western martial artist to their Asian counterpart.

So who were these superhuman martial artists that were able to do the impossible? Well, for the sake of time let's just include all members of the Samurai class pre-Tokugawa Shogunate who had to learn not just one, but demonstrate proficiency in 18 different martial arts (collectively called the Bugei Juhappan). In this article, I want to focus on the modern era (post-1868). The short list is as follows:

Stop Associating Karate With The Samurai

8/29/2018

Author: Bret Gordon

One of the primary marketing ploys of commercial karate is to use imagery of the Japanese Samurai to promote their school. They cling to the Bushido code as if it empowers them with divine morality, and the idea that the Samurai were these noble, scholarly warriors. Both of those assumptions are far from the truth.

First, the Bushido code was implemented during the Tokugawa Shogunate, a 250-year peace period, in an attempt to control the behavior of the Samurai, a highly trained fighting force with now no enemy to fight. It had no place during the Sengoku Jidai (Warring States Period). But I guess rape, pillaging and murder isn't acceptable if they're not in some far away land on campaign?

However, I find issue with karateka using the Samurai for marketing not for the hypocrisy of it (although that's a big factor), but rather the fact that it's historically incorrect. The Samurai had absolutely nothing to do with the development of karate! The Samurai were the military nobility of feudal Japan, the middle and upper echelons of the warrior class (abolished in 1868). Each clan had their own proud tradition of combat styles, and the history of koryu Japanese martial arts is well-documented. Jujutsu was the most common unarmed fighting style of the Samurai, one of 18 fighting disciplines (called the bugei juhappan) that they were expected to train in. Karate wasn't introduced to Japan until at least 1921, 53 years after the abolition of the Samurai class. But that doesn't mean that karate doesn't have a proud warrior history of its own.

Art May Be Subjective, But Martial Arts Are Not

7/8/2018

Author: Bret Gordon

This is going to be short, and more of a rant than anything else. I could drag it out, but I really hope that's unnecessary. People get hung up on the word "art" in martial arts, and take it completely out of context. They use it as an excuse for their material not being martial, combative or warlike (read "practical in any way"). Art is subjective, correct? Except that this interpretation of the word "art" is completely incorrect. To understand why, we must look at the root word and break it down. Of course the word "martial" comes from the Latin martialis, meaning "belonging/dedicated to Mars (or to war)." The original meaning of the Latin artem, from which "art" is derived, is actually synonymous with "skill" or "discipline."

However, considering the majority of martial artists study disciplines of Asian origins, let's look at how they write the term. In Japanese, the word for martial arts is bujutsu 武術 (in Chinese, the same characters are pronounced wushu, and in Korean it would be moosul). When you break up the kanji, the character jutsu 術 does not mean "art" at all. It literally translates to, can you guess? Skill, technique or discipline. So here again, we see the proper definition of "martial arts" being "skills/techniques of war." How does that imply anything other than all training should be combative in nature?

Thankfully, there is a growing trend towards practicality and self defense in the martial arts community... But it should've never gotten this bad. At their core, martial arts are effective means of controlling, restraining, injuring, maiming and killing an enemy. When we forget that, we end up with XMA and tricking... All physical endeavors should be respected for the effort and dedication necessary for proficiency, but as for what should be classified as martial arts? I think you know where I stand.

You're Not A Soke!

3/11/2018

Author: Bret Gordon

I probably shouldn't write this, because the more information you put out, the better people can lie. However, if just one person can avoid making the mistakes that so many of us have made when we were first starting on our own, then it's worth it. Let's be clear right from the start. If you are the founder of your own system, you are not a soke! But before I can clarify why, we must explore the most misunderstood title in the martial arts today. Keep in mind that everything I am about to write is done so from a Japanese perspective, based on tradition and historical precedent.

There are two types of titles in the martial arts, administrative titles and teaching titles (shogo). Administrative titles are technically positions, rather than titles to be addressed by, and establish your authority of overseeing the system and your level of responsibility. Teaching titles exist as an extension of the Menkyo (license) system. The various shogo titles indicate hierarchy between the instructors of a system, as they follow a preset order of progression, and establish your authority of transmitting the system. The most common shogo titles are Renshi, Kyoshi and Hanshi. Shihan sometimes get thrown in there as a teaching title, while other organizations/styles use it administratively, so that will specifically depend on the style we're discussing.

Soke 宗家 is an administrative title. It designates the holder as the inheriting headmaster of the art they represent, much as the CEO is the head of a corporation. It is never meant to be used to address the person, just as you would never say, "Good morning CEO Smith," and it's most certainly never to be used by the holder in referring to themselves. Rather, it is most appropriately used in writing of official documents or when talking about someone. Then, like all other Japanese titles, it is to follow the person's name (i.e. John Smith, soke). So now that we've clarified the proper use of the title, what exactly does it mean to be Soke?

The Only Rank I Care Less About Than Mine Is Yours

11/12/2017

Author: Bret Gordon

One of the reasons I write is to get people talking, because I've found that some of my greatest lessons have been through conversations with various other budoka and many times, a 10-minute conversation with the right instructor can be worth more than years spent training under the wrong one. In an age where conversation skills and public interaction are at diminished capacity, I take great pride in being the catalyst that sparks a meaningful discussion.

Well, my last article certainly got people talking but not in the way I intended. Many praised the article (which you can read by clicking here) and many respectfully disagreed with it, and that's fine. Yet still, others used it as an excuse to attack me on a personal level. In an inescapable amount of irony, how dare I offer my opinion to those who have been training 30, 40 or 50 years, many in the homeland of the arts we all love and teach? After all, my entire article was based upon knowing where you sit at the table and clearly, I got the seating arrangement confused.

Before I continue, I must say that I truly do have the utmost respect for anyone who has dedicated such a significant portion of their lives to anything, but especially such an honorable endeavor as the study of martial arts. Regardless of one's personal progression, the sheer amount of time that one has put in at that stage shows a level of discipline I can only hope I will attain. That said, time alone is not a measure of knowledge or progression. Time measured by the calendar is very misleading. As an example, let's take two practitioners who each study for a year. One casually attends class twice a week for 45 minutes as a hobby, while the other is a "dojo rat" who comes early and stays late at the school five nights a week, and takes private lessons from their instructor on the weekend. Both technically only have a year of martial arts experience, but I think it's clear who will progress farther. Therefore, I adamantly stress that it is the quality of one's time spent over the years rather than the number of years themselves that will determine one's level of understanding, knowledge and proficiency.

Now that we've settled that, let's get into why I feel this article is necessary. Keep in mind that everything I say is my own opinion, based upon my personal experiences and instruction from my various teachers. If you have had different experiences, please share them in the comments. I would love to hear from you and am always open to new information.

Everything Is Kung Fu

10/17/2017

Author: Bret Gordon

Kung Fu (properly spelled gongfu 功夫) is a Chinese term referring to any study, learning or practice that requires patience, energy and time to complete. It can refer to any discipline or skill that's achieved through hard work and practice. So quite literally, all martial arts are gongfu but that's not what I mean. From a historical perspective, the vast majority of Asian martial arts practiced today trace their origins to wushu 武術 (the proper name for Chinese martial arts). Whether its Okinawan karatedo, Japanese jujutsu or any of the numerous Korean martial arts, they all trace back to China. Please note, for this article I am specifically referring to the unarmed fighting methods of China, Japan, Okinawa and Korea.

With regards to Okinawan karatedo, the link to its Chinese origins are not as obscure or hidden as it is in Japan and Korea. In fact, karate was originally written as 唐手, meaning "China Hand" (pronounced Tode/Toudi in the Okinawan dialect). The Okinawans also referred to their martial arts as kempo 拳法, the Japanese pronunciation of the characters for quanfa (another generic name often used for Chinese martial arts). The name kempo itself was used both interchangeably and together with karate in Okinawa for many years, until karatedo 空手道 became standardized on mainland Japan. Trade between China and Okinawa is well documented, as is the long-standing influence of Chinese martial arts, whether we're talking about Shuri Te (and its descendants) derived from Matsumura Sokon's study of quanfa or Naha Te (and its descendants) derived from Higashionna Kanryo's study of Bai He Quan 白鶴拳. In fact, Goju Ryu, the most prominent descendant of Naha Te, was even awarded honorary koryu status by the Dai Nippon Butoku Kai in 1998 (although the term koryu specifically refers to Japanese martial arts founded before 1868) because of its long, unbroken line of transmission and history.

Moving onto Korean arts, the most common martial arts practiced (Taekwondo and Tang Soo Do) come directly from Japanese karatedo. Tang Soo Do itself is just the Korean pronunciation of 唐手道 and is in essence simply Shotokan (with some Taijiquan influence if we're referring to Moo Duk Kwan specifically). It's only an ingrained hatred for anything Japanese (perhaps rightly so) that forces Koreans to deny this connection and claim Taekwondo is some indigenous art supported by 2,000-year-old cave drawings, when in fact Taekwondo was created solely because Tang Soo Do was "too Japanese." Even the fighting arts derived from the MooYeDoBoTongJi, a Korean military manual from the 1400s, can be traced to China and the Shaolin temple. The manual itself is pretty much a copy of an older Ming Dynasty military manual, Jixiao Xinshu, written by General Qi Jiguang. As if that wasn't conclusive enough, the MooYeDoBoTongJi contains an entire section of kwon bup, which is simply the Korean pronunciation of quanfa.

In Japan, the waters begin to get a little muddier, but why is that?

What Does It Mean To Be A Martial Art?

9/13/2017

Author: Bret Gordon

So lately I've been getting myself in trouble, for the purpose of research, on several martial arts forums. The most recent occasion was when someone posted a video of XMA-style bo twirling, showing off their dexterity and ability. I remarked that it was "exceptional for what it is, but it's not martial arts." Don't get me wrong. It takes a tremendous amount of skill, talent, practice, dedication and commitment to able to perform what was being displayed, and there is a place for it.

To me, though, in order for something to be classified as a martial art, it should be martial in nature. This means that it should have at the very least combative application, if not actively training for combative scenarios. When training for survival and combat, efficiency of motion is paramount and simplicity is key. There is no combative application for flips, cartwheels, rolling the weapon around your neck, etc. Now, those that defend the validity of such training say that it falls into the "art" portion of martial arts. However, I'd like to demonstrate how even that is a misinterpretation of what it means to be a martial art.

What Is A Dojo?

8/29/2017

Author: Bret Gordon

Especially in the American martial arts community, the word dojo has become synonymous with martial arts school. However, there is so much more to the meaning of a dojo than just a place to practice martial arts. In this article, we're going to explore the etymology of the word dojo, it's true meaning, and why it is not applicable for all martial arts schools.

Dojo is made up of two characters, 道場. The first character, Do, translates as "The Way" and holds a spiritual connotation. "The Way" specifically refers to the path to enlightenment. The second character, Jo, means "place." So a dojo is literally a "place to practice the Way." It is a hall to study the path to enlightenment, a place of spiritual cultivation and an institution of higher learning. The word dojo is not confined to martial arts training, and can be extended to any of the -do forms of Japanese arts, such as shodo (calligraphy). In fact, it is even used in Zen Buddhism to describe the meditation halls where they practice zazen.

In actuality, what most people consider to be a dojo is really a keikojo 稽古場. Keiko literally means "practice," and refers to physical training. Keikojo is the most appropriate term for a martial arts school that does not engage in any spiritual development, that is purely focused on physical training without the trappings or rituals of a traditional art (what some may call a "gym" or "club").

So now that we've defined what the terms dojo and keikojo are, let's go a little more in depth.

Forget Your Lineage, Because It Doesn't Matter

8/23/2017

Author: Bret Gordon

What if everything you know is a lie? What if the person you've relied on and trusted was a fraud? What if they gave you 100% correct information and helped you develop exceptional skill, but their credentials were misrepresented? What if they learned from a book, and then passed that information onto you? Does it matter where the information comes from or does only its validty matter? If you learn from a physical teacher, is your lineage false even if their credentials are? Does the skill you've developed and the information you've learned lose its value? Does it disappear altogether?

These are questions we all need to think deeply on. I can't tell you how many discussions I've been in with other practitioners regarding lineage or credentials, while completely disregarding physical skill and knowledge. In the martial arts community as a whole, we've become too obsessed with paperwork, signatures and names. It's become an ego stroke for people to sit on their high horse because someone else's instructor wasn't as well known as theirs, or somehow their piece of paper (that they probably can't read) means more than someone else's piece of paper. We've become superficial, placing too much value in the "art" of martial arts. We've forgotten what it means to be martial. We've forgotten what it's like to train for survival instead of prestige.

History is important to remember, mostly so that we do not repeat it. Lineage is great if you have it, but does it make you less skilled or less knowledgeable if you don't? We've grown to respect the belt, the paperwork and the rank rather than respecting the practitioner. Yet when we talk about the masters of old, no one ever mentions them because of their lineage. They're remembered for their skill, for their knowledge and wisdom, all of which seems to be a lost concept in our generation.

Korean Karate: Same Same, But Different

7/31/2017

Author: Bret Gordon

The most popular martial art in the world today is Taekwondo. I've written numerous articles about its origins, and the politics that are rampant among some of the leading Taekwondo organizations, but never about what it was supposed to be. For those who may not be familiar with the history, or think that Taekwondo is an ancient Korean martial art resurrected from cave drawings, let me give you a quick breakdown. Following the Japanese occupation of Korea, numerous martial arts schools sprang up. Since indigenous Korean arts were banned, these instructors began teaching what they learned during the occupation and in Japan: Karate.

Karate is a Japanese word, and depending on which kanji you use to write it can mean either "China Hand" or "Empty Hand." The suffix do, meaning "The Way," was added by Funakoshi Gichin (the founder of Shotokan). When the Koreans opened their schools, they naturally spoke Korean. Therefore, they simply translated the word Karatedo into their native language. "The Way of the Chinese Hand" became Tang Soo Do, and "The Way of the Empty Hand" became Kong Soo Do. Some schools also used the term Kwon Bup, the Korean translation of Kempo and a reference to the Chinese art of Ch'uan Fa or "Fist Law." The individual schools themselves were known as Kwans, so therefore you had schools such as Chung Do Kwan Tang Soo Do, or the "Blue Wave School of the Way of the Chinese Hand." Five original Kwans sprang up prior to the Korean War, and an additional four were created before the Korean government forced the Kwans to unify and the term Taekwondo was coined.

Now that I got that out of the way, let's talk about what Korean Karate truly is.

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