Author: Bret Gordon
As I sit and ponder this quote from Miyamoto Musashi, I am reminded of my priorities and my foundation. While I am generally against martial arts instructors acting like monks and flooding their students with inspirational quotes and meditation to fill the void from their lack of actual fighting ability, I also believe there are no coincidences. If you're ever scrolling through your Facebook news feed and come across something that hits home, you know what I'm talking about.
As martial artists, we have a duty to protect those who can't protect themselves. This does not just apply to the living. Instructors and family members who have since passed on would certainly qualify. The circle of life would dictate that at some point, children must rise up and defend their parents, grandparents, etc. I would hope that if I was to pass away suddenly, in order to respect my memory my students would carry on what I've taught them in the same manner that I would. Going against my wishes in how the art is taught and spread, in how information is provided, is not living up to that legacy. While every system should have a designated successor to take the helm and carry the art into the next generation, every student is in some way an inheritor of the tradition and has a responsibility to it. For example, if I wished to live a private life away from the spotlight and keep certain aspects of my life hidden, I would expect my students to honor those wishes long after I am gone.
Over the last several months, I have allowed the attacks of people who truly have no affect on me to pull me away from these beliefs. That ends now, as this quote hits harder than Hatfield sensei. Arguing with people on the internet is of no use. Sharing history and tradition with those who aren't students is of no use. Divulging intimate family details to those on the outside is of no use.
While I make no claim to having all of the information regarding my lineage, and as my research continues I will update what is publicly available in order to provide the most accurate presentation possible, I will not rush to publish a new blog simply because someone on the internet wants to know something. Information is earned, and if you are not a student or member of the family, you haven't earned the right to know. In a previous article, I mentioned that when I contacted the Daito Ryu Kodokai with Hasaka sensei's birth name to verify some historical information, I wasn't met with pictures and scrolls. I wasn't met with a detailed biography that catalogued his entire training history. I was initially stone walled with a simple "Why do you want to know?" Going forward, when someone outside of our tradition or organization makes an inquiry, my response will be just that...
As martial artists, we have a duty to protect those who can't protect themselves. This does not just apply to the living. Instructors and family members who have since passed on would certainly qualify. The circle of life would dictate that at some point, children must rise up and defend their parents, grandparents, etc. I would hope that if I was to pass away suddenly, in order to respect my memory my students would carry on what I've taught them in the same manner that I would. Going against my wishes in how the art is taught and spread, in how information is provided, is not living up to that legacy. While every system should have a designated successor to take the helm and carry the art into the next generation, every student is in some way an inheritor of the tradition and has a responsibility to it. For example, if I wished to live a private life away from the spotlight and keep certain aspects of my life hidden, I would expect my students to honor those wishes long after I am gone.
Over the last several months, I have allowed the attacks of people who truly have no affect on me to pull me away from these beliefs. That ends now, as this quote hits harder than Hatfield sensei. Arguing with people on the internet is of no use. Sharing history and tradition with those who aren't students is of no use. Divulging intimate family details to those on the outside is of no use.
While I make no claim to having all of the information regarding my lineage, and as my research continues I will update what is publicly available in order to provide the most accurate presentation possible, I will not rush to publish a new blog simply because someone on the internet wants to know something. Information is earned, and if you are not a student or member of the family, you haven't earned the right to know. In a previous article, I mentioned that when I contacted the Daito Ryu Kodokai with Hasaka sensei's birth name to verify some historical information, I wasn't met with pictures and scrolls. I wasn't met with a detailed biography that catalogued his entire training history. I was initially stone walled with a simple "Why do you want to know?" Going forward, when someone outside of our tradition or organization makes an inquiry, my response will be just that...
