Time for reflection: karate evolution

It's been sometime since I last wore my karate belt, almost 4 years if memory serves right.

A little history
Most of you are aware of my background in karate. After all KDT Academy was based on that but has since evolved. I had invested over 20 years learning what karate had to offer and came to the same conclusion, like many others, that to truly make karate effective you had to "own" it.

I had studied with individuals and joined organizations, each claiming to possess the secrets to the fastest, most effective punch. The "bestest" block or kick while others lay claim that only the Japanese possessed the pure waters of karate technique, proudly displaying the fact and lineage charts tracing their connection to a long list of dead, unknown masters. While others traced the historical origins via Okinawa, southern Chinese and even back to ancient Indian wrestling "gushti" and weaponry.

Who am I to listen and believe? Did I really want my own lineage chart too so I can lay claim of teaching "authentic" such and such style? Did it matter at the end of the day?

My quest continued by seeking affiliation with reputable Japanese organizations, searching out and inviting Japanese masters but it was still shrouded in mysticism and the elusive "answers will be revealed after you train harder" mentality. It was mental. 100's and 1000's of punches, kicks and blocks repeated ad nauseum. I remember having blisters on top of blisters on the soles of my feet. There wasn't a night that I didn't have welts and bruises covering my body. It was also during this time I witnessed and fell victim to the scourge of organization politics and in my naivete believed and trusted the wrong people. I left with a bitter taste, betrayed and felt used so I decided to take my leave from anything that had to do with large groups where people had vested interest in what they did, said and with whom they associated. Everyone seemed to be only interested in chasing rank, organizational status and to make a name for themselves. Sadly there was little to no interest in developing or refining what they already had.

Then I talked to one man who made a lot of sense, Vince Morris. It seemed that I broke the shell and was lost but he helped me to crawl out to see things as it is. To Sensei Morris I will be forever indebted for lighting the candle and leading me out of that dark room.

Along this way I sought out more information, and at the dawn of the information age and internet access, I was often online, logged into forums and feverishly on chat groups specializing in karate. People from all over the world were instantly connected and the sudden plethora of information, connections and networks suddenly became accessible.

Via this technology I was able to discern the authentic from the bogus, separate the valid from the poseurs and forge a path towards my answers.

This path strangely led me back to my boxing exposure I had in the mid 1980's and the quest to develop a more functional and effective defensive system I was reminded of Western boxing via the Crazy Monkey Defensive system, at that time was under the Street Tough World Alliance (S.Africa) and Straight Blast Gym (USA) but they soon parted ways and I was asked to choose a path. In retrospect I'm happy to have taken the CMD route as the program has grown organically and has fulfilled beyond my expectations. Rodney King, the creator of the program is a smart man.

I was looking for answers to effective punching, more effective
than that sport karate, and specifically effective ways to defend against effective punching. The old saying goes, "to learn how to defend against a punch, go learn and punch". A few of you will remember my searches included modern and esoteric sources, some were humorous while others were plain weird. Thank you for bearing with me.

In June 1997 Vince Morris wrote an article on effective ground fighting and when he visited my gym, we did a seminar on some ground fighting techniques which he had picked up from Mace Security International in the USA. Trouble was that the material he shared revolved around firearm retention and shooting from the sitting position when an armed officer is wrestled or tackled to the ground. I didn't have the answers to civilian situations and at that time had little or no knowledge of wrestling. That interest eventually led me to seeking out Sam Wee who taught me Brazilian Jiu Jitsu starting in 2003 where I learnt about the more effective aspects of wrestling and ground fighting from an art that specializes in it, much like my interest in the Crazy Monkey Defense Program.

In addition, I was informed that there was a fitness component required by Kissakikai instructors so I got my Personal Trainer's certification, First Aid and CPR certification and went above and beyond the scope of what is required for an instructor.

I suppose that Kissakikai is the vehicle to carryout the personal safety aspects of training while the individual components are impressively filled by the CMD and BJJ and that brings me to the present.

Here I stand, ranked but an inactive Kissakikai karate teacher, with a Trainer designation in CMD and a purple belt in BJJ and a certified fitness trainer. How strangely ironic, the original art which spurred my interest in seeking further information had made it better with the information and knowledge I have but I am inactive in it.

The questions remains; have I made it mine? Do I own my karate now?

And now after such a long absence I revisit the old karate links, the old websites, the old names I used to chat nightly with from all over the world and it seems that they are still talking about the things we used to 4 or 5 years ago. They are lost in cyberspace. I don't make contact nor do I interact with them. There's no point. I've moved on and do things they don't, can't and won't understand.

The only difference I see is that they now hold higher ranks under their own organization. It could be a true reflection on their skill or knowledge but I've always believed that karate or any martial art must be first hold above all else, effectiveness in technique. The philosophy and moral code comes a close second.

There is still a thin veil of arrogance associated with people who practice traditional martial arts. They believe that they know what there is to know and that their way is always the best way. Well, unless you can walk on water there's always someone out there who knows more, is stronger, faster and better in every imaginable way so the only thing, the most correct thing to do is to "own your karate". Whichever thing that your "karate" may be, make it truly yours. There are no regrets for doing the right thing.

Own it.