You may join a team or the team may recruit you or by osmosis you end up associated with that team and then you are indoctrinated into that team/tribe's operation system, i.e. rules. You know, like the laws of civilized society! Of course, there are those written laws but with teams/tribes in this sense there are unwritten rules.
In this sense those rules rule unless the subvert the societal laws/rules to the point that someone at that level becomes overly concerned. Another aspect I won't try to explain: get the book and read it for that.
Here is my point, we martial artists (me, karate-ka that is) have tribes. It starts at the dojo level with Sensei and other practitioners. We are required, if we wish to participate and/or belong, to follow that tribes rules or operating system. If that dojo is affiliated with other dojo or other organizations, i.e. think associations, then we have those rules. The more the merrier.
Even though they are all associated does not mean they all follow all the rules of the tribes/teams/systems. A good example is this American chapter of a major association for Isshinryu, my system too. The American tribe does what it wants yet when it invites the major tribe they "change" what they do and say and practice so that this other tribe "sees" and "hears" what makes them happy and deludes them into thinking all is well and all the tribes are towing the line.
When this occurs the teams/tribes become so indoctrinated that if the rules are questioned or not followed it causes conflict. Even if that change is truth and fact the tribe tends to not "see" it for the color of the indoctrination rules, the tribe operating system rules and that stifles growth and such system fundamentals resulting in a loss of them, fundamentals, etc.
In the beginning I felt the need to join a tribe. I had one in the dojo on Okinawa run by my Sensei. It was a simple one with few rules and the OS was not too restrictive. He promoted the idea that we experiment and find how it works and then what ever we found if actually worked was implemented into our individual practice and training. I am thankful for this attitude. The tribe, i.e. dojo level OS, was good and didn't conflict with anyone in or outside it.
Then I decided to associate with other tribes, i.e. major associations for my system. What I found in time is the Operating Systems or Rules were drastically different. The system in a very basic form was pretty much the same, as much as humans can achieve. The rules or OS tended to be ego and politically driven with economics at the core of the OS or rules.
As I gleaned more and more data I found that remaining in my own dojo tribe was best. It allowed me to seek out all information and provided me the attitude that what I practiced and trained in was open to change and growth regardless of where that came from. I had released myself from the shackles of many OS systems.
I kept that attitude and set of rules, so few they were, as my Sensei provided on Okinawa so my students took what I offered and then supplemented as they needed for their individual and unique way of the empty hand. I also warned them they would run into walls, obstacles, that would refute and down right profess what I taught was not correct but to practice and learn.
I tried to express that all systems regardless have something to offer and hopefully they learned to "data mine" all that would be good and totally discard that stuff they perceived as bad.
I am very lucky. I feel that because I more or less removed my association with tribes, other than for data mining, that I developed a more open, hopefully yet still learning about his aspect, attitude that deepens my understanding and knowledge which hopefully equates to my proficiency. If not then I might have quit long ago and never found the Way.
I realize that we all are influenced by nature's survival instincts where association with a tribe is the only way to survive. I understand that means, to me, home and family; neighbors; local communities, etc. yet I don't feel it applies to this type of association, i.e. martial systems to associations, etc. I am lucky I don't feel the need to "belong" to those tribes. The one's that truly deal with survival, of a nature, are critical.
I feel that this instinct that causes us to gravitate to such tribes for validation, approval, and other such things is a bit burdensome and a stifling association. I believe that the only validation necessary is the one from the relationship of a person and their Sensei, period. All the rest should be "fun" but never stifling or restrictive or
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