"It's not enough to just come to class and follow along." This is a partial quote from an article in the latest edition of the "Classical Fighting Arts" magazine, Vol. 2 No. 21 (Issue #44).
I have been witness to; I have been in receipt of such information that leads me to believe people see the martial arts as just another hobby where they attend only the session and simply mimic the current activities. Read the quote once more .... it is not enough to just attend and follow along.
Martial Arts training, of the classical kind, is a serious path. In its classical form so long ago on the small chain of islands - Okinawa - it was a form of combat, civil system, referred to as hand, "Ti."
The addition of the esoteric philosophies were not taught in those systems. They were assumed since that was an intricate part of their entire society. This reminds me of the bowing in the dojo, rei, where we Americans "assumed" that it was an intricate part of martial arts. Not, it is in their society much like shaking hands is in ours - not indicative to just martial arts dojo etiquette. My belief is it became a part of the systems post-1900's era educational institution implementation.
I am not trying to advocate that those classical "Ti" masters didn't have a moral system but do mean it was not a part of the system of martial arts called "ti" and the system's instruction.
The Okinawan's, as stated earlier, already held a sense of honor, morality and spiritual etiquette that permeated the entire social being of Okinawa. The Martial Arts were a very small subset of the social structure of Okinawa.
Martial Arts of this classification, classical civil system of fighting, is a serious and dangerous system that warrants a consideration with deep binding respect that simply following along is "Just Not Enough."
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