The Trouble with Change

When we try to emulate a culture, as in martial systems practiced today, and we base that on assumptions made by our culture vs. the culture of the Okinawans; a culture base on a totally different set of assumptions, we would have to reorganize our entire base of thinking in order to understand. We operate on American assumptions from our culture, environment and upbringing and Okinawan's have a different set of assumptions for their culture, environment and upbringing. This upbringing includes their experiences in a particular group of martial styles within a martial system derived from that persons culture, environment and training/practice, etc.

Therefore the trouble with changes is that we tend to not reorganize our thinking but rather blend what we perceive in accordance to our assumptions those of the other culture, environment and upbringing/training/practice to "fit our perception." This is inherently dysfunctional leading to false assumptions and beliefs.

The trouble with change is not the various cultures but rather an ability to drop our assumptions and assume those of the opposing culture, peoples and beliefs which is impossible unless one is able to be assimilated entirely into that culture for a lifetime. This is the trouble with change.

"Our assumptions are prone to misinterpretations simply because of a lack of full immersion and understanding to the beliefs and spirit of the Okinawan people." - Edward T. Hall, redacted to fit the Okinawan Position.