Earning Many Black Belts for Many Systems, Styles or Branches

The old stories abound on how masters of old would study one kata for years to learn it. Today, you hear stories or resumes that a person has a black belt in this system, a black belt in that system and a black belt in the system, how can this be if it truly takes years to learn even one kata and all its accouterments?

I have a theory! Lets just say that those who hold black belts, kuro obi, in many systems actually knows each of them to the depth and breadth the traditionalists speak of to truly know karate or any martial system. I won't bore you with facts and figures that would disprove the possibility and I won't preach that those who "know" many systems or styles is actually only knowledgeable of the mere surface movements of same, that would be unfair as there are those out there who have the depth and breadth of many systems and rightly so.

I hypothesize that if a person comes to truly know, understand and practice a system, style or branch down to its deepest depth and to the edge of its widest breadth that they have found, learned and truly understand the fundamental principles of martial systems. Once you know the one then the others are merely and adjustment to fit the style, system or branch of martial art.

Take a close look at Isshinryu, Gojuryu, Shorinryu and tell me you don't see a lot of similarities in the techniques, kata and overall practice. At their core the fundamental principles of martial systems are fundamentally the exact same thing. Body alignment is body alignment but how the body alignment is applied is the only variation. Generation of power is generation of power applied is the only variation between the systems, styles or branches. This is a fundamental truth of all martial arts.

This means that one system, style or branch is fundamentally no different than any other system, style or branch in the light of fundamental principles but the signature of each is unique and individualized by the person who created the system, style of branch.

Isshinryu, my style/branch, can be seen as the same as goju and shorin, the father and mother of the child Isshinryu or the one heart way. It's uniqueness comes from Shimabuku Tatsuo Sensei as he blended those two into the one unique personalized version or variation he calls Isshinryu.

Hey, this ain't rocket science you know. ;-)