Blog Article/Post Caveat (Read First Please: Click the Link)
It is one of those things we all find in martial arts and karate communities, a sense of heritage where our view of history toward a style and a sensei is absolute and infallible, or so we think. Arguments upon arguments abound as to the history of what most consider the most important part of their lives but are these arguments accurate?
There are folks out there who actually work for a living adjusting written documents of history to fit present day assumptions, perceptions and beliefs. Ever hear of how history is written by the victors leaving the assumption hanging out there that such histories are flawed toward heavy emphasis of the victors view, perception and belief of how it all happened.
Is it therefor possible, as will be readily detectable when you read the extract from a reference on the subject, that the history and beliefs of karate-ka, both past and present, are also flawed to fit this falsification of history effect humans experience every day. Before I continue, read the excerpt:
Revising the past is normal human behavior, it is how our brains work, and revising the past creates the illusion of infallibility and helps secure absolute power. Our brains work with the utmost efficiently and according to our wishes and goals. The brain will never rise up against us. It will revise our memories effortlessly - elegantly, even - and you won’t ever notice. It is discreet and reliable and it disposes of your old, mistake views. As they vanish one by one, you will believe that you were right all along.
Research has shown that humans, after a length of time like ten years, will assume any memory recall will be almost identical to the original memory but it has been shown that their present day views, memories, are a far cry from their original memories. We humans will subconsciously adjust our past views to fit present ones, so that we can avoid any embarrassing proof of our fallibility. It is a clever coping strategy because no matter how tough we are, admitting mistakes is an emotionally difficult task.
Our recall of exact moments such as when, where, how of our meeting a significant other, as example, seems infallible. This is called by Psychologists as ‘flashbulb memories’: The feel as incontestable as photographs. They are NOT. Flashbulb memories are just as flawed as regular recollections. They are the product of reconstructions. In general over time fifty percent of our recollections are going to be incorrect while in other instances twenty-five percent will fail to match even one single detail of a recollection.
It is SAFE to ASSUME that HALF of what we remember is wrong. Our memories are riddled with inaccuracies, including seemingly flawless flashbulb memories. Out faith in them can be harmless - or lethal. Consider the widespread use of eyewitness testimony and police lineups to identify criminals. To trust such accounts without additional investigations is reckless, even if the witnesses are adamant that they would easily recognize the perpetrator again.
It is also presented that such shifts in memory of humans is a result of nature’s intent that humans survive and procreate. When we consider the survival of our species the most capable, the one with the best service to the tribe and the one most capable and infallible is going to be sought after toward procreation and survival of the tribe. Nature is a clever, smart and capable thing and it is the how, why and best in providing a species the tools necessary toward survival even in modern times where we humans once again change the construct of memories and beliefs to fit our times while nature itself says otherwise.
So, when I hear about such things as the history of a style, the history of karate, the history of the styles creator and master along with the supposed beliefs that we can even begin to extrapolate what that master wanted and intended to be … flawed … to be … at least fifty percent reconstructed and about twenty-five percent just plain wrong tends to put a whole new perspective on karate’s history. Add in the lack of documented history on the subject and all kinds of things appear.
In truth, we should not trust such historically labeled accounts of things but investigate, fact check and as much as humanly possible self-evaluate that data. Question everything! No wonder locker room stories, sea stories, abound, it is what we humans do to create and construct a world to our benefit and liking.
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