Old School

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• used, usually approvingly, to refer to someone or something that is old-fashioned or traditional.
• now, define old-fashioned; define traditional.
• Old school means something close to old-fashioned, but it's a term with more pride behind it. If someone says, “I'm old school,” they're saying they do it like it used to be done, which they believe was a better way. 
• Anything that is from an earlier era and looked upon with high regard or respect. 
• what era, exactly? 
• old fashioned; not modern.

When used in karate communities it leaves a ton of leeway to the perceptions and beliefs of the individual and that varies like most products lining the Safeway shelves where one brand of shaving cream has a least a dozen different flavors, so to speak, of said shaving cream. 

Old school depends upon the recipient accepting the term or phrase when attached to a subject or discipline, like karate, as perceived by that individual. When asked to peg it down to an exact meaning very, very few can even attempt to define it let alone provide a definition accepted by the entire community. 

It is a human trait where both the individual and the group are looking to the status it provides and the self-soothing aspect of comfort and specialness all humans seek out so they can be better than others, superior to others. 

They then add other titles to old school such as classical, traditional and practical. So to be old school therefor depends, it depends on so many factors that the meaning is different to every single individual who hears the term while nodding their heads in perceived understanding until questioned and placed in a state of dissonance in attempts to explain it in acceptable detail. 

Old usually means to most time so you have to ask how many years determines old the add in school as in a collective of some sort like a school or discipline making old school a matter of a certain number of years ago when said discipline was practiced. Not too clear is it? 

When I say old school karate what is it I really mean and then, how do I prove what I am presenting as old school karate is actually… Old? and Karate? No one because of the differences of cultures and belief systems has a definitive meaning to old school regardless of the discipline, etc. 

Do I mean when I say old school karate a form of the discipline that was taught, trained and applied during a certain window of time under the cultural belief system of say, Okinawa? 

Lets say then that old school karate, my perspective, is a minimum of one hundred years old at the moment of definition (by the way each moment therefore changes that one hundred year old moment in time). So, as of this moment, i.e., 2019, old school karate would have been around 1919, is that old school karate? Yes and No BECAUSE that as well varies according to historical facts and the ability to prove beyond doubt that what is practiced today is exactly identical to what was practiced in 1919, at least until the new year of 2020 making the moment 1919 to 1920, right? 

So, to provide a stable foundation that does not change we have to define old school karate to exist as accepted by the entire karate community of past, present and future as a span of time that never changes, what would that be because again it will depend at least on this example as to the age, culture, perceptions and perspectives along with teachings of those varying age proponents of modern karate today, right? 

This goes for saying I practice old school karate; I practice traditional karate; I practice traditional Okinawan karate; I practice classical karate; I practice classical Okinawan karate and so on down that line of cultural reality-beliefs as well as, “What my sensei taught me” syndrome. 

You see, using such terms is a compliance, influence and MADMEN tactic to make the recipient susceptible to that influence in order to get others to buy what it is you are selling. To get them to buy into what you believe and to provide them status, specialness and a road to expertise… all held in high esteem in human nature … so that others will buy-in to your beliefs for as I said, “Beliefs is reality!”

People are extremely susceptible to the influence of reciprocity; the influence of consistency and commitment; the influences of social proof/consensus or to be a member of something or some special group; the influence of authority; especially the influence of liking and you can just ask Facebook fans on liking and finally the influence of scarcity where old school, etc., makes one believe if the buy-in they are now a very special few, right? 

Just remember when someone starts to use such compliance and influence terms, phrases and especially maxims there is some agenda involved usually benefiting the person selling or wanting others to buy-in to something where that someone:

Encourages your dreams; allays your fears; confirms your biases; supports your dissonances; confirms your suspicions and then helps you to throw proverbial, sometimes real, rocks at their enemies BECAUSE humans will do ANYTHING for those who encourage their dreams, justify their failures, allay their fears, confirm their suspicions and help them to achieve what they feel is their goals. 

We are human and social in nature therefore we will ‘instinctively’ compare ourselves to others and make conclusions that depend on what others think, are and do. We are also inherently aspirational so we look to the future and no matter where we stand, we will focus on people who have more, hold a higher status and are considered special so we are susceptible to such influences that will gain our perceived objective of status, specialness and inclusiveness of a special group. 

SO, remember, when you hear such things make sure you STOP, consider the objectives of the one presenting you with such things and then step back and consider just how that benefits you. If you want to still buy-in then at least do so with the full and complete and comprehensive understanding of that so you can protect and defend yourself and your family… first and foremost over what the other is trying to sell you. 

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