Group and Troop

Zoku [族] Butai [部隊]

“A troop is a group of a special sort set of by other group members by a closed and stable membership that makes it not just worth fighting for, but worthy of being labeled by a term of its own.” - Mark W. Moffett, ‘The Human Swarm’

“Despite traces of ongoing, even rapid human evolution in the past 10,000 years, the human brain hasn’t been restructured in any fundamental way since the appearance of the first Homo sapiens.” - Mark W. Moffett, ‘The Human Swarm’

Group: A human group is a social unit made up of people who share common interests or characteristics. These groups can range in size from small communities to large nations or even global organizations.

Troop: A human collective derived from a group that sets them off from said group that is of a closed and stable membership not of the original group that differs from said original. 

The military, in general, as a group while its individual services are troops within said group that differ in identity, beliefs and mission, i.e., Marines vs. Navy vs. Army vs. Air Forces, etc.

We see this in regard to what is called styles or systems that make up a singular martial discipline called, “karate.” Each style or system forming its own unique identity, i.e., Isshin vs. Goju vs. Shorin vs. Uechi, etc. They all adhere to the same fundamental principles yet each has its own identity, beliefs and philosophy. 

The group: Martial Disciplines

The troop: Chinese vs. Japanese vs. Okinawan, etc.

The sub-troops: Karate vs. Judo vs. Aikido vs. Tai Chi Chuan vs. Muay Tai, etc.

All of them have a fundamental connection in they deal with conflict and violence while doing so with a unique way developed or created by each groups creator or originator of unique identity. 

Limened to the quote, “All bottles are good, they all serve a purpose.” - Shimabuku Tatsuo, Okinawan Isshinryu founder/originator

Let’s get the names in order for the Marshall disciplines, I’m making group equal systems; and make troop equal styles.

A good example on how this works is the Isshinryu style. It was created from the major system of karate, by compiling and integrating style of Goju and Shorin, as well as the integration of kobudo or weapon into a new style, which in and of his self becomes a system.

Therefore, a system can give birth to an individual style that differs from the system as to identity and it’s uniqueness (yet retains a smidgeon of the original, i.e. Okinawan roots, etc.) thus forming a style under that system. As that style becomes unique and separate from the original system, it transforms into its own system under that system. This is why system & style are interchangeable, likened to the concept of yin/yang. 

This is the epitome of an example how the yin and yang concept works, being one system that interrelates yin and yang being two separate individual styles or systems that evolve into one new system.

This is also how you teach a style, by being rigid, yang; training, practicing and applying what is being learned in a rigid form until it reaches a point of transformation where the rigid becomes pliable through the application of creativity and various methodologies/concepts.

System & Style

Kei [系] & Yōshiki [様式]