Kizaru said:
Wow. Thanks for the resume.
I guess I wasn't clear enough with my original post. My question is, "Do you think it's modern ninjutsu or hybrid martial arts being represented in the Ninjutsu section of the Japanese Martial Arts Area on Martialtalk.com?".
If we want to discuss the validity of distance learning, let's start a thread on that.
Until then, let's keep the conversation on track.
Gassho.
That's a fantastic idea. I would hesitate to infer that this has been the desire all along , however, considering your last post:
Well let's look at it from another perspective, shall we?
OK, let's.
Say someone went off and studied a little Buddhism, some Taoism, Islam, Catholicism, Kenyan Bantu Shamanism and some Eastern European Wicca. Now this person not only doesn't go to the countries of origins of these traditions but for whatever reason, they don't get ordained, indoctrinated, qualified, blessed, baptized or anything in any of these religious traditions either.
I have done this myself. Fortunately for me, I was able to understand the things I read, and form my own understanding regarding the way of things. Of course, that would be for another thread. Join us in the Study sometime.
Then, they decide they have a more "modern" approach and head off to form their own religion calling it "Roman Catholic Wicca". Completely disregarding the question as to wether or not this new religion "obviously sucks" or not, should it be grouped in with the Roman Catholic faith?
If it was founded on principles derived from Roman Catholocism, then yes. By projecting your unfounded idea that this new "religion" "obviously sucks", you're exposing your personal bias, whick I believe to be the absolute center of the problem regarding this Modern Ninjutsu section. You know what? If you don't like the structure, or if you disagree with the principles, don't post in here. It's just that simple. However, back to your false analogy.
If so, what would the Pope think of "throwing bones" at the start of mass, or reciting the Hanya Shingyo (Heart Sutra) instead of the Lord's Prayer?
I would expect that, were this going on, I would have to ask myself, what has caused the Pope to accept this new approach? Perhaps this is something I should look at. If it's a movement so powerful that it could cause such a fundamental change of paradigm in the leader of such a large movement, there must be something to it, no? This is one of the problems with your analogy. Clearly, this is not what's going on.
Sure they've all got similarities, and are generally all trying to accomplish the same goal, but they have very different ways of going about it, don't you think? Wouldn't this "Hybrid" approach be better off as being refered to as it's own entity rather than a branch of "modern" Catholiscm unsanctioned by the Vatican or as a sect of "Civilized" Bantu Shamanism?
Sure. In fact, I would trust the Roman Catholic Administration to make that distinction, and the followers of each particular faith to be able to figure out which building to walk into based upon the signage.
One more note, Japanese martial arts are refered to as "ryu", a "flow", as are tea ceremony, dance, flower arranging etc. They begin with basic patterns and go from there. Once the basic patterns have been learned, the student learns to improvise, then if modifications are necessary to keep it working, they're added. They start from a base of knowledge and flow from there. When the flow stops, the tradition dies. Modern American hybrid systems are ecclectic, the whole fundamental base is altogther different, even if the end goal is similar.
But what are they derived from? I study an art that was brought to the US, evolved somewhat, and propogated all over the Continent. It was Filipino in origin, the movement is Filipino. It was taught to me by a Canadian who learned it from an American. Still, the way I move is FMA. It is still Filipino, not Western.
That's where I think the friction is. That's why I think the modern "ninjutsu" section should be transplanted.
I don't, but I don't make that decision.
