isshinryuronin
Senior Master
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- Feb 28, 2019
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The idea of this thread comes from a current post in the Aikido forum, but I thought the theme applied to all TMA.
The founding masters of the various arts/styles certainly knew what they had in mind when they developed their art and kata. The concern is the transmission of their thinking to others. This is inherently fraught with many pitfalls. I'll list a few:
They may not have taught certain elements to their students. Either the master died before he was able to, or the students went off on their own (and taught others) before learning it all.
Unlike science, where documentation and recording are part of the method, TMA was directly passed on by oral or physical means with no written record. In the cases where there were writings, many were destroyed in wars or otherwise lost. Some writings were intended for those already familiar with the art and so were little use to others.
Language can be ambiguous, especially when dealing with ideas. This is greatly amplified during the process of translation into another language.
Some definitive works were translated (into Western languages) only recently, decades after being practiced and codified into an inaccurate form of the art.
The original form of the art was purposely changed to be in line with new purposing and ideals. There is also natural drift that happens over many years of being passed down.
So, the question, "What the heck were the masters thinking?" is a valid one, IMO. Can we know? To what extent? How has this affected our particular art? What can or should we do about it?
The founding masters of the various arts/styles certainly knew what they had in mind when they developed their art and kata. The concern is the transmission of their thinking to others. This is inherently fraught with many pitfalls. I'll list a few:
They may not have taught certain elements to their students. Either the master died before he was able to, or the students went off on their own (and taught others) before learning it all.
Unlike science, where documentation and recording are part of the method, TMA was directly passed on by oral or physical means with no written record. In the cases where there were writings, many were destroyed in wars or otherwise lost. Some writings were intended for those already familiar with the art and so were little use to others.
Language can be ambiguous, especially when dealing with ideas. This is greatly amplified during the process of translation into another language.
Some definitive works were translated (into Western languages) only recently, decades after being practiced and codified into an inaccurate form of the art.
The original form of the art was purposely changed to be in line with new purposing and ideals. There is also natural drift that happens over many years of being passed down.
So, the question, "What the heck were the masters thinking?" is a valid one, IMO. Can we know? To what extent? How has this affected our particular art? What can or should we do about it?
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