I'm going to philosophise about a statement that stood out to me from the 'Book of Five Rings', a somewhat classic book written by Miyamoto Mesashi, that I myself highly recommend to any Martial Artist seeking an incite into the philosophical aspects of self defence. I found the statement on page 5 of my copy. It reads "Commercialism does nothing to enhance the reality of the truth, although it can lead one to the start of the path.".
First of all, let's think of what we know about commercialism in the Martial Arts. Often commercial Martial Art schools limit themselves to a single cultural expression of Martial Art, and label themselves something like Taekwondo or Karate. Individuals who have reached a certain level of enlightenment such as our great Sifu, Mr. Freddie Lee, criticise this as it is wrong to limit the creative and artistic expression of human beings once the Martial Art practitioner is ready with or without knowing it, to go beyond the systemised curriculum of their school. As a result the practitioner may never embark on their own journey in the Martial Arts and never know what they are missing out on. Most Martial Art schools don't encourage practitioners to express themselves as individuals. To demonstrate Martially Artistic independence is too often seen as a threat to the schools business. I believe this to be wrong and I completely understand and agree why Bruce Lee and Freddie Lee spoke/speak against Martial Art schools discouraging practitioners from exploring a world beyond the nest.
I do believe that Commercialism does nothing to enhance the reality of the truth, however it did lead me to start on the path. The following information is just one example of how I believe that positivity can be found in negativity. For the past 5 years I have been practicing at the local Taekwondo school. I started learning Martial Art with no previous experience. As I progressed through the ranks, I found I was enjoying Martial Art more and more. Classes are only operating twice a week, and after a while I felt my desire for Martial Art was never being satisfied. This Taekwondo school was the only place to learn Martial Arts in my town. I felt as if I was only learning part of the totality of the Martial Arts, so I went to the internet.
Not long after, I discovered Freddie's Modern Kung Fu on YouTube. The first FMK video I viewed the on where he is striking down the BOB XL with a variety of kicks. There was something different about Freddie. He was/is not the typical Martial Art commercialised stereotype with a black belt, oblivious to the truth, on the internet to stroke their ego. Freddie was/is genuine seems to be more spiritually awake then any body I had come across. I somehow kept being drawn back to Freddie's videos. His videos keep coming out at a regularly constant rate, keeping me interested. I think there was/is some kind of eye to eye understanding I had/have with Freddie and his teachings. Freddie Lee has become my internet Sifu, as he has led me towards the path of enlightenment. He has also directed me towards other wise individuals and media such as Morihei Ueshiba's book 'The Art of Peace'.
I started off at a part time commercial Taekwondo school (which I still attend), and then found Freddie's Modern Kung Fu as I had a inner desire for truth. A desire for something more holistic. I found it and am still learning from it. This is why I like the statement - "Commercialism does nothing to enhance the reality of the truth, although it can lead one to the start of the path.". It has led me to believe that we should always look for positivity in anything negative, no matter how bad something may seem. Positive people are normally healthier and happier people. This is my Philosia.
Anyway what do you guys think?. Can anyone else relate to this statement?. Does anyone else think that positivity can come out of negativity?. Can Yin come out of Yang?.
PS: Long Live Freddie's Modern Kung Fu and the FMK community!.
It is very difficult running a Martial Art school and finding the right students that truly appreciate the teachings I have to offer. I have begun to realize that expressing myself honestly on the internet allows me to reach out to more students who share my understanding of the Martial Arts. Creating this sort of network to me is very important. It allows us to all come together from different parts of the world and express to the world our shared experiences in the Martial Arts. I'm very glad that you have begun to seek out the wisdom of great teachers by reading on your own, you will see that all these teachings come together and are hidden away from mass media. It is through our practice and honest expression that their teachings will come out to those around us and inspire others towards the true way. There is so much to read and so much to learn, I encourage you to keep on reading and to keep on writing. I am thankful that you have decided to take part on this blog to share your experiences.
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ReplyDeleteHi Ben, I'm also a Taekwondo student and practitioner. I agree with you wholeheartedly that you can find the positive in the negative. This is the whole balance of the ying and yang, or the um and yang as it is known in Korean. From Freddie's thoughts and messages, I realized that there is much more to martial art than simply physical techniques. There is the physical, mental, and spiritual element. I think Freddie often expresses his frustration about how the spiritual element of many martial arts schools has been lost. Unfortunately, in Taekwondo, being one of the most popular and commercialized martial art styles out there right now, it is easy to find examples of this. There are Taekwondo and Karate schools that operate more as daycare centers/belt factories/sport competition training centers than true martial art academies. I think that at least some of this is the result of greed getting in the way of quality training. It is too bad that there isn't business accreditation or minimum standards that regulate martial arts. Anyways, I decided to take it upon myself to do my own personal study and spiritual enrichment of martial arts philosophies. Traditional Taekwondo incorporates meditation/chi development, is rich in Eastern philosophy, from the various forms and their representations derived from the I Ching, or, Book of Changes, to the ying/yang element that is on the flag of the Republic of Korea, to its roots in Confucian/Taoist teachings. While Taekwondo sport (Olympic) sparring obviously isn't realistic in terms of combatives (thus why it is a sport) it does train the practitioner to learn timing, speed, explosiveness, and refine various kicking technique. Taekwondo Poomse (forms) can be practiced, studied, and done even into old age as a great form of exercise of balance, coordination, mental focus/acuity. It has a rich history that goes back into its development during the Korean War and tested in the jungles of Vietnam by both ROK and US soldiers. Anyways, I guess my point is that I agree with you that we can find the positive in things as long as we maintain the patience and search for it. I enjoy studying Taekwondo, but I choose to study it and practice it my own way, and not limiting myself to the sphere of influence, teaching, or practice that is dictated by a school I attend. I think as students of martial arts it is up to us to be proactive and search for truth and understanding on our own time and not become overly dependent on others to do that for us.
ReplyDeleteI see the truths that you are expressing. What you stated about greed getting in the way of the quality of training is very true. It is extremely difficult in the commercialized market to express and teach the Real Martial Arts. It is often the case that the law will come in to dictate how you teach. The Martial Art school is then forced to adhere to the law, basically the law will not allow for there to be a Real Martial Art school, just like that law will not allow any public school to integrate teachings from the church. Basically the Martial Art school is forced to be run like any other business, therefore the totality of the Martial Arts cannot occur within the school alone, the teachings have to be completed by merging in the teachings of which you learn outside of the school. With my teachings on the internet, it is like the private teachings that are needed to balance out the public teachings that I express with my direct students. This blog is an example of helping to create that balance in the Martial Arts, this blog is an example of the development of the spirit in the Martial Arts. Every time you read a book that is related to the spiritual aspect of the Martial Arts, it is helping you create that balance. The Real Martial Arts I see in order to be taught correctly would have to entail at least a 4 hour lesson per day. 2 hours physical and combative and 2 hours spiritual and meditative. But very schools in the commercial industry will ever be able to operate under these guidelines. Nearly all schools are simply giving you a very short overview of the totality of the Martial Arts, basically just a quick shortcut version that is inadequate.
DeleteMost of the people that I teach do not have time for the Martial Arts, they only have time for a small aspect of the Martial Arts, like the fitness or the self-defense. The people that do have the time for the Martial Arts, do not have the money. Most people that are in high school or are coming out of high school have a lot of time, but they have no money, no jobs to pay the Martial Arts teacher. The teacher cannot work for free for too long, eventually the teacher will have to seek employment in order to keep teaching. The teacher will then end up having to focus on the clients that pay. But when there is a system set in place like with YouTube/Google, which allows for a teacher to teach and at the same time receive pay via advertisement, it solves the problem and bridges that gap between teacher and student who has time but no money. It is like the college student that gets financial aid or government assistance in order to learn from the professor. The professor has lots to share but he cannot teach for no pay for too long, when there is a system in place that allows for the professor to be paid for teaching students that have time but no money, that will allow for the greatest benefit for all. Luckily, the internet has allowed for this opportunity.
ReplyDeleteThanks for leaving your comments guys. We all seem to think in very similar ways. I agree that the best thing we can do if your like me, attending a school that only gives you part of the totality, is the accept what we are provided with, and attain what we are not provided with in our own time. This may be seen as the life of a Martial Artist in the modern day.
ReplyDeleteI'm really enjoying being part of this blog and communicating with you guys. It's nice to be able to relate and learn with people on this blog and finally have an outlet for my expression.
We are very thankful to have you here contributing to this Blog, it is really a great way to express your creativity and really discover the wisdom you have within. I've learned so much about myself from writing, it is a very effective method of understanding yourself and a lot of times I see that there is more benefit to writing than reading, because when you write, you essentially end up discovering that all the truths are actually within you, you don't need to seek for any truths outside yourself.
Deletein narrow ways you can express yourself
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