Worldwide Intensive.

Now is a time of reflection and inner struggle as we, each of us, have no choice but to face what is present.
This should be a time of Shugyo, of deep intense training, of self-improvement, overcoming our obstacles and limitations, rededicating ourselves to whatever it is we find truly important... Or discovering just what that really is and what it really means.

While this is not a new situation for me, as I seldom go out, it definitely has me noticing some things about myself in light of the fact that there is really no choice involved.
It forces me to realize things I do as an escape from the moment, to recognize these things for what they are, it forces me to rework my perspective in light of what I do and do not have control over. The situation may be outside my power to control, but internally, I have the power to change my perspective and utilize this for what it really is.

It has also shown me the limitations and weaknesses of society at large; who the real authentic people are in contrast to those merely flapping their mouths, not just in relation to training, but to every single aspect of life and society.

Many spend their time chasing after what they are TOLD is important without giving my thought to what is REALLY important.
In Martial Arts this has to do with chasing rank, recognition, and status. There is very little in the way of deep questioning or understanding. I am seeing many adapting to the current situation, some are groping around in an attempt to figure things out, others are diving in headlong with clear direction and clear goals.
I saw a beautiful thing take place in many MMA and Jujitsu Circles in response to this closure of the world... ALL OF THEM STARTED TO FORMULATE SOLO DRILLS AKIN TO KATA.
They did this without making a huge deal out of it, because it was necessary in order to impart what they sought to impart and they did it without much delay, and it worked.
When they go back to normal these things may fall by the wayside as they continue down the path they travel, but it is really an interesting things to behold and really made me think about how many Karateka view Kata in our modern day and age.

Something that may well have developed out of necessity has become somewhat of a sacred cow and the central defining feature of a 'style' or 'school' or whatever artificial label you give to whatever it is you do or claim to do.
These MMA Drills are not even the result of set two-person drills, but are meant to convey certain principles that each person found important. Not codified by an Organization, not meant to be anything more than what they are.

Coming full circle, we are witnessing this, in addition to many other things. The main take-away, I gather for myself, is viewing things just as they are, not getting caught up on anyone else's notions of what is important and what is not, unless it serves a purpose that is beneficial to you, then you work on things until these things become part of you and discard whatever helped you to that point in favor of formulating something more personal... Or better yet, learning and imparting by DOING until necessity dictates you can no longer do this in person.

I suppose it is fine to learn various Kata and various curricula of an Organization in order to pass a test, but in the end, most of these things are just repeats with trivial changes that make little to no sense in the explanations we have been given.
Most of it is simply repeating the same things over and over in different ways, at different angles, and two-person drills are often done with unrealistic applications and distances, no real explanation given for this.
They do not really produce the results they claim... Mind you they DO improve memory tremendously along with functionality of mental faculties and improved hand-eye coordination to an almost superhuman capacity, which are great benefits unto themselves, but one can do this with just a couple drills, there is no need to number them up to 100 and make them all requirements.

These are limitations in training. The other aspect of this is in how much of our lives we give up by way of obedience and subservience to others who may or may not deserve those elevated positions?
It is fine to respect one's Teacher, it is proper to do so, even to the point that person is considered a part of one's family, so long as they are authentic and provide something meaningful, rather than a demand for subservience and unearned respect.
The more I look at the world of Karate the more I see how much of a culprit it is in regards to instilling a spirit of obedience and subservience to authority. In Okinawa one of the tenants promoted within Karate was that it makes a person into a Good Citizen, in Imperial Parlance this means complete obedience to the Emperor, without question.
Many of those who did not agree with this left Okinawa and lived in Exile, some of their families and those people still alive remain in Exile to this very day.

Do NOT speak out against Authority, you can stand against things that are clearly wrong so long as those wrongs are done by someone of equal or lesser stature, but never stand against wrongs perpetrated by those in positions of Authority because they are beyond question (and clearly all knowing according to the culture promoted in some circles).
This situation has cut us off from these houses of subservient training, they have forced us to look inside and all around us, what are we seeing?
I can tell you one thing, I am 37 years old... If I am to be treated like a subservient child in some instances where someone has assumed undue command over me, the way I act, the way I live, then I am NOT going to walk down that road... I WILL throw it by the wayside because it does not serve me, it does nothing to make my life better, nor does it set a good example for my children, who look to me for an example of how to live a good and whole life.

Yes, giving respect where respect is due is proper, yes, being kind and polite is necessary for society to get on, but when all is said and done, the ability and willingness to drop all the niceties and stand up against wrongs and injustices, no matter their source, is a MUST!
We are all sovereign individuals, therefor, we must take back that sovereignty.

My job does not consist of promoting a specific Organization or Lineage, it consists of providing for, teaching, and protecting my family and those of my friends whom I consider family.
I have a deep respect for my Teachers and their Teachers, but they are NOT GODS and I refuse to place them on more of a pedestal than anyone, including myself, deserves... We are all flawed.

That being said, I do not expect to gain anymore of a position within the Goju Ryu Organization to which I belong, nor does it matter to me.
I do not expect to learn any additional Kata, nor do I really wish to because what I have is enough to keep me busy for a lifetime, and it is enough to pass on to others to help them with whatever they seek to gain from training.
When things are back up and running I am not going to Teach to the standards of others, I will take their advice and, if they wish to offer some instruction and insight, I will graciously accept that, but I will not be teaching to anything but my own understanding, mainly because it is physically and mentally impossible to do otherwise, for anyone.
I am not my Teacher, he is not me, I DO have two arms and two legs, so many of the principles WILL carry over, but not all of them, just as my own Students will have to take what I give them and work it in a manner that helps them find their own ways to apply what is there, or discover something else that may not have been readily apparent to me.

My school will not be awarding ranks to adults... Ranks, in my view, are for children. It keeps children focused and interested, it gives them something to shoot for. For adults and some Teenagers I find this to be insulting and distracting from the real goal and spirit of training.
Everyone, except those able to teach, will be wearing white belts, and the ability to teach will be based on understanding of what a person knows, plus the amount of time they put in to exploring it, NOT based on how much of a curriculum they know, not how many Kata they know.
I honestly don't care what anyone thinks of this approach, it has nothing to do with them, they are welcome to criticize me, but the most important thing, for me, is to impart a pathway to understanding and discovery, not material.

This time is Shugyo, it should be used as such, to rediscover or discover for the first time what is within and bring that out to the benefit of the world around us.
In my view the world has lost sight of what is important. We have become too dependent on certain things, too dependent on certain people, certain Organizations and Businesses. We are told what we need, what to think, what to say, how to behave.
No underlying context... As a result, we have become slaves to those outer voices that compel us to consume, to obey, to march along in a slumber oblivious to reality as it is. We then wonder why we cannot get ahead, why it seems like the world favors some over others, without ever exploring our own potentials as sovereign individuals.

Stop mindlessly consuming, start looking inward, beyond all the brand names, all the things you are told are important, things you are told you should or should not do, and really delve deep.
Wake up.