In over 40 years of consistent martial arts training, I can honestly say that the most disciplined and structured martial art I’ve studied is aikido. Second to that would be iaido the art of drawing the sword. Now, the main reason for this is pretty simple; I studied both of these arts in Japan and along with that, their rich culture and history. It’s really difficult, I would say impossible to replicate the experience of training in Japan, no matter how accurately designed a dojo and no matter how closely the teacher follows the art. You cannot replicate Japanese culture in Ohio; you can mimic it, try to practice it, but it’s not the same. The sights, sounds and smells are different. The people are different and most importantly, the intent is different.
Most practitioners know that Japanese and Okinawan martial arts changed dramatically after World War II, mostly because they were all but prohibited by MacArthur and the American government. Of course, these changes started to take much earlier during Meiji Restoration in 1868 when the Tokugawa shogunate was finally put down, ending the reign of the warrior class. The art and method of war, bujutsu, was replaced by the way to enlightenment through martial arts, budo. One of the first martial arts to make the leap from lethal to congenial was jujutsu, the close-quarter combat system employing throws, joint locks, bone breaking and strangulation. Jujutsu is what a samurai warrior used if he lost his sword or was too close to use it. So, jujutsu morphed into judo, a safe and effective combat sport that utilizes many of same techniques, or used to anyway, but now performed without unpleasant consequences like dislocations or death.
So was the fate of other arts; kenjutsu, the art the sword became kendo, aikijutsu became aikido, etc. The methods and philosophies were realigned in order to fit the new world, a world with planes, trains, automobiles, guns, tanks and bombs. But when your country has such a rich warrior history and the lore that goes with it, you try to preserve those old methods as much as possible. It’s a link to the past. I think this is something that the typical American doesn’t really understand because our history is less than 300 year old. Most of us are proud of our own heritage, but we all come from somewhere else. I distinctly remember having sake and sushi at my teacher’s tiny home where he prominently displayed the two swords that had been in his family for over 200 years. As I understand, his great (maybe great, great) grandfather wore those swords. So, when your martial arts come from such a long and fabled history like that, you try to preserve them and stay as close to the original as possible.
I think this is one reasons why traditional martial arts is so appealing and why many teachers are so reluctant to deviate from what they believe is the true form. I’ve heard more than one karate sensei tell me to never change kata. “Kata has been around long before you and the guys who created it knew what they were doing. You don’t change the kata; you let the kata change you.” Is it the same, though? The kata that Gichin Funakoshi, the founder of Shotokan Karate brought to Japan from Okinawa looks almost nothing like it does today. It has been modified to fit the needs and philosophy of the people that came after him. So has judo and so has aikido. I’ve said many times, the aikido that I studied in Japan looks nothing like it did 30 years ago. It has been altered in many ways; much more fluid and often fluffy, a dance rather than a martial form. But see what happens when you go to an “official” aikido dojo and do something out of the ordinary, like say, throw a kick or use a joint lock that’s not on the curriculum. Like me, you will most likely be accused of misinterpreting the art or not understanding it at all. This from people who may visit Japan on a regular basis but never lived there. Admittedly, I have a much easier time understanding how a Japanese teacher would want to preserve a Japanese art; when westerners get knitpicky, I question the motive. Are you really interested in preserving the culutre or in your own reputation and so called, lineage? Some people put a lot stock in martial linage, as though it some how makes them a better martial artist, not to be questioned.
For some, holding fast to original forms is part of the training and I agree with this on a certain level. You may go to a music hall to hear a symphony replicate Chopin with the intent of listening to the most accurate depiction possible. Again, a taste of history. You don’t want to hear the conductor add or take away from it. He or she may have a different interpretation than you, but the music is the same. But our culture and our country is vastly different from Japan. I learned a long time ago that trying to hold on to original forms would stagnate my growth as a martial artist and make me far less capable of defending myself. Furthermore, if you don’t understand what or why you’re practicing something, it’s not going to be very effective. So, I have altered much of the kata that we teach here and because that, I can demonstrate the application of what we’re doing…the reason behind the movement. I have changed much of the aikido and jujutsu techniques in favor of function over form. I’m not teaching people how to play Chopin; I’m teaching them how to survive a confrontation and gain discipline along the way. Of course, I didn’t start to make changes to any forms or methods until I had studied them for a long, long time. And because of my experience in Japan, I try to maintain much of the martial culture that was and continues to be a part of my own development. To be sure, studying aikido enhanced and strengthened my karate and gave me a much better understanding of the art.
People email me from time to time and ask what style of karate we teach. When I tell them that ours is a blend of several styles, they almost never get back with me. But every style you see, no matter how old it is, was somebody else’s idea that was changed to fit another's culture, needs and way of life. Some times you have to color outside the lines to see the whole picture.
Dave Magliano
Tatsu Dojo
Jissenkan Budo
Dojo Cho
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