Saturday, December 29, 2012 by C. Michial Jones
Every so often, I pause to take stock. I look at my life in Budo and ask the hard questions: Is what I am doing working? Is there progress? Is it time for a change?
In the public classes at the Yushikan, the curriculum is clear: Okinawan Goju-Ryu and Ryukyu Kobujutsu. Occasionally, I will deviate to show an Aikido or Jujutsu waza to illustrate a point, but for the most part, it is straight Naha-te. However, my private training is a much broader landscape.
The “Jack of All Trades” Criticism
Over the past decade, my research has led me to obtain Yudansha grades and Shihan licenses in a staggering array of systems: Aikido, Jujutsu, Iaido, Shuri-Ryu, several branches of Shorin-Ryu (Kobayashi, Matsumura Seito, Seidokan, etc.), Shito-Ryu, and Uechi-Ryu. Even within Goju-Ryu, I have sought out different Kaiha (factions) to see the art from every angle.
I often catch grief for this. People ask, “How can you learn all of that and be any good at it?” To be honest, I’m not sure I can. There are days I feel I have no real skill at all; I’m just a guy who keeps showing up and tries to remember what he’s been shown. I’m certain if you asked my Shorin-Ryu teachers, they’d say, “He’s terrible—he has too much Goju in his Shorin.” But I keep at it anyway.
The Founders’ Path
I often wonder if the founders of our styles had similar thoughts. If you look at history, almost every great master was a “stylistic mutt.” They trained with multiple teachers and then picked and chose what they felt was effective to teach in their own dojos. This is exactly why we have different styles today. Style is simply the personal realization of a master, codified for their students.
A Yushikan Curriculum?
I find myself standing at a crossroads. Is it “wrong” of me to mold the curriculum to my own vision? To choose the kata I find most effective and pass those on, regardless of their origin?
What if I teach my students the Hard-Soft foundations of Goju-Ryu, but then introduce them to the linear power of Naihanchi, the complexity of Passai, or the elegance of Gojushiho?
The ultimate question is this: Is there room for a curriculum devoid of Ryuha? A system based not on a “brand name,” but on the cumulative experience of forty years of training?
The Conclusion of the Student
I haven’t reached a final answer. For now, I continue to respect the traditions I’ve been gifted. But as I take stock, I realize that the “Yushikan” is slowly becoming more than just a name on a sign—it is becoming a reflection of a life spent in the pursuit of Budo, wherever that path may lead. I don’t have all the answers, but I have the curiosity to keep looking for them.
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