In case anyone was wondering, the matsumurakenpo.org site is temporarily down while I change hosts. I am working on this and should have it back up within the week. Sorry about that, its something I have been putting off and finally got around to doing…
Stay tuned.
Not necessarily in this order:
I am sure there is more, I just can’t think of any right now…
A quote from a recent biography of Musashi Miyomoto, Miyamoto Musashi - His Life and Writings (Kenji Tokitsu, 2005):
“Moreover, studying the practice of an art of combat in depth is not always compatible with writing about this art, for the purpose of going into practice deeply means acquiring a capacity for sensory-motor reactivity that goes beyond the reach of mental reflection. Spontaneous movement and intuitive comprehension are reinforced, and one must avoid increasing the gap between perception and reaction by adding the pitfalls of intellectual speculation.” [sic]
Translation: Shut up and train. Oh and substitute “writing” with “talking” and it refers to all the psuedo-intellectual jackasses that pontificate on and on - but you never see a drop of sweat on their gi.
This time of year is always a bit hectic for me (in the realm of karate). There is my own training in preparation for the seminars and the training of my students to make sure they are prepared. A couple of other preparations add into that mix.
However, this year, things are particularly interesting. I have some things going on (all related to karate) that have made me ponder some very interesting topics that were previously in the deep recesses of my mind. I can feel a sense of change coming, but I am not going to spill the beans on anything yet. And no, the sense of change has nothing to do with our Association or anything like that. It is a personal change as it relates to how I relate to karate. I will write about it in detail at a later time.
One thing I will say is that now, more than ever, it is clear to me that karate is a core part of my identity. It tempers the way in which I perceive my life and my place on earth. Throughout my life so far, I have had my share of problems and unpleasant events. Without what I have learned in karate, I don’t know where I would be as a result.
Interesting…