Dear Stephen,

Apology accepted. While I wasn’t revealing any personal confidences, as such, the courtesy of a request to publish would have been appreciated. Regardless, no harm done, and it has certainly opened a spirited dialog. And don’t worry about offending me: sticks and stones, etc.

Regarding my apparently false dichotomies, I actually agree with you. Perhaps I did not make my point clearly. I did make reference to Van Gogh’s brother, noting that, had he been a better salesman he might have more successfully advanced his brother’s career, and lengthened his life. And I just used Kincade in contrast to demonstrate that you don’t necessarily have to have a quality product, or even a legitimate one (eg., offset lithograph “limited edition” is an oxymoron foisted upon a naive public), in order to have a successful business. Ultimately, what I am saying is that the temptation is always there to take an easier path, to find the product or service that sells best rather than provides the best quality.

More to the point, using your example, I suppose the temptation can come from two directions: to compromise one’s art to make more income; or to make excuses, such as being “uncompromising”, to rationalize one’s inability or unwillingness to be a better businessperson. I did state however that it is indeed possible to be uncompromising in one’s art, or martial art, and to be financially successful as well. In fact, I’ve asserted that that’s my intention. So again, I agree that these two factors are not necessarily in conflict.

Frankly, I am still dubious about the many colored belts: I recognize the point regarding motivation; but you also made my point that most drop out before ever achieving any level of mastery. What’s the true value of advancing someone to a putatively higher rank if it actually signifies little advancement? I believe it’s the teacher’s job to help the student understand the value of true achievement, and that patience and perseverance in pursuing one’s goal are higher virtues than finding quick and easy gratification. But I do acknowledge the contrary perspective that tangible, if only incremental, progress, denoted by the visible color distinction, can in itself serve as a motivator. I’m especially aware of this issue with little kids — which is a fairly new aspect of my teaching regimen — as six to eight months between tests, stuck at the same rank, is an eternity for a seven-year-old. So I’m still working through this issue.

And I will also take your point regarding blind attachment to tradition. Doing something just because “that’s the way it’s always been done” is stupid. The system I teach is actually quite dynamic and progressive. The meaning of tradition, to me, is more the mindset: understanding the fundamental purpose behind budo — it’s more about developing character, fortitude, humility, and spirit than just merely learning fighting skills. So we attempt to pay heed to the form and ritual that has been handed down for generations, and to continue to teach tried-and-true techniques, because they have proven effective.

Meantime of course anybody with half a brain would want to keep abreast as well of modern training methods, proper nutrition, and so forth. But still, in the dojo, we continue to focus on kihon, on kata, and on constant practice and development. I don’t believe that there is a contradiction here: we hold to tradition in many of the formalities and methods, but are open to the natural evolution that must come about if one does not remain isolated from a developing culture. Put another way, even without being aware of it, merely by dint of exposure to other systems, to MMA, and more general changes in athletic training methods, one’s teaching form and function are bound to change. I have little doubt that the Koei-Kan of today, in its manner of being taught, is somewhat different from forty years ago. Yet we are still grounded in our tradition, being aware of our roots. It may have evolved somewhat, but it is still connected to its heritage.

As I noted before, I believe there is more in common in our standpoints than one first might have concluded.

Again, regards, and In budo,
Larry Rhodes
Koei-Kan Karate-Do

P.S. Again, print or publish at your discretion.