Thought for the Week (March 12th, 2001)
Lyle Kleusch, Shihan
Valley Isle Karate Club, Hawaii
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Freedom verses Authority
These conditions are a type of yang and yin. They balance each other. One without the other creates imbalance in human society which then leads to
social unrest and eventually rebellion.
Our great nation is still struggling to find the right balance of these two diametric forces.
Shorin Ryu Karate is also bound in this way. Too much freedom of expression and the kata, our roots, would be lost in a myriad of "new" kata and moves as
students would rely on individual direction to further their training.
There are many modern examples of this scenario.
Conversely, too much authority would stifle student's creativity in interpreting moves and finding their own body's best way to utilize certain
moves. It would also inhibit a student's ability to choose their own level of physical exertion, time committed to training etc.
Thank you Hanshi and Kyoshi for creating a wonderful balance of freedom and authority that allows us to pursue our training according to our individual
abilities and needs while keeping us connected to Shorin Ryu roots.
Domo Arigato,
Lyle Kleusch
Valley Isle Karate Club