It probably ought to go without saying, but maybe it doesnt...
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Dead Japanese (or Chinese or Okinawan or Philippino…) guys have no power to dictate how we do the things we do. They taught their lessons to their students and now it is our turn to teach our lessons to our students. 100 years from now my students’ students will have their turn to teach their lessons in their own ways.
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When their turn comes, maybe some of them will use some of the same exercises I used when I taught their teachers. Or they might have different exercises and different ways of teaching. It might even be so different by that time that they don’t call it aikido’ or judo anymore..
And either way will be okay by me. I don’t think they will be betraying my tradition if they re-brand their martial art when they start teaching it on Mars.
Suppose that, five hundred years from now, some clown starts selling "foosball as self-defense" lessons on Mars...
ReplyDelete...and telling customers that, if they train hard enough, they will eventually become a master like the legendary Patrick Parker. And they place your portrait on the kamidana, surrounded by flowers and incense.
Would that bother you in 2500 AD? Would it bother you today? 'Cause I have a foosball table and some free time. ;)
It wouldn't bother me today, if you wanted to purchase a franchise of the legendary Patrick Parker Foosball As Self-Defense System
ReplyDelete(LPPFASD System)
For the low-low price of $200K you can get in on the ground floor of the hottest Martian trend of the 26th century.
We need to pay for that? I've been teaching LPPFASD System for weeks now.
ReplyDeleteThat's just more back dues you have to pay, John!
ReplyDeleteI'll let you pay me in $20,000 installments until you have set it straight.