JAMA articles

The first quarter issue of Journal of Asian Martial Arts had four good articles in it on a variety of subjects. One on ritualized dojo patterns vs character training was informational and offered a lot on the whys of standing at attention, meditation, two-way respect and character building. While the examples are from a traditional Okinawan system, it applies to us as well.
   Another on the value of push-hands training in tai chi was interesting to me as it was written with my tai chi lineage as the foundation. It covered many good points in a short article.
   Considering budo as a form of art was the subject of another article and it made good arguments that the martial arts do, in fact, fit the criteria for being considered art like painting or acting. One significant point that stuck with me was how the author said one of his teachers emphasized that an upright posture should match an upright character. Another was that the practitioner needs to establish their values and know just what they will defend.
   The author of another article of reflections on traditional martial arts could have been reading my mind. He elaborates on the cultural changes that have affected the arts over many years and how those changes manifest themselves in our training today. One main thought is that we need to preserve what our predecessors developed and that's exactly how I feel about Ed Parker's Kenpo. I don't want this lost on my watch and I am aligned with other instructors who want it kept a bit more traditional so that students understand what they have before they start innovating it. It's real easy to change stuff but not so easy to recognize what you may lose in the process if you don't have a substantial understanding of what you're working with.
   I found this particular issue of the magazine a good read. Grab one while you can, although they do offer online the ability to download individual articles instead of spending the $10 for the mag.