Watching the news recently and witnessing the riots, I’ve felt a great sense of sadness, shame and anger.
Seeing social media posts with “close our borders” etc leaves me in utter disbelief.
Why am I blogging about current affairs I hear you ask.
I am and I’m not.
Karate (once upon a time, and still does to some extent) had very much the same mentality. Everything was kept to a school or club. No one was allowed to train elsewhere and you had to prove your loyalty to the Sensei before they would teach you.
We are basically learning to hurt people so I can understand that mentality to some degree, but over the past 15 years I’ve noticed a big shift.
People are collaborating, sharing, engaging with one another. It’s doesn’t matter what your job is. It doesn’t if you’re Muslim, Christian, Māori or Buddhist. It doesn’t matter where you were born or the colour of your skin.
What matters is your attitude and what kind of person you are. In the dojo (and outside if you ask me) we are all equal, regardless of all that the other stuff.
And it only takes a few people to start off that positive attitude. The likes on Iain Abernathy, Jesse Enkamp, Patrick McCarthy, Tuari Dawson (The Invisble Sensei) and Paul and a Michelle Enfield (these are literally just a few).
But in order for this culture to grow, we need clubs that are also open minded and inclusive. The likes of Khalsa Karate (Sat Sehra) and Karate Jutsu Gakkai (Ben Craft and Fernando Angulo) just to name two (or the ones I train with at least).
How inspiring and progressive would it be if countries all around the world learnt a lesson from the martial arts world and opened their mind. Instead of thinking “us and them” realised that there is only “us”.
“Individually, we are one drop. Together, we are an ocean.” Ryunosuke Satoro.
Respect your instructors and fellow karate-ka, but expand your horizons. Train with other people (regardless of their colour, religion etc). Build connections and relationship because we are all connected through this wonderful world of martial arts.
We are all the same!
Rant over!
Jez
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