What are the buring topics of discussion in TSD these days?

[Makalakumu]

The Forum has been quiet for a while. I was wondering, what are the current burning topics in TSD? Lets brainstorm some new ideas...

 

[JWLuiza]

I actually think there aren't any burning questions anymore. There's minutia and intellectual work placing TSD in historical context (like your book), but enough has been written and shared that I don't think there are going to be any new leaps and bounds for any MA on the net.

 

[Makalakumu]

I actually think there aren't any burning questions anymore. There's minutia and intellectual work placing TSD in historical context (like your book), but enough has been written and shared that I don't think there are going to be any new leaps and bounds for any MA on the net.

I sometimes get the feeling that we are engaged in creating epicycles in our art. People aren't really trying to think differently about it or really analyze their practice. TSD has a lot of potential because our "traditions" aren't very deeply set. How are things changing? How are people trying to make what they do better?

 

[dancingalone]

Well, you're an uncommon practitioner, John. Most people struggle just to be able to perform the technical parameters they are taught. A few might progress to thinking about why they do the things they do within tang soo do (or any other art really). Even fewer still are the people who understand their art enough to be able to embark on process improvement/replacement.

 

[Makalakumu]

Well, you're an uncommon practitioner, John. Most people struggle just to be able to perform the technical parameters they are taught. A few might progress to thinking about why they do the things they do within tang soo do (or any other art really). Even fewer still are the people who understand their art enough to be able to embark on process improvement/replacement.

Thanks for the compliment. However, I think that if one is teaching an art, they must understand it enough to think about it in a deeper way. That's the first step toward good teaching.

TSD, out of all the styles of karate out there, has the potential to grow faster and change because we don't have the huge governing bodies sucking up all the practitioners. This gives us greater freedom to evolve then other styles. We can be more creative with our karate! That's the spirit that guides my practice!

 

[dancingalone]

However, I think that if one is teaching an art, they must understand it enough to think about it in a deeper way. That's the first step toward good teaching.

My thought is that a teacher can be plenty good without necessarily exhibiting that hallmark. If he can demonstrate good form and he can teach good form even without being able to verbalize what it is good form, he's still way ahead of many other teachers.

I am probably just arguing semantics here though.

TSD, out of all the styles of karate out there, has the potential to grow faster and change because we don't have the huge governing bodies sucking up all the practitioners. This gives us greater freedom to evolve then other styles. We can be more creative with our karate! That's the spirit that guides my practice!

That's good that you think that way. I'll admit that I struggle at times with altering things from what my Goju teacher taught me when I am with my own Goju students. An example would be the more powerful kicking method I picked up from my TKD days. I recognize that the Korean kicks can be more powerful, but I wonder whether adding them to the curriculum changes the essence of Goju-ryu karate or not. Some would say that there is no such thing as a distinct style and karate in the end is all individually-based anyway so I should feel free to adapt as I want. I still lean towards the 'teach as your teacher taught' side, at least when it comes to karate.