Money and All its Trappings

Phew, a really touch subject especially since a good deal of the practitioners of a martial/fighting art are commercial in one form or another thus rely on incoming funds to stay open.

Let me begin this post by saying there are many, many dojo out there that change fee's for the privilege of guidance in the art of karate-do. Although I have never charged a dime for my efforts in training/practice with others it is not a bad thing.

What changes it are ego's and the almighty dollar or plain old "greed." This is a world that runs on money.

It is so prevalent in the arts that many fork over the money regardless of the facts about any one dojo, style, or organization such as associations. It may fall under that recent post of mine on, "The Power of Suggestion."

After all we are raised by a commercial society that worships the dollar. It just goes to show that to make money brings about happiness and contentment ( NOT! ). We do sometimes believe this to be so.

Ok, this site is on the kenpo gokui and the concepts that Tatsuo Sensei conveyed in his teachings. Don't get me wrong for Tatsuo Sensei made a good living on the Marine contracts with Special Services. He worked his demonstrations and asked his Marine students to assist in getting and retaining those contracts so his motivation, at least in part, were commercial.

Regardless he did speak of the kenpo gokui and the other religious influences used to create Isshinryu so he was not totally consumed by money and its power over everything. Now as to his first born son that is a different matter.

The IWKA is about money. I can't help but believe this simply because of my own personal experiences with Kichiro Sensei, the IWKA through him, and the IWKA here in the States. Every time I inquired about something or other the first words I would here is, "It will cost about this or that much to do that."

I once decided after many years to get some perceived authoritative body to validate my level or dan grade. When I asked the IWKA about certifying my rank, at the time Go-dan, they said they would not recognize Go-dan but would allow me to be a Sho-dan at such-n-such a fee and that they would expedite the rank up to Go-dan by going through each level for such-n-such a fee.

I was even told that if I could get all my dojo practitioners to join they would allow a small reduction in the fees which equated to little over about five percent. Not much incentive to me. They led me to believe that if I did that, paid my fee's, and attended all IWKA functions be they seminars, tournaments, etc that I would be a high ranking IWKA member in a few short years.

The thing that baffles me the most is that most of the IWKA Sensei/dojo teach Isshinryu one way while during visits by Kichiro Sensei for seminars and/or tournaments they would change the way they practiced to suit him until he left then revert back to the way they originally do things but still send him money so he can issue a piece of paper and get free trips to the states. Go figure!

Is this the spirit of karate-do? Is this the spirit of Tatsuo Sensei? Is this the spirit of the kenpo gokui? Is this the "Way" of karate-do?

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