Never Sidestep the truth

The internet changed everything. It hasn't been around all that long but it has had a significant impact on Martial Arts. There are plenty of positives to the profligacy of information and ease of use of social networking sites. What would the Masters of the past think about such freely given knowledge? Online stuff is a great resource but should never be the only source information. An instructor is the way to go for sure, but if you can find a Master then don't let the opportunity pass you by. Hands on personalised teaching from an authority. The best moments I have received in my training come from stuff that would never of made the final cut of the DVD. The off the cuff remark, a throw away application or an anecdote that positively oozes worldly experience. If we have a look at You Tube or similar it is clear that a lot of people out there are into this Martial Arts thing. However a significant amount of folk have put themselves into that position of authority that I mentioned. The thing that stands out to me is that it is not generally the original poster of a video but the guy in the comment section. Nothing wrong with constructive criticism, but it often walks a fine line of abuse, with the emphasis on the "why it's wrong". Surely as a brother and sisterhood in the Combat Arts we can get along? Some of the things written in comment sections would never be said aloud so why say them? Then a spat begins that not only makes both sides look ridiculous it makes the whole idea or concept seem nothing more than an ego contest. Martial Arts are easy to mock and laugh at, seriously look at us waving our arms around whilst in our pyjamas. It's funny but it's not ridiculous to be passionate about something. When we get into pointless arguments on the internet however it becomes ridiculous and not funny. I asked before what would the Masters think of such freely given knowledge? I can assure you that it wasn't that it would become abused in such a way.
It isn't just reserved for the internet. I tend to avoid reading Martial Arts magazines as they infuriate me more so than You Tube comments. However I recently picked up a publication. A columnist gave me further pause for thought. An entire article from a guy complaining about dodgy certification of instructors in "the business", while at the same time advertising an instructor training programme for his own made up system. Which of course is under his own authority. How ludicrous to not be able see your own flaws. Sometimes I think Martial Arts are in a bad way and that it is all futile. However I take heart that there are still good people out there training and teaching and passing on vital knowledge. They tend to not teach systems though, they teach artforms that in turn were taught to them by their Masters. I appreciate that we are all human and that we don't have all the answers. We make mistakes and we sometimes fail at seeing an intended application or we miss a piece of the puzzle. We can even become trite under appraisal. I have seen Masters make mistakes too. It happens, lets not pretend it doesn't. They as much as you or I are still on that journey, so we should allow for errors as long as they are processed properly then corrected. On the debatable certification issue, in this day and age there is only really one authority that you should train under(if you cant find a Master that is) It is an unsung hero but luckily I have it. It doesn't make me a Master but it means you can put your trust in me. It doesn't prove my ability but it proves my sense of responsibility. It was issued by DSC Insurance Services and it proves you are safe in my class.
I still believe in Martial Arts and Martial Arts practitioners, but sometimes I get bogged down by the bullshit that goes along with it. It saddens me that we can't all unite and get on with it. When I think of the Masters of the past I think about what made them different. They operated in a different world but they aren't all that distant. All a Master really is, is a beginner who didn't give up.