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Respect In The Cyber Dojo by Michael J. Rosenbaum
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“ Hardly more than a handful genuinely considered duels socially beneficial, although some apologists claimed that the prospect of dueling forced gentlemen to be more careful of their language and cautious in their actions”: Bertram White Brown
In Webster’s New World Dictionary the word respect is defined as; “a state of being held in honor or esteem [to have respect for a great artist] or: “consideration; courteous regard [to have respect for the feelings of others]. To have respect for someone does not always mean that you agree with their views, for instance during Word War II General George Patton did not hold any warm and tender feelings for Germanys Desert Fox, Field Marshall Irwin Rommel. But, Patton did respect Rommel’s war fighting abilities so much that he studied Rommel’s book on tank warfare and in turn applied those lessons he learned from it. In the annals of karate’s history Choki Motobu was not well liked by many of his peers, however all held much respect for his fighting prowess. According to some Motobu was more at home in the midst of a brawl than he was within the confines of his own household. And as famed Okinawan Karate Master Shoshin Nagamine said about Motobu: “Motobu Choki’s training was without question fanatical, and his ability clearly indicated the merits of such a regimen.” (Nagamine p. 94)
When I began my Isshinryu training in 1976 the transmission of the systems teachings was done by first hand example. Your instructor, demonstrated a technique, told you how it was to be used and then watched you practice the technique until they felt that you could execute it with some degree of proficiency. However at any given time your sensei would not stop to correct you if the technique was being performed poorly and these ‘corrections’ could prove to be quite humbling at times. They were done though with your development as a karate-ka in mind and no matter how much you may have resented them you still held a sense of respect for your instructor due to their time spent studying karate. Yet despite the formality and tradition found within the dojo it was not uncommon for karate-ka to disagree upon a techniques execution or a katas performance. These disagreements could at times lead to heated debates, and sometimes even more heated sparring secessions during which blood was spilt and bruises were inflicted. Even still the ‘duelists’ would manage to walk away from these affairs of honor with respect for one another despite their differences.
It’s been over a quarter of a century since I first started Isshinryu and in that time frame the means to transmit information about karate has dramatically increased. As of now there are well over 40 books that have been published about Isshinryu Karate all of which are unique within their own way and contribute greatly in helping karate-ka to have a better understanding of Isshinryu. In addition to these books, various videos have been produced many of which capture some of Isshinryu’s leading practitioners on film so that we can all benefit from their insights and years spent training. Due to advances in communications technology one of the more popular methods of transmitting and gathering information today is via the Internet. Many martial arts organizations now have web sites, which offer a tremendous amount of information about clinics, seminars, tournaments, kata and techniques all of which are quite literally at the touch of a persons fingertips. In addition to this many of these web sites also have message boards and chat rooms where karate-ka can log on to a web site and exchange opinions and information about the martial arts with others who in some cases may be thousands of miles away. At times those exchanging information will know one another and on other occasions they will not. The level of experience of those posting messages depends upon the individual. Some may have upwards to twenty or thirty years spent training while others may have as much as only three months of karate time under their belt.
Being both a librarian and a writer I often consult the Internet to aid library patrons seeking information, or else for myself while doing research on a book. At times these searches can yield very valuable information. In others however the information found pertaining to a subject can be very misleading due to improper research by the web sites host or else because someone decided to express their viewpoint which, although taken as fact by many who read it; is still misleading due to a lack of understanding about the subject matter on which the person is expressing their view about. This can and does happen on karate message boards, cyber dojos as I call them where, often one persons opinions are taken as fact by others, who, have very little if any knowledge about the subject being discussed. Unfortunately this transmission of miss-information is now being taken one step farther to the point of Character Assassination by some who wish to tarnish the image of others. Sadly enough, these, slanderous statements are often taken as truth by those who read them. Internet slander is both a vile and detestable thing, which shows no respect to anyone nor- their, contributions or sacrifices.
For many Karate-ka, Master Harold Long was known as both a legend and at times a very outspoken individual within the ranks of Isshinryu karate. Growing up in East Tennessee during the depression he joined the Marine Corps in 1949 and then fought at the battle of the Chosen Reservoir during the Korean War. In this vicious battle the 1st Marine Division which was accompanied by Royal British Marines and US Army Infantry units was cut off from any reinforcements, outnumbered and surrounded by Chinese Communist forces during the dead of winter with temperature’s dropping well below zero in rugged mountainous terrain. Surrender was not an option for the Leathernecks because to do so would have meant certain death. Yet, despite these enormous odds the Marines fought their way out of that nightmarish, hellhole, killing 25000 Communist Chinese Soldiers in the process. Conditions were so bad that the dead Marines bodies had to be tied across the barrels of cannon because only the critically wounded were allowed to ride in the back of their trucks. It is a battle, considered by many to be one of the toughest and bloodiest ever fought in Marine Corps history. Over 3500 men of the First Marine Division were killed or wounded during its course. As the 1st Marine Divisions Commanding General Oliver P. Smith said about the Chosen battle: “Retreat Hell, we’re attacking in another direction”. Such was the courage and esprit de corps of the Marines at the Chosen Reservoir.
After Korea in 1956, Harold Long was stationed on Okinawa where he began studying Isshinryu under the tutelage of the systems founder, Tatsuo Shimabuku. Upon being discharged from the Marine Corps he returned to East Tennessee in 1959 and began teaching Isshinryu. It was because of his efforts as well as those of other notable Isshinryu pioneers, that Isshinryu karate became widely known throughout North America. In addition to his teaching career Mr. Longs fighting prowess was well known by many. In his prime he was tall, muscular and lean, with techniques that snapped much the same as a bullwhip when thrown and proved to be very devastating to those unfortunate enough to be struck by them. By the time of his death in 1998 Harold Long had devoted over 40 years of his life to the martial arts and was a cornerstone in the teaching and transmission of Isshinryu within the United States.
Despite his numerous achievements and a life -time devoted to Isshinryu karate Mr. Longs name fell prey to the dark shadow of miss-information and character assassination that haunts many cyber dojos today. Within a few short posts he was accused, tried and convicted by faceless, nameless belligerents hiding behind keyboards, who would listen to neither reason nor fact. When facts were presented that strongly contradicted the accusations made against Mr. Long they were quickly dismissed as being half -truths by the very individuals who sought to spread their own brand of miss-information. In short the whole affair came to be because the checks and balances of civility, which are so often present during a one on one exchange, were removed due to the anonymity found on the Internet. And in turn the reputation of a man who had served not only the Isshinryu community but- the United States of America during the Korean War was slandered in a most disrespectful way. As of right now Harold Long is not the only person to suffer from Internet slander within the Isshinryu community because another Isshinryu pioneer A.J. Advincula, has also been accused and tried by the same faceless, nameless electronic inquisition. Advincula like Harold Long is also a combat veteran who served during the Vietnam War, and then later retired from the Marine Corps after a very distinguished career. Advincula’s martial arts career spans half a century and his contributions to the growth and spread of Isshinryu Karate have been many.
Mr. Long and Mr. Advincula are just two examples of a trend that has become very common -place on many chat boards today where other well- known and respected martial artists have suffered character assassination. In fact due to the popularity of these “Virtual Dojos” some practitioners now consider themselves martial artists par excellence due to their cyber skills instead of those gained by real time training spent on the heavy bag or in the ring with a real opponent. This is a dangerous illusion for both the cyber warrior and those they critic in their virtual dojos. For by basing ones martial skill and knowledge on a virtual illusion you ignore the human experience that is so critical for proper martial development. And by passing judgment on people which is based only on message board meanderings you further half-truths, which are not so easily corrected.
In this day and age of the Internet, cyber-dojos are often considered hallowed halls of learning but in truth they are virtual illusions, which rank a very distant second place when compared to the very personal and time honored method of transmitting martial arts from teacher to student in the real dojo. They are however a fact of life now due to our modern technology and the positive aspects of the Internet far outweigh those of a negative nature. But, even with the Internet and its impact on today’s martial arts world there are certain lessons to be gained from our training just as it has always been through out history. Respect is one of them. You should always show respect for someone and their feelings be, it either in their presence, while exchanging conversation about them with another individual and especially while posting a message about them in the Cyber dojo. Because without respect the foundation upon which the practice of Karate-do or any other fighting art rests is seriously weakened and any sense of martial morality begins to dissolve only to be replaced by debauchery, greed and ignorance. We should never forget that respect encompasses many things but without it we have nothing except for the illusion of honor.
Michael Rosenbaum began his Isshinryu training in 1976. He is the author of: Okinawa’s Complete Karate System: Isshinryu 2001 and: The Fighting Arts: Their Evolution From Secret Societies To Modern Times 2002.
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