My point is not to suggest that such an individual is better than a non-Polymath martial arts, for I most sincerely do not believe that is true, It is just that some martial journeys are very different from those others take, and insight me be gained by recognizing these different journeys.
First to clarify what I am describing some definition might be relevant.
A polymath (Greek: πολυμαθής, polymathēs, "having learned much"; Latin: homo universalis, "universal man")[1] is an individual whose knowledge spans a significant number of subjects, known to draw on complex bodies of knowledge to solve specific problems.
Polymaths include the great thinkers of the Renaissance and the Enlightenment, who excelled at several fields in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and the arts. In the Italian Renaissance, the idea of the polymath was expressed by Leon Battista Alberti (1404–1472) in the statement that "a man can do all things if he will".[8]
In my personal journey I have associated and trained with several individuals who which I believe this term would be an accurate description. Perhaps a brief description of their journeys. They are not the same but I honestly believe they could be of that description. This is not a complete list by any means but just several examples to be illustrative. I do not know their complete journeys.
1,
My one friend has vastly studied in multiple arts, most of them Chinese. He
began in karate, then began to study a Chinese system following what his
instructor then moved to. Along the way he studied Yang Tai Chi Chaun. Then
when studying a Chinese system, he met and began training with a group of multi
system instructors in the Washington DC area. In large part they shared forms
and along his journey he accumulated and practiced hundreds of forms. He used
that journey to explore systems/instructors until he made a final choice. Getting approval from that instructor, an
extremely complex system, he studied and trained for 35 years before he was
able to test and pass certification as an instructor. At the same time he was
teaching a group of schools his original Chinese system, continually working to
make it better for his students. Only after certification as an instructor did
he openly begin teaching that system to his own students. On that path he also
studied Wu Tai Chi Chaun.He has decades of training students in his arts he
first studied. To train with him is a multidimensional experience in those
arts.
2.
Another friend began in Isshinryu long ago. On his way he studied other
Okinawan systems. But his career was to study and then translate Japanese and
Chinese. He was able to train in a variety of Chinese arts, such as PaQua, Tai
Chi Chaun and others. His work required much world wide travel. He trained in
Isshinryu again on Okinawa. When in Israel he opened an Isshinryu dojo there.
Studied Krav Maga with the founder and became an instructor. Years later we
became friends but distance made our training together impossible. He took the
time to visit my Tai Chi group and observe when he learned I taught outside all
year long on Sundays. He did the same conducting his own student classes
outside. After observing my group he began to explain many things all the while
writing Japanese or Chinese on the ground to demonstrate the relationship of
what was occurring via ideotgram of each
language. While we had many meetings they were private discussions on many
martial matters. One time he was visiting and I was showing him a Kung Fu movie
(to make some point). He had me stop the movie
which was in Cantonese I believe
and then began to show the dialogue showing at the bottom of the screen was
saying something different from what was being spoken, And also the English translation
was saying something else altogether. Many years later as my disability was
coming on, one day he showed my how a
piece of the Isshinryu Bo form Tokomeni No Kon (which I could no longer do)
could be done with PaQua movements
retaining the essence of the bo form as an empty hand movement. It was just the
first beginning of that form, but it was a way to retain something for myself.
Their
arts are not similar, but the depth of what they could go into came from their
own vast studies and not always in the martial arts.
As
I said this is not a complete list, and this does not mean they are superior.
But in our friendship and training I have gained ever so much.
Perhaps
you have your own experiences with a Polymath in the Martial Arts. They got
there because of incredible journeys they made, often at great sacrifice in
their lives. It was not an easy path for them, but it was most definitely
interesting.
Strange,
that as an old man I can still suggest something new.
No comments:
Post a Comment