What is Truth?

 

 

 

When the People have a forum and don't use it, anything goes.

 

It should be the first lesson of Politics 101.

 

If I make statements about Isshinryu's future and 206 individuals respond and the majority are against what I have to say, my bully pulpit is greatly diminished.

 

The study of karate teaches us how to focus energy, intense energy.

Like moths drawn to a fire, energy can burn us up, or be used to create new and wonderful things.

 

The first energy of a list is when I speak others (in this case 206) may be listening.

 

The second energy is that we can have others add their voices to ours and create union greater than the individual parts.

 

The third energy is that we can tap others experiences to en-rich our studies.

 

The fourth energy is of dissonance, where differing voices cancel each others out and leave disharmony that only the energy of the other voices can repair. And when the rest say nothing, a void is permanetly created.

 

Energies are neutral. How YOU wield them determines the results.

 

What have I learnt from the internet.

 

First, nothing offered here is proof for anything. Anybody can say anything which in and of itself is only hot air.

 

Second, Oral History is always correct (if only to the speaker). Nothing can be done to prove or disprove it by discussion. The most that can be done is others Oral History can re-inforce or detract from it. But when you consider how much we interpret a common event and end up with different stories, how small to belive we can prove any oral history with words.

 

Third, when somebody writes something it could become real to others, simply because it's been written. Some individuals place their theories in books, and though unproven, others will interpret those books as concrete histories. Well professional historians write books that other professional historians spend their lifetimes disproving too.

 

There is no profit in rigorous academic study of Isshinryu history to go beyond collecting oral histories. And whoever publishes the most or first can control future research, simply by their theories becoming accepted as truth.

 

What is truth, simply in society most people won't take the time to vote, with no real majority expressing even a simple vote, nobody who is elected has to listen to their supporters, as long as they can garner new supporters the next time, and that's what happens.

 

What is truth, almost 100% certainty that tommorrow 206 individuals won't take the time to send a message to ITOL, proving me wrong, that they care what direction Isshinryu represents itself.

 

What is truth, I'm sadder that that is the truth.

 

Victor Smith

Bushi No Te Isshinryu