If you think about Ti (Toudi) developed in very different context than how karate developed. Those art(s) were working arts used by the 5 families in service to Okinawa.
When karate developed in the Okinawan school system, it was very much to train those students for eventual Japanese military service.
Then as the times opened up, karate was being offered, not so much for self-defense, as Okinawa was a relatively quiet place, but more to allow ordinary Okinawans to share in the idea of karate training, even to the extent of training for good health, similar to how Chinese Tai Chi became a group activity also for health reasons.
The war (WWII) was the war, afterwards perhaps karate seemed to become more popular as a way to like to Okinawan arts, instead ot Japanese ones.
Then Shimabuku Tatsuo upset the apple cart, as his teaching the Marines made money for him. Something other Okinawans began to copy. Karate as a way to produce income began.
Even more changed when those very short-term students started teaching their karate in the States. Realistically by normal Okinawan standards those individuals were not qualified, However Tatsuo gave his permission, likely believing little would come of it. Then to discover that teaching karate in the States took hold.
Likewise, he soon discovered that was occurring without his control over the developing Isshinryu instruction. He would eventually realize control would not really happen given the thousands of miles length and depth of the United States. Something other systems from the States Okinawan export also experienced.
Then realize those initial students of Tatsuo spread across America after returning home, having experienced so much from their brief training, they then decided to open their own dojo and of course things kept changing.
In a sense that was what the development of karate did on Okinawa. Each new generation kept their own take on what they had earned and then they continued to keep their traditions alive.
In that sense what occurred when Issshinryu was imported into the States was very much the same. Essentially change happens, even when trying not to change.
When Karate Gymnastics was created, it was not meant to become a total lifetime training. Then as karate spread across Okinawa it likewise did not focus on a lifetime of training. It was what it was, people trained and in time learned the full system, I imagined it must have been akin to what Charles Murray found while training in Agena back in 1971-72. At that time the Marines had their own dojo on their base. At that time except for Charles there was only one American training there. The rest were Okinawan students who stopped by on their way home from work to train. There were no formal classes, the Okinawan students just trained as they wished. Always under the observation of Tatsuo. Charles trained when possible, from early morning to later evening, during the days often by himself.
A very different dojo experience from how dojo were developed in the states.
That brings up thoughts about what long term training should be. While most of the program I observed were really for shorter term students. Only a few had really long-term students training. One local Londonderry dojo had a large long term black belt group who had been training together for decades. There the training consisted of basics, drills, kata, etc. that they had been working on for decades. Their system did not have kobudo, but a group of those seniors traveled to another dojo, with their instructor's permission, to train in kobudo and then brought that training back to their home dojo.
All the group were extremely nice people.
However, that did not seem the idea I wanted to follow. I wanted each dan to push themselves into new individual dimensions.
I slowly worked on how to accomplish this. It was really focused on those who reached at least 20 years training with me, and I meant training, not just standing around and assisting teaching with me.
They had over 10 years on each of their kata, the point where they relaxed in execution, allowing their centers to drop and their power to increase. They were also experienced in understanding how I approached the possibilities of kata technique application and kata technique realization. In other words, experienced karateka.
I would individually select other kata studies (outside of Isshinryu) to allow them to continually work their minds to do something new. Their kobudo studies continued for I had more to show them, not that they needed them but again to keep their mind fresh and learning.
Then they began more and more to work towards their own understanding how a technique could be applied. Not that they needed another answer, but being able to select another answer, so no one (NOT EVEN ME) would ever know how they would respond.
They would really understand that this would continue for life.
I did not see other programs doing this, perhaps the exception was Sherman Harrill (in his own way) and his students too. Abet differently than I did, but that is of course natural as there was never one answer.
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