I have already written several essays on Taika's thoughts concerning teaching methods as conveyed to me and will post some of them later.However, I haven't really mentioned much about the nature of secrecy and the role that it plays in teaching so I would like to speculate a little based on the reading of the posts on the Kenkyukai.
First, I think the real secrets of karate are in the practice and proper study of the kata. These are available to all who seek them. This may be enhanced with various exercises and training devices that help to develop certain aspects of body movement. The human body can only move in certain ways that are maximally efficient to accomplish any task. Taika observes the efficiency with which his students moves. (Taika once asked a student that work with a plumber doing an installation at his house if the man was a "master plumber." Taika observed that all of this plumber's movements had "no wasted motion" in them.) Taika understands how to improve movements that are not as efficient. This is what Taika refers to when he talks about "natural body dynamics."
Here's one point about secrecy. Okinawan teachers don't seem to want to talk about karate very much. The obvious exception for all of us is Chojun Miyagi who is said to have loved to talk all the time but also pushed his students physically as well. Taika has mentioned that when he got together with other karate teachers on Okinawa that they only socialized and never talked about karate outside of the dojo.
Taika does ask his students not to talk about some things or not to show certain katas to others but he does so more out of a sense of intimacy for what is being shared. One reason is that he feels that we will appreciate what we are learning to a higher degree if we keep our skills, abilities and the knowledge gained to ourselves. Another reason is that many students only know what he is teaching but cannot actually perform up to his standards.This is okay with Taika if one has his own school and is only teaching his own students but not alright to teach others.
I don't have my own school and so I'm primarily a student. Although Taika knows that I understand many of the concepts and principles that he's teaching me, I cannot yet do all the movements that he puts me to task spontaneously "natural" as he would like. So his feeling about me personally is that "Dale talks too much and needs train more." While this is certainly true and one reason I attempt to constrain myself in my writings, I don't think that I won't get better by talking about it. Otherwise we would all be in the same boat on this account. The case being, Taika did travel around the island to meet other teachers and certainly discussed karate with them as in a kenkyukai.
Taika wants his students to train for our own development and not to impress others. Taika definitely doesn't want any of his students to show off their talents because that type of behavior does lead to an "inflated ego." Taika doesn't want his students to act as if or to think of themselves as better than other martial artists. So by respecting his wishes it seems to people that Taika's students don't want to share what they have learned when this is not the reason for withholding. So the case may be made for observing the requests of one's teachers at least while they remain living out of respect to them. Many students extend this courtesy after their teachers pass away but I do feel that this leads to "lost arts" more than anything else.
Best regards,
Dale
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