I recall reading of Kanazawa Sensei at one of the first Japan Karate Competitions, breaking his arm during a semi-final match. The arm was set and that night he was talking with his mother, sad that he was finished. His mother, a good Samauri, reportedly replied, “You only have one arm?” The next day Kanzawa, his broken arm in a sling won the competition with one arm.
There are several similar stories from the Olympics. The Japanese gymnast competing on the high rings and the American gymnast competing in the vault with leg injuries. They overcame the injury to finish to fight for their team.
I recall a different set of circumstances in my early competition years. In a tournament in NY State a competitor was hit and dropped to the hard floor sharply injuring his head. He was from the sponsoring Sensei (an Internationally know Japanese instructor) and very shakily got up to his feet. One of that instructors students (a MD) diagnosed the severity of the head trama, and declared he must go to the hospital. The injured competitor instead only looked at his opponent and declared he was fighting. The Doctor, concerned only with the safety pleaded with his instructor to make him stand down. The Sensei remained implaccable finally stating let the competition continue. I do not recall the results but having finished my own competition and sitting in the stands I know I did nothing.
Do such instances forge the spirit of the individual? While they seem alike, they are vastly different from each other. In the case of Kanazawa, the injury wasn’t life threatening, it presented a challenge to overcome which he did, and one can always make a case an arm in a cast could be used to some advantage, too.
In the case of the Oympic competitors, in most sports this is their one chance to shine, that competition being their life peak activity. Their injuries which most likely were severely aggravated by the event, were still not life threatening. Their competing did assist their team.
In the case of the NY injury I am quite sure in today's medical opinions in those cases, it was still incorrect to let them compete. To win a trophy, however significant that may be, does it equate with the risks to the recipient’s health? In conditions 'extremis', where life is threatened, such effort is heroic, but to win a trophy, is not the fact they are ready to do so sufficient and the wisest course to make them stand down.
The other instance is far more troubling. While it seems a similar situation, the strike to the ground, was significantly life threatening if they were to continue fighting. The doctor did everything in their power to intercede and stop the activity. The fighter I’m quite sure was trying to prove something to Sensei, that their spirit was more important.
The Sensei, unfortunately, made the wrong choice. His choice made the competition more important than the threat to the students life. He is quite a famous personality, a quality instructor. Unfortunately as I reflect on this event I question his spirit.
Then in that instance, I on the other hand, a relatively new Dan, sat in the stands doing nothing. I clearly knew what was going on was wrong and remained a spectator.
Several years later I had moved to New England and attended a local Martial Arts presentation. One instructor pulled me out of the stands to judge an example youth kata contest between a very traditional goju ryu school and a school which came out of the hippie era with pretend kata (if one can even call them that) and I virtually sat through the entire demonstration giving scores, trying not to insult children and continually biting my tongue. I guess the paying public did get to see the difference between the two schools.
The highlight of the evening was to be a full contact fight. Apparently a full contact National Heavyweight contender was going to show his skills, with some unknown gentleman from my town. The other fact was the unknown gentleman was apparently untrained and a full contact punching bag for three rounds.
Again I was a spectator watching a trained fighter pummel unchallenged the doofus. Sure he wasn’t being KO’d, but instead giving a pounding. At the end of the first round, the fighter had a complete corner, trainer, etc. attending to his condition. The challenger had no one and dazedly wandered in to the stands to grab a coke from somebody. An extremely unhealthy act in the face of what he was suffering..
These were individuals who choose to engage in this exhibition.
Most disgusted I began to rise from my seat to go down to stop the circus. However, my wife grabbed my sweater and said "Don't!!!"
So instead we left.
What is the right spirit to forge? To contest for baubles, regardless of the risks to ones person? To allow somebody to pound another for show with no spirit of contest possible? To believe that having a student compete regardless of the risks in a situation is more important to the student than their continued existence?
Which role model is right, The Sensei who places being forged by fire most important? The Okinawan instructors who were most proud at never having to use their karate?
And, when seeing wrongness when is the spectator responsible for not entering the picture and ending the act?
A new topic to discuss
Victor Smith
Bushi No Te Isshinryu
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