аЯрЁБс>ўџ ўџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџ§џџџўџџџўџџџ   !"#$%ўџџџўџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџRoot EntryџџџџџџџџВZЄ žбЄРOЙ2К0гs’ ™Ч&€CONTENTSџџџџ FCompObjџџџџџџџџџџџџVSPELLINGџџџџџџџџџџџџрўџџџўџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџ and are supposed to know it all. They are supposed be masster teachers, not students. This problem even extends to studying unrelated arts. A good friend who is a well known martial arts master (a legitimate one) and head of his own martial arts association once told me this story. Back in Japan while visiting he decided to take a few classes in a healing energy art in which he was interested. In his first class, however, this teacher announced to those attending that he was pleased that one of his new students was  Master XXXX and went on to recount details to them of his background and fame. My friend felt acutely embarrassed, and never returned to class. Another problem for those adopting  Master too early is the negative reputation created. You may fool new students (at least some of them), but not legitimate teachers who may know you. In short, you sabotage your reputation and lose respect in the martial arts community. How different it was in Okinawa in the early 19th Century before karate became commercial. At that time many now famous karate teachers sought out each other to learn. This was before ranks, adopted titles or even names of karate styles had been defined. It was also before karate became big business. For example such notables as Chojun Miyagi, Kenwa Mabuni, Kentsu Yabu, Chotoku Kyan, Chojo Oshiro and Chokki Motobu trained and taught together in the Okinawan Tode (karate) Research Club. For them the goal was to learn more about their art, not to make a business of it. If you are truly a Master of your art, great. But if you aren t try, not to get trapped in the titles and hoopla. Be humble, study continuously, study what can benefit you in terms of understanding the depth of technique and application of your art. Study too the history ofCHNKWKS FјџџџџTEXTTEXTFDPPFDPP FDPCFDPC"STSHSTSH$hSTSHSTSHh%ЂSYIDSYID (SGP SGP (INK INK "(BTEPPLC &(BTECPLC >(FONTFONTV(pSTRSPLC Ц(:PRNTWNPR)ЮFRAMFRAMЮDˆTITLTITLVEDOP DOP hEBeing a  Master has its price. In fact I often feel sorry for those who have adopted that title. There certainly are masters of their art. And I deeply respect those whom I have known and studied with. These impressive individuals have committed a lifetime to perfecting their art, which they often keep refining and developing. But unfortunately, the term  Master has lost much of its significance, now that many individuals with dubious experience or too few years of study have adopted  Master as a marketing tool, or worse, as a crutch to ego (but this must be a subject of another article). I can understand the motive to  Master yourself, especially if you are unaffiliated with a major martial arts organization (which controls rank) and are fighting for students in a crowded market. Certainly a high rank and the term  Master buys credibility among the uninformed. It can translate into new students and money. The problem is that  Master implies that you have perfected your art (something that usually takes 30-50 years of dedicated practice). It is not a world for 20 or 30 year old self-inflicted 9th and 10th Dans (degree of black belt) who have adopted this title. By adopting the title too soon, teachers in effect self-impose chains on themselves, something that, once attached, usually brings further learning to a screeching halt  too often long before skill and potential have been fully developed. Growth is stunted. It s rare even to see anyone fourth dan or above studying any other art, attending seminars or workshops. You never see Masters  especially those who run their own schools or organizations. What Master would be seen studying anything from anyone else? It would imply their mastery was not quite complete -- after all, they are the chief honcho your art too. Take time to perfect the art you practice. Perhaps then you will understand that Masters are made, not just proclaimed. nything from anyone else? It would imply their mastery was not quite complete -- after all, they are the chief honcho ФА< H P Ў:^мќќќќќќќќќќќдд(2‚"'(Š  л)л @ЗS ЗвШ " . "PS" $Š 08TќPђ8>b†šЄЎИТж№4џџџџDefinition TermDefinition ListH1H2H3H4H5H6Address Blockquote Preformattedz-Bottom of Form z-Top of FormŽќPђp~†”œЊИЮишђ  0:JTdlzŽОDP‚ "№” " "№” " "№” "ј|”  " І"ј|` "  "ј|" "  "ˆЖ" " " "  "№" "  "рŒ" "  "№"  "№  "ј|"ј|, "№$Š  08)P2‚J' (Š@ ХJ  Š• Oр +%( йu.0 žР78 c A@ (VJH э SP Вы\ђ. "рŒ $Š  08йuŒ. 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