“I want the students to understand the importance of what they are learning….we must think on how to preserve the original karate not only with words but with a sound philosophy behind it.” – Toshimitsu Arakaki 10th-dan Matsubayashi-ryu
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Why is it important to save a martial arts cultural heritage or tradition?
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To different people, culture means different things. Similarly, every human society has its cultural heritage. Culture encompasses a society’s ideals, traditions, arts, structures, and values, among other things. Or, culture is defining people’s behavioral patterns in a particular community.
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It gives the members of a specific group a feeling of connection and oneness. It’s critical to preserve our cultures, histories, and heritage for obvious reasons.
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The Okinawa Prefectural Government today are implementing methods of preserving the heritage of karate, as the birthplace of its martial arts and the people involved.
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But unfortunately, much of the “original” karate has been lost in time, either because it was not passed on by the teachers of today, or the students who received the old techniques have decided to make changes to their karate for aesthetic, competition or stylistic purposes.
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Today traditional martial artists are mainly judged on how “pretty” their karate looks rather than how effective it is. The “combative” applications that were once the primary function of karate, are not effective in real-world settings.
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Being traditional does not mean that things don’t change. It means we are following the principles used in the past. Tradition is not history. History refers to nothing more than the measurement of the passage of time. Tradition, on the other hand, is about continuity, and evolution.
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I believe in sharing the knowledge we have been given by others with the hope that someday, it again will be passed on and shared.
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Culture and its history are morals, beliefs, and aims. They form a people’s national identity, and it is essential to preserve cultural heritage to maintain identity as a nation. And the value of cultural heritage in the martial arts is in the wealth of experience and skills passed down from generation to generation.
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Matsuo Basho (1644-1694) summed up tradition when he wrote; “Seek not to [blindly] follow in the footsteps of the men of old but rather continue to seek out what they sought.” This timeless concept says so much about keeping tradition alive, rather than blindly adhering to exactly how the master did it 100 or so years ago!
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It is my belief that cultural preservation is vital. It preserves a sense of unity and belonging among people of a specific community.
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Cultural preservation’s future is at risk everywhere. Because of today’s busy lifestyles, intense social responsibilities and a continuing move to a more sport orientated karate. Preservation of cultural heritage requires the protection of it, and sharing is the best way to preserve it. 
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On Ko Chi Shin (温故知新) Funakoshi Gichin wrote, “To study the old is to understand the new.”
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 Photo Credit: Travel67 Chris Wilson Photography
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