Zen Do Kai The Best of Everything in Progression

I'm currently in Hobart at LCA (http://linux.conf.au), a conference on Linux, the free operating system. Although it may not mean much to most, as well as those that like free software and those that don't like being locked into a proprietary software solution, Free and Open Source Software attracts those that understand the value of a free and open exchange of ideas and concepts. People that understand that sharing ideas helps society.

Putting our entire syllabus, lesson plans, instructor notes on the web does create some concern for some people. Putting information out there means 'that people don't need to come to class and can learn without us'. Instructors rely on students turning up and paying fees on a monthly basis, I know I do .. so I can afford to pay for a place to train with great people.

Although sharing information and putting it out there can be seen as taking away chances to gain students, most information is useless without having someone to work with and explain some of the details that just can't be put down on paper. The number of times I've just had to do something rather that explain it .. of course that may just be me not finding the correct words, in the correct order with the correct hand (or foot).

Many years ago when I was studying computers at polytech, we had a lesson that about expert systems. According to wWikipedia "An expert system is software that attempts to reproduce the performance of one or more human experts, most commonly in a specific problem domain, and is a traditional application and/or subfield of artificial intelligence". From a martial arts point of view that is like getting a handbook and complete lesson plan of a martial arts system.

Now of course nothing is perfect. One case that was explained to me was that one system had this all done and they were doing a test case of it. And even after all
the work that had gone in they came up with another scenario that was pretty close to an existing documented procedure. As people were watching, the experts did something different and were asked "Why? That's not what it says here".

"Well it seemed the right thing to do."

Learning martial arts is not much different, all the books, videos, web blogs are not going to be able to cover that one instance when someone a couple of inches shorter reacts in a slightly different way .. the mind and body think and react faster than any piece of paper or a computer. I know that after explaining something to a class (yeah, yeah, we know, we understand) and getting them practising it, there still needs to be adjustment as we go through and cycle around to 'play' with someone else. Only the experience from the training and practice, and the understanding of the concepts has allowed me to be able to adjust and solve the problem.

Of course we all must look at where Zen Do Kai has come from. The best of everything in progression has involved in us learning and gathering information from various sources and blending it to make what is ours. If others had chosen not to share the information with us, we'd be doing .. umm .. hmmm .. well, we'd be doing something different.

The survival of the fittest does mean that the system does grow and information spreads as we get better, but there is also opportunity to shrink and loose information as clubs that can't keep up fade and close.

An open exchange of information does mean that people are freer to choose where they get that information from, where they train and who they train with. People, instructors, systems, clubs that don't take advantage of the information, that don't create the atmosphere won't survive.

It starts and finishes with being about people.