NAKAYAMA'S
SHOTOKAN
A DYNAMIC
KARATE
(An epitath
written on the death of M. Nakayama)
by
James R. melton
Masatoshi Nakayama's lifework in
karate is a living example of Shu‑Ha‑Ri. The concept of shu‑ha‑ri
begins with Shu, the stage at which one learns from tradition.
At this stage the student is a technician imitating the work of
an artist. Ha represents the stage at which, having developed
the ability to mimic the Master, the student breaks the chains
of tradition and thus is no longer limited by them. This is not
abandoning the old ways, but rather allowing them to continue to
grow and evolve instead of becoming stagnant. Ri is the third
stage in which there is the freedom to create and express person
and art as one. Inevidably someone imitates this art, and the
cycle begins anew with them.
Master
Nakayama's journey through this ancient cycle as an individual
was no more or less remarkable than that of many others. What
made his evolution so remarkable was that he, like his teacher
before him, took the art form as it was perceived by its
practitioners and guided and shaped its growth, and theirs, as
one would a living garden. Master Funakoshi had fused Japanese
philosophy with Okinawan fighting techniques and created
Karate‑Do a generation before. It fell to Nakayama, and a few
others, to integrate Karate‑Do with the concepts of the
scientific analysis of movement, and sport karate. Funakoshi's
influence led to the acceptance of karate in Japan. Taking up
where his teacher's footsteps ended, Nakayama took karate to the
world.
Now Mr.
Nakayama's footsteps have come to a halt. This leaves an
organization at a critical turning point. Do we enter the stage
of Shu‑marking time, standing still at the end of the trail he
blazed for us? I don't believe that was his intention. After
all, he called his book Dynamic Karate‑a living,
changing, moving art.
