Powerful Resource for Dojo/Dojang Owners
Howdy everyone. As you know I work closely with the Karate Depot team to figure out new ways in which to help martial artists.
Recently we realized something unusual about martial arts retailers – every company has a standard store front with wholesale tacked on the side as an afterthought. Karate Depot was just as guilty! We realized that with such a large contingent of school owners getting online to promote their business and supply their students, why shouldn’t there be a resource dedicated entirely to them?
It was with that idea Zengu.com was born.
Zengu combines the resources of multiple different retail sites, including http://www.karatedepot.com, http://www.boxingdepot.com, and http://www.mmaopinion.com. Pooling these resources into one location resulted in a greatly improved product selection. The prices were then dropped as close to factory as possible while still allowing for a sustainable business model.
After that core framework was taken care of, we went in and started building features that would benefit martial art school owners specifically. For example, on Zengu you have the ability to create and save lists of products that you may need for tournaments, demonstrations, or routine school maintenance (click here to learn more about Zengu’s tools). Each list is separate and can be quickly ordered or re-ordered any time they are needed.
It can be difficult to remember which products you need (and how many) when taking registrations, prepping events, promoting students, etc. so these kinds of tools provide a streamlined experience.
To become a part of Zengu, simply sign up for a free account and submit your proof of business. After that the KD team will activate your account and you’ll be good to go. Also, for a little added publicity for your school, don’t miss out on the Zengu Network.
I was glad to be a part of this project, and I hope Zengu adds to my core goal of helping other martial artists in their training journey.
QUESTION 5: Are Traditional Styles Too Rigid?
When it comes to traditional martial arts, we often see a lot of posing, costumes, and dramatics. If you go to a modern tournament that’s about all you see.
Is it any wonder that the rumor regarding traditional styles is that they are simply too rigid, too caught up in themselves to be efficient in the modern world?
The last question in our series makes no bones about it – the asker wants to know if the nature of traditional arts (and the abundance of style-blindness) makes traditionalism ineffective, not worth the time and effort of individuals who need something that can be relied upon in a pinch.
Check out my perspective on the matter. Once again, please forgive my brevity on certain matters as this is a big topic and I didn’t want people nodding off in front of their monitors.
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In the video I mention trying to dig back to classical styles rather than traditional. This is a symantic matter that I use to distinguish between arts that seem to have evolved out of effectiveness and are more inclined toward rank, showmanship, etc, vs the original arts which were designed for straight life protection. There are plenty of folks who don’t use the same symantics as I do, so please don’t consider it any sort of textbook definition.
I use karate as my primary example simply because that is my area of study, along with certain Japanese Budo. However I do maintain that the core principles and methods as passed down by classical/traditional styles are, fundamentally, as valuable now as they ever were.
Breaking through the rigidity of practice is a matter of maintaining creativity and patience. However, as I have seen in practitioners far more advanced than myself, it is well worth it even in modern society.
Building an individual completely (character, technique, spirit, fitness, wellness, combat readiness, etc etc) is a monumental task. Classical styles attempt to accomplish just that, which is important to remember when comparing an old method with a modern fight sport (not better or worse, just different goals). Rigidity is a gateway of the self, and true classical sensei can guide you passed that to levels you didn’t suspect you were capable of.
QUESTION 4: What Martial Methods/Values Have Been Lost In The Modern Era?
This is a big one. It was extremely difficult to frame a complete answer to all the parts of this question.
To understand what I mean, play the video below and listen closely at the full question as I read it. You’ll no doubt recognize it’s broad implications. Nevertheless, I feel like I touched upon the most important factors and provided some concrete examples as to why I have drawn certain conclusions.
Hope you enjoy.
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Keep in mind that the examples I cite in the video only hint at the broader spectrum of changes that have occurred. Each style and system has it’s own tale to tell.
Check out question 5 – Are Traditional Martial Arts Too Rigid?
