Because I live on 5 acres of property, and until we recently had our Internet service converted to a satellite, there were times when my Internet would just stop working.

Do you know what it is like to be without Internet these days?

It’s terrible!  It’s unbelievable, considering today’s age of Internet, but for people who live in rural areas, like me, Internet is just not guaranteed.  The other thing is that my cell phone does not work inside my house, so without WiFi, I had to drag a chair down the driveway if I wanted to sit and talk for a few minutes.  I would tell my kids, “I’m going to the Internet chair” with amusement, even though I was extremely frustrated.

The interesting thing is, after those few days with steady stream of Internet, I was able to contemplate my martial art without watching any videos or reading anything on-line or blogging about it.  I was not able to chat on Skype or Google+ or tweet; I had no access to connections, friends, or followers.  All I could do for sure was sit outside under the sky, think, watch nature, and just be. I realized then that I don’t always need instantaneous news, e-mails, threads, or topics beating me over the head every second of the day. Time to think is important, too. Time is a better measure of our lives than Internet.  And that all brought me to think about a time long ago, when I first learned karate.

THERE WAS NO INTERNET.

Who else remembers that?

In the past, what you learned in class you had to practice before the next class. You would keep copious notes on each step or movement, how to hold your fingers out in a ridge or fold them up into a punch. You would draw a diagram or two, symbolizing where to stand in your one-step, or what foot swings to where in your kata.  You would imagine your assailants gathered around you and write a narrative on what to do if that really happened, and save it in your karate notebook.

Life was simpler then.  Learning happened the old-fashioned way.  You went to class to train and practice. There was no confirmation anywhere other than by your Sensei of how you were doing.  There were three easy steps to getting better at your martial art:

Learn: soak up as much as possible in class.

Remember:  practice before going back to class again so you can learn something else the next class.

Return: go to class frequently.

In class, there was a real person standing in front of you with a real voice who would push your shoulder back or straighten your hips with real instructor hands.You practiced with peers of all shapes and sizes. No one dried their sweat or their tears. You did the same things over and over for fear of forgetting.

I almost wish it were still that way.  Learning was “pure.” You had to work harder, in a sense, to remember, apply,and practice, all on your own in between classes.  There was nothing to compare and no quick “looking it up.”  You had to remember techniques without constant reminders or oversight.  Many martial artists my age can relate.  The Internet age was not in full swing then.  We faced each skill with determination and if we forgot how to do something we would have to wait until next class.  Patience.

Today, YouTube and other sources on the Internet reveal the true secrecy of learning a martial art. Part of the magic, before the Internet, was that you were committed to attending the dojo. Part of the allure was walking in and out of the dojang with your belt draped around your neck after a hard work out. Now, YouTube and Facebook to fill in the gaps. You don’t need to focus your mind as much. You can find anything on the Internet about a kata, a grab, a fall, a kick. Can you learn a whole martial art there?

Some of the younger martial artists, I’m sure, only know life with Internet. They tweet their karate questions and concerns; find advice on-line about the best martial art to take; and watch a lot of videos. I can’t lie. I do the same on occasion. At times it feels disconnected, to transform a tradition into a tweet; but this is our world. So, I must ask this one question.  Can we keep tradition alive?

Has the Internet Ruined Martial Arts?

I know, I know.  It’s a tough question, but one worth pondering. I think there are pro’s and con’s to being able to explore, share, and learn on-line.  I wonder if it affects the integrity of the traditional arts and the way they have always been taught and learned. Can that guy on the screen or that woman in the gi on the computer replace the living, breathing instructor?  I think not.

It is not because I’m an instructor and am trying to hoard students. As an instructor I always want what is best for my students. But, without me pointing my finger, tapping my toes, or punching with a swish in my gi, I think there is a lot to be lost by trying to practice a martial art via web.   Part of the learning is the intensity of the instructor breathing down your neck; the endless sparring rounds that drain you; and the compassionate criticism of a co-student after you smash him a little too hard.

On the other hand (because there is always another hand…), the Internet offers the chance for me, a small town martial arts teacher, to expand my horizons and reach out to others all across the world.  Residents of other countries will actually read and share this blog post. I have a voice that can be heard from one end of the globe to the other thanks to the Internet.

You can look at YouTube and see the most magnificent martial artists who ever existed; some very old, some young, some in between. In my training years, you only had opportunities to see other advanced martial artists if you went to competitions, but even then, the best in the world were not within arm’s reach, as they are now.

I post some videos for my students because they live in a world where they only know and understand immediate results. If I want to stay current and trendy, I have to adhere to the changing times. If I want to keep students, I can’t make them work out in a penned up large, open, hot, sweaty dojo, the way I learned.

I also, at times, learn via videos.

So, am I some kind of hypocrite? No.  I believe that the Internet offers some possibilities to become a better martial artist and instructor by sharing  knowledge and ideas that can be brought back to the dojo.  And, if someone truly is in a situation where they cannot learn a martial art due to finances, logistics, or for whatever reason, then maybe karate via Internet is a viable option.  In the past, no such opportunity existed.

For those interested in self-defense or looking at different styles, then the Internet is a good answer. Don’t know what styles exist? Wonder if you can perform any of the skills? Are those board breaks for real? Check it out on the Internet.

I suppose it’s a little old-fashioned to even think that martial arts have been ruined by the Internet. In one sense, the world of karate has been revealed like never before and can reach anyone who wants to just see what it is all about. Martial arts are now available to everyone and everywhere. Far-reaching. Difference-making.  Possibility-driven. Your knowledge base can expand exponentially.

I think my limited Internet not long ago was actually a good thing. I realized its importance and place in our modern martial arts culture. We cannot let it replace the real-world relationships and interactions that are so very necessary.  Your learning requires a human component. Don’t ever let the Internet replace the genuine, true aspects of martial arts, but integrate it as part of your personal martial art culture. On-line learning and research has its place, but so does stepping foot onto the dojo floor and learning the traditional way.

No.  I don’t believe the Internet has ruined martial arts.  If nothing else, it has reminded us all that the genuine tradition and the intricate details and the personal accomplishments that surround every martial art are as important as ever.

Your life is part reality, part cyber. The Internet is a resource, but your martial art is your guide. Put it all together and you’re on a fast track to being exactly who you want to be.

Andrea