Mixing Sushi, and Fried Chicken....

  Having reviewed the general membership of the association (via the RyuTe website and viewing the listed web pages), I find it interesting that there are a number of Dojo that (still) teach another system in addition to teaching RyuTe.

   

  I find this extremely odd. I mean, I understand the need to generate funds to pay the bills, but beyond the instruction of children, why would you bother? (with those other systems). 

     

  I'm sure there are some who would read this and determine that I am being (extremely) biased. They would of course be correct, I am biased (and hold no reservations about being so). But beyond that bias, I've seen no system that compares to RyuTe (as far as self-and/or Life, Protection). If my interest was in “Sport” Karate, then I would have an only limited interest in RyuTe (it's a poor choice for training in that field). 

     

  The vast majority of RyuTe Yudansha are, and have been, converts from other systems. They commonly held some Yudansha level rank in those systems. This means that they didn't “come-up” through the Mudansha ranks in RyuTe, and (therefor) weren't exposed to the same training that would (usually) be received from having done so.

  

  When interested students observe these person's classes, they see what those instructor's have always taught (IE. Their previous system's teachings). People will tend to not change the little things in their instruction methods. They commonly don't (yet) realize that those little things, are what makes all the difference (in what's learned). 

     

  For example, they continue to have student's tuck their hands at their sides (when performing punching strikes). They have student's perform kicks and strikes the same as they always have taught. They haven't abandoned their previous teaching/learning methods. 

      

 Many of the individual's who have been expelled from the association, likewise never modified their prior (to beginning RyuTe) teachings (to emphasize the RyuTe methodology) Mostly, because they never had gone through learning those teachings methods themselves (being “bestowed” with their ranking when they joined the association).

    

  Taika had the regrettable habit of allowing newly converted student's to retain their prior rank. This (in turn) allowed a number of (we'll say) not so deserving individual's to procure undeserved rank, without having (actually) learned/experienced the RyuTe methodology of application that would of been subsequently procured.

    

  The majority of those individual's have since been purged from the association (and of course have since then also promoted themselves to higher “Dan” levels, including 10^th Dan, LOL). Even the most recently expelled hadn't attended any training in 10 years! Yet, they still “claim” those 10 years as having been time training with Taika?

   

  As far as retaining the instruction of a prior system (when the instructor has theoretically converted to RyuTe), I am at a loss. I don't really understand why. It would seem far more practical, to teach RyuTe, and offer those “sport karate” classes (as being optional) for those so inclined.

   

  RyuTe offers a “Sport” (Bogu) Kumite competition (though not everybody may be up to/for it, LOL). I (personally) don't participate in it anymore, or even instruct that manor of practice (I recommend to my students whom to go to in order to participate in it). It's focus isn't Self/Life Protection, so I don't want to waste my own (or my students) class time in regards to it.

   

  For those who transition to RyuTe, I only suggest that if they want to become proficient at RyuTe, they will have to abandon their prior methods (before they can become proficient at it).