Divergence

  I read a lot of “posts” on chat groups and blog's alike, and it always surprises me when people (make the claim) that what is taught in Oyata's system now, is the “same” as what was taught 30 years ago.
  This claim, is of course made by individual's who have no (present) affiliation with anything that's been taught (by Oyata) within the past 10 years. They base their entire claim on what they (sometimes) were shown and/or heard about Oyata's teachings from even 15 years ago (and commonly by individual's either not or only loosely affiliated with the present association).
  This is equivalent to saying that a collage level math class is the same as a 3^rd grader's math class. Yes, they both contain many of the same elements, that doesn't make them equivalent to one another.
  Using that same analogy, both methods of application are valid. But it does not mean that they are both the same. Many of the same results can (often) be attained, but they are often different ways to achieve them.
  Having listened to (numerous) lectures/statements made by these “X” affiliate's, I recognize the statements (originally by Oyata) being made (though being made, and claimed as being their own, by those individual's now, LOL).
  The common “training period” (or at least what's commonly considered to be the average time period for training, LOL) is around 5-6 years. This is the amount of time it will (usually) take for the average student to achieve a “Shodan/Black-Belt” level. Not that this is (or should be) considered the “end” of one's training (but it most commonly is...). The vast majority of student's quit, once having acquired a “Black-Belt” (or at the very least, reduce the amount of time they spend training).
  I've received numerous (private) E-mails (via my blog “comment's”) from individual's who haven't “trained” (read attended, LOL) from one of Oyata's (active member) instructors in years, yet then attempt to “tell me” that what ever I'm commenting about is wrong, or that they learned it different (15, 20, 25,... 30 years ago!), well, no Shit, LOL.
  What Taika taught (take your pick of how many years ago) would be considered (in many circles) to be different than what he taught towards the end of his life. Or (as we view and understand it) what was taught towards the end of his life, was what and where his teachings and technique's evolved to. That doesn't invalidate what was taught (those many years ago), it only means that he moved on.
  This is similar to the manor that “exercises” are utilized. Once the concept is understood, the exercises purpose has been achieved (time to move on to the next level). It serves no purpose, to (endlessly) repeat an exercise, once that concept is understood. It is only a building block to higher learning.
  What those individual's who follow what was (ie. “used to be”) taught by Oyata are pursuing, is not the same methodology that the student's of the present form of his system are. They share many of the same rudimentary motions, even concepts, but the end results are often very different.