Kalama Sutta

In the Kalama Sutta the Buddha taught us to not accept any teaching, including His, without testing and examining it for ourselves. While rejecting blind faith and dogmatism and encourages free and systematic personal inquiry, it does not dismiss the value of doctrines and of Master–Disciple teaching.

The sutta goes like that :

The Kalamas of the town of Kesaputta had been visited by teachers of divergent views. Each of them had exposed their own doctrines and had torn down the doctrines of their predecessors. So the Kalamas were confused. And when the Buddha arrived in their town, they asked his advice on this matter.

The Buddha first assured them that under such circumstances it was proper for them to doubt, encouraging them into doubt and free inquiry. He next advised them to abandon those things they knew for themselves - by experience - to be bad and to adopt those things they knew to be good. 

"Come, Kalamas. Do not go upon what has been acquired by repeated hearing, nor upon tradition, nor upon rumor, nor upon scripture, nor upon surmise, nor upon axiom, nor upon specious reasoning, nor upon bias towards a notion pondered over, nor upon another's seeming ability, nor upon the consideration 'This monk is our teacher.' When you yourselves know: 'These things are bad, blamable, censured by the wise; undertaken and observed, these things lead to harm and ill,' abandon them. When you yourselves know: 'These things are good, blameless, praised by the wise; undertaken and observed, these things lead to benefit and happiness,' enter on and abide in them."


This advice not to rely upon established tradition, abstract reasoning, and charismatic gurus, can be dangerous if taken out of context by complete morons. So the Buddha further helped the Kalamas by questioning them, leading them to see for themselves that greed, hate and delusion, being detrimental to all, are to be abandoned, and their opposites, being beneficial to all, are to be sought.

Unfortunately, this Buddha's advise is sometimes interpreted by ego-inflated individuals as an encouragement to reject all doctrines and teachings and to do whatever they like.

This is as stupid as believing one could become a fighter without learning from a valid Master. The beauty of Martial Arts is that the delusion does not last very long. On their first incursion in a ring, a battlefield or any place loaded with alcohol and adrenaline, self taught fighters brutally get their asses back into reality.  (This also happens to people who trained under deluded self appointed Masters,  I have seen it...)

In spiritual matters, it can take much longer before one realizes one's own or one's teacher's arrogance and vanity.

Before He started his own quest, the Buddha himself spent years practising and perfecting his spiritual technique under 2 great Yoga Masters... He acquired with them those abilities and expertise that would allow him to reach awakening and teach.

So what the Buddha said was NOT to follow whatever we like as the path to liberation, but to carefully consider, examine, doubt and ponder all teachings of all Masters including His - for only us can see for ourselves and realize the Dharma - keeping faith in our ability to one day figure it out through diligent practice. 

"Karate does not work"

 

Many people argue that Kata are not applicable for self-defence.

They are wrong.

True, it is not always easy to see what a certain kata move is about and how it could be used for actual self-defence.

However, like it or not, the fact that you cannot figure it out does not mean that it cannot be done. It just means that you are not able to do it...

Traditional kata were transmitted to us by Masters - some of them with actual combat experience - for several generations. If you don't believe there was actual fighting knowledge codified in these exercises, that is your loss, for you are missing a huge amount of knowledge and experience.

I am not speaking here of fancy kata designed by modern self-proclaimed masters for the sole goal purpose of winning kata competition with fancy moves that are more efficient to move air around than for fighting purpose.

I was teaching 2 weeks ago a class about the use of Seisan Kata for self-defence. One of the student, a young and dedicated female high school student told me their school self-defence  instructor had told them:  

"Karate does not work - if somebody attacks you, get on your back on the ground and kick them away from you."

Ever heard something that stupid ?

I asked the student what her instructor would say if there were several attackers. She told me she had asked her, but she had not been able to answer. 

Now here we have someone who obviously knows nothing about Karate and is being critical of it, but who also does not understand anything to actual self-defence - life and death situations, and actual fighting, and has the guts to give some of the stupidest advise to a potential victim

This is the kind of comment is stupid, it is also irresponsible. To tell a young woman that when she is being attacked she should get to the ground with her legs in the air is borderline criminal. For this is probably where the rapist wants her anyway.

The ability to defend yourself depends of a few factors : physical fitness, technical ability, and willingness to do so.

Karate (and other martial arts) will teach you the technical ability and the willingness to do so. Your physical fitness is your job. If you are serious about your study of Karate, you will have to be fit anyway. 

Do not listen to self appointed experts. Train hard, kata, and their self-defence applications - and sparring if at all possible full contact. The ability to actually strike and to receive strikes, will greatly help you not freeze under attack.

Keep High Spirit