Introduction
Martial Arts are experiencing an existential crisis at this time, and have been for many years. Perhaps decades.
This crisis stems from a number of factors, the first being impression. This reflects the idea of what people believe is being sold them, in the way of what a martial arts system will give them by taking part in its study.
There's a crisis of purpose. Where there is confusion in terms of the audience as to the actual purpose of martial arts.
There's a crisis of misinformation (or misimpression and misrepresentation). This pertains to the expectations one has with regard to how the practice of martial arts will improve a person's capabilities, especially a confusion over the reality versus the fantasy of how martial arts are represented and often portrayed.
There's a crisis of expectation. What people expect given these other three misnomers with regard the to martial arts and their practice.
There's a crisis of confusion over the validity of reality versus fantasy in terms of martial arts.
There's a crisis of authenticity. Over who is an authority of martial arts, and who has a right to speak about them and who doesn't.
There's a crisis of evaluation. Over determining whether a martial art is valid as a form of interpersonal combat and self defense, by way of the Kyu system of progression, and the place that pressure testing has within the educational system of martial arts.
Finally, there is the arts. The actual essence of the martial arts being both a concept, a philosophy, and a form of expression in the performance arts.
What Authority Do I Have To Speak On This Topic?
Am I accredited through the Shotokan Society of Canada as having achieved any progression under the Kyu system and its corresponding registration?
No and yes. I studied a number of different martial arts formally (most based in the kyu system of progression), at a time when I was working very hard for a living, and yet not making very much money, let alone barely enough to afford the $85 + $15 monthly fees for studying. Keep in mind that doesn't include the fees for evaluation (when you're tested by a qualified evaluator) to measure if you've successfully progressed according to the requirements of a particular kyu/belt. For instance, have you practiced kata, because each level of progression usually has one or more kata associated with it, where kata is basically a series of techniques formed into a streamlined performance that demonstrate a student's application of technique, on its own and as part of a larger performance.
Those evaluators, their time costs money, as does the dojo where this evaluation occurs, and depending upon which kyu it is, you might be required to have between one and three evaluators. Martial arts is economically friendly, for those who are earning a decent wage, but it can be difficult for those who are struggling financially. In my case, I was allowed to study for some time without actually having to take the test for the next level of progression, though I was required to when I could afford it. A time which never came back then when I was studying.
Hence, there is nothing on record with the Shotokan Society of Canada with regard to my progression, and yet, I have studied formally to a level of about fifth kyu. Maybe fourth in terms of my philosophical standards now. I am qualified to speak about these matters, but I am definitely not qualified to teach specific techniques physically. I have every right to write and speak about both the training and philosophy involved, in both the aspect of fantasy and reality, but this post isn't about me, really, or me using it as a medium through which to vent my frustration with regard to how those associating themselves with the martial arts are often treated, both by those who have studied, and those who have not.
The Growth of Ignorance
Through my experience, I've seen ignorance growing extensively from both sides of that paradigm, and given the fact that a large part of my investment with regard to writing, deals with a character whose life path becomes very much linked to the study of martial arts, I felt it necessary to speak out about this in a constructive fashion, much like many other martial artists are doing so constructively as well: Rokas Leo, Jesse Enkamp and Austin Goh, to name a few and most respectfully so.
If you want to consider authenticity as being a factor defining whether a writer should be able to write about any given topic, then consider that Miguel De Cervantes was never a Knight himself, and Tom Wolfe (author of The Right Stuff) was never a pilot, and Tom Clancy was an insurance broker/underwriter. Luo Guanzhong was never on the throne, but he did write Romance of the Three Kingdoms, by combining historical records with episodic opera during the Ming Dynasty.
Perhaps the most truly authentic writers of all, is Miymoto Musashi, who himself wrote the Book of Five Rings, a record and treaty of his travels throughout Japan during the feudal era, he himself having participated in (and allegedly winning) every duel to which he was challenged. Not only that, but he was a close friend of a General in the Tokugawa Shogunate and took part in the Battle of Sekigahara.
Much the same with Sun Tzu, it is speculated as to whether he existed as a General during the Han Dynasty, or if he didn't exist at all, and yet Sun Tzu is such an integral figure in the history of Chinese philosophy that it is almost impossible to recall Chinese philosophy with out the mention of his contribution to the subject matter.
The truth is that speculation can often confirm or deny anyone's existence or authenticity and that's not a criticism of speculation, but rather the true power of its nature. Something that should be taken into consideration when considering such expression. Informed, or otherwise.
I've found that authenticity recently became an elitist weapon of the "those with video proof generation", meaning the generation who grew up during a time when their lives and activities were extensively documented due to the fact that the technology to do so is cheap, and its everywhere, versus the generations before, with the further back in time you go, the less of an "authentic" visual record there is, meaning that if you can't prove you did something, then perhaps you didn't do it at all.
The mind set of most of the "video proof generation", keeping in mind that they're the same generation from which sprung sextortion, though that is definitely not to blame a generation, because most of the video proof generation used the power of video to share their adventures rather than to make themselves elite.
I find it quite ironic that shortly after the arrival of the video proof generation, that the technology to create fake videos, indistinguishable from reality, arrived shortly thereafter, once again creating a paradigm where even their generation could be erased by the generations to come, whether they have video proof or not.
The people who really stand out to me, are the ones I often find myself in admiration of: those who took us along for the ride when they jumped out of a perfectly good airplane (or balloon), or base jumped off of a mountain wearing a wing suit.
That is the epitome of sharing. Can you imagine what a thrill ride something like that is to a paraplegic who will never be able to do something of that nature in their life? Now they can wear a VR headset, and they're in the midst of 360 degree video wearing a parachute after having jumped from a balloon, or in a wingsuit after having jumped from a mountain, and experiencing it first hand.
That is what inspires me about the sharing attitude of younger generations.
What Causes Discomfort When The Topic Of Martial Arts Comes Up?
Whenever the topic of martial arts, especially those whose origins are centralized in South, and East Asia comes up, there always seems to arise diverse extremes with regard to the interest in the topic. Either there is skepticism and sometimes apathy towards the subject, as if speaking about the topic will somehow break local cultural norms, or infect local systems of hierarchy with unfamiliar hierarchy regarding those who've never studied the subject (or martial arts) before. This is related to any sort of unfamiliarity with regard to ignorance of a topic, and the helplessness to be able to confirm or deny whether someone else is an authority or not, or even worthy of that position of responsibility, never mind the actually training or art aspect of the martial arts themselves. This boundary is entirely socio-political.
Skepticism, because martial arts are often depicted in a fantastical, almost unbeatable fashion when it comes to almost all kinds of physical conflict, and given this fantastical if not artistic presentation thereof, many people can't differentiate between the metaphor of fantasy versus reality, and complex interwoven metaphors written into almost any scene depicting martial arts, whether it be live action or Anime. In every scene in just about any television show or movie presenting martial arts, there is the story of the physical conflict. That which represents the cold reality of violence, and the hidden mystical metaphor for that conflict, which is often represented in displays of fantastical abilities, such as walking on water, or jumping through the trees by pushing off of leaves and bamboo branches, only to disappear into the thick of the brush. Many people can't seem to get past the fact that there are two stories being told, one that represents the cold harsh reality of violence, and the other, the intellectual or philosophical conflict that accompanies that brutality. The conflict of the mind and soul. The philosophies of two people coming into conflict with one another.
Most people equate martial arts as a what you see is what you get, approach to reality, but martial arts isn't just about how to throw a punch, or a kick, and much the same, how to stop one. Its about tuning one's body. One's mind, and one's being beyond the mortal, and in most stories that represent martial arts, these aspects are integral to the plot, because they're tied in with and bound to the ideas of people, or schools, or groups of some form whose philosophical principles have come into conflict for some reason, and the solution is often realized eventually through the conflict of that which they've tuned. Their body. Their mind and their being beyond the mortal.
On one level, you have plain and simple violence. Two or more people bludgeoning each other until one prevails over the other. But in such stories, what gives them their abilities is the trio of aspects they've unified into a holistic philosophy of the self, and how its bound to what they're fighting for, and the truth of their unity with the philosophy, and their motivations. These aspects translate into physical ability, and ultimately, no matter how involved the philosophy, it all comes down to this violence, that by the time the audience has seen the artistic representation of the philosophy, which is the fantastical representation of martial arts, they're mistaking this fantasy, for an attempt to sell it as reality, when the way to look at it is, that its like an argument between two people. The one with the better understanding of themselves, their philosophy, and the unity of what they're fighting to achieve or protect, will often be the one with the better command of language as an art form. The fantasy is exactly that. Its the expression of the philosophy, as a form of art, while at the base level of it all, it all eventually comes down to violence.
Many people mistake the fantasy, as a form of cultural boasting, that to some of the audience, they regard as claims that the martial arts can defeat any other ways, for instance, boxing, or fencing or name any other formalized system of attainment of tuning oneself, that includes a physical component often marketed as self defense or combat training. The practical versus the theoretical. The reality versus the fantasy aspect.
Reality Versus Fantasy As A Trope For The Practical Versus The Philosophical
This attitude, especially its western component in terms of the global political sphere, is best reflected in the movie Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark, when Indy confronts the swordsman in the Market in Cairo. The swordsman presents his sword (a heavy scimitar) and then demonstrates his prowess in wielding the heavy blade. Indy simply pulls his revolver from his holster, and shoots the man dead. Reality versus fantasy. A scene which appealed to western audiences as one of the most memorable in cinema history that perfectly reflects this western/reality centered universe versus eastern/orientis ideas of a fantasy and philosophical centered universe.
In essence, that scene represents far more than most people realize. It is the ultimate rejection of one's philosophy and ideas, with the cold reality of the gun. Instant power to take one's life, versus a power that is learned over years, enough so that the one skilled enough to take life with the heavy blade, has by that time learned life's value. Even the value of the lives of their enemies.
Most people who are of the western bent of ideas, reject (eastern) martial arts for this reason. They are not interested in the inner philosophy of the development of oneself as much so as they are interested in the bottom line. Hitting the guy and knocking him out.
Giving credence to eastern martial arts, to many who approach life this way, is seen as giving in to the opposition, and throwing the social balance in the favour of something with which they are unable to coincide.
This is where martial arts as examined by those who are entirely of a practical mindset, who see or read martial arts stories are unable to reconcile the difference between the fantasy side of the story: the philosophy of the body, mind and beyond one's mortal being, with the practical side of the story: hit the guy until he doesn't get up again.
The practical aspect and the philosophical aspect are incompatible initially, and that is because where the practical is of the essence, those whose requirements focus on the practical, do not have the time or imperative to study the philosophy, because the philosophy is not imperative to achieving their requirements or goal. The practical is. This is exactly why law enforcement, armed forces and special forces operators focus on the practical, and discard the philosophy, initially.
However, especially if you're one like myself, who has paid attention to the lives and careers of some members of law enforcement, armed forces and special forces, you'll notice that the more they develop the practical in terms of their applied martial arts training (often their own custom developed intermingled with proven tactics from other martial arts), the more they eventually delve into the philosophical, and by the time of their mastery of these aspects of the practical, they've almost always developed an entire philosophical aspect to accompany it. Martial arts in this way, always seems to come full circle, and I've seen this with a number of influencers, armed forces members and in particular, actual special forces operators.
The martial arts always begins with the practical needs, but always ends with the philosophical. Jocko Willinks' own book(s) are examples of this truth in action, as is the practical training of Randy Turner and his own Direct Action Combat training company.
Ignorance arises entirely out of the inability to differentiate between the practical, and the philosophical. It also arises as a result of when someone of one mind set or the other, goes into a situation involving the presentation of the art form aspect of martial arts, but expecting entirely the other side and being unable to differentiate between the two.
The lesson here in that aspect of martial arts, and one that's relevant in the storytelling and philosophy of every culture who've developed a system of martial arts, is that the practical victory is the shortest lived. The philosophical victory is the one that's in the battle for the long run.
By the end of Raiders of the Lost Ark, even Indy discards his practical approach, and tells Marion that they've got to keep their eyes closed when Belloq, Toht and Colonel Dietrich open the ark. Indy's gun or whip will no longer solve their problems and win the day. Instead, they must not subject themselves to the risk of knowing things that aren't meant for them.
Hence, philosophy wins, and the dead swordsman's investment in his martial art is redeemed when the battlefield is no longer about the practical, but the philosophical.
Responsibility And Martial Arts
Marketing is very important to those who operate martial arts schools, and often it requires them to delve into topics related to education that could potentially save a person when and if they encounter a physically dangerous situation involving an assailant or assailants, ie: self defense.
When so much of what martial arts is about, has very little to do with the practical side, how is it that a dojo, or dojang or temple or club spreads the word and hopes to lure enough students to pay their lease, and to keep the instructors fed and housed? How does one make a living and run a dojo at the same time, without advertising the fact that training can be used for physical unarmed combat?
Is it even responsible to advertise such a thing? How does a martial arts studio keep their head above water without exploiting the philosophical side of martial arts, by focusing only on the practical. The physical or self defense aspect.
Why is it that we focus so much on solving our problems through the use of violence and does martial arts actually encourage this by preparing people for situations where the means by which conflict is solved is through the use of violence?
Once again, we come to a point where the practical side of martial arts: its application in the real world, is its marketing draw, and yet its philosophy is so much in opposition of the idea that the only solution to conflict is violence. The philosophy isn't about the student versus the world. Its about the student versus themselves. Its about conquering one's own self, because that can be one's own worst enemy when it comes to encountering situations where there is the instability of chaos. If you cannot handle yourself, then how can you handle delicate situations like that?
The idea is, how do you market martial arts, when convincing people that by studying your curriculum, that they might be more physically capable of dealing with physical conflict, when the philosophy of most martial arts is about averting physical conflict, and conquering one's own self. As Sifu Shi Heng Yi often states, self mastery. It is much the same with Sifu Dao Shi, of Toronto Qanfa Institute.
With regard to martial arts, and advertising a curriculum as a means to self defense when confronted with physical violence, perhaps there needs to be a recognized standardization of what actually qualifies a martial art as being an effective self defense system, and then developing a system that evaluates that with regard to key concepts that are arrived at with the cooperation of experts in law enforcement, especially aspects that work towards de-escalation of situations, which in essence, would benefit all martial arts who adhered to such standards and allow every one of them to market themselves in that way with the confidence of knowing that they're supporting something that both lines up with the philosophy of martial arts, and the moral responsibility of martial artists in the greater context of society.
I really respect Rokas Leo in this regard, and though he hasn't said what I've stated directly, he has been for the last few years alluding to something like that, with his content and his message as a former Aikido Sensei. A martial art that has long been wrongly scrutinized as ineffective, when I believe that the people who hold such critique are missing the point. Once again, favouring the practical versus the philosophical. I have Nakumura Sensei of Aikido Tendokai to thank for an appreciation of that concept. Rokas Leo is a pioneer asking questions of the martial arts in a most courageous manner. Tradition and innovation can be prosperous for one another so long as they support one another.
I feel there is a big difference however between whether a martial arts system is an effective fighting system, or an effective self defense system, with aspects of de-escalation and problem solving. A fighting system might be an effective sport and method of exercise, with a philosophical element, while a self defense system might focus upon martial arts as a solution towards the de-escalation of violence, that also offers the means to effectively counter without exceeding the use of force, and in that essence, very much lines up with the philosophy. Especially that of Aikido.
No matter. What I've noticed in today's social environment with regard to martial arts, and martial artists of all levels, is that today's social cliques can be a very volatile and manipulative environment for any martial artist, and the reason is that we're living in a society that is gaining traction as collective tribes, who compete with each other in very secretive and often abusive means, exploiting the skills of the unwary in such a way that possibly leads to harm as a form of entertainment for said collective tribes, or that might even lead to the erasure of the real owners of said skills, while others simply cannibalize them and wear them as an illusion of skill, rather than actual authentic skill.
For example: if a student of the martial arts finds themselves living in a new area or community, and they're sussed out as having martial arts training, in communities where there are multiple competing "collective tribes", they might turn that person's skills into a competition between themselves and someone else, even setting up situations where violence arises between the two, while members of these collectives bet on the outcome. That sort of thing has happened many times in situations I've witnessed for myself more than once (with myself being at the center of more than one such setup), where the martial artist often has no idea that they're being played in that way, and that there is a (large) scale competitive social game being played in that way, exploiting a person's training to pit them against someone else who is speculated to be capable enough to defeat that person is a very real threat.
The collectives then engage in social tactics while the two teams bet on each of their candidates for the conflict that will eventually be arranged to occur without their being aware. The different sides will use all manner of psychological harassment and manipulation in order to give their fighter the best chance of winning, while keeping almost every aspect of these competitions hidden from the authorities. Often the collectives that conduct these events, keep their targets under constant surveillance.
These are the modern social conditions for those who have studied martial arts, but are not well protected by a group or collective dynamic. When they arrive in a community where these dynamics do occur, it is highly likely that they will be exploited by the groups in the area.
Hence, in addition to training for de-escalating conflict, martial artists should include training for strengthening themselves psychologically against group dynamics, including peer pressure and psychological strengthening, in much the same way that martial artists train their muscles through calisthenics that often fit the exact waza (techniques) being employed in the martial arts system.
For instance, a strong grip is cultivated by certain exercises, often push-ups, fist-ups (I used to do 180 a day on a hardwood floor), while strong legs are cultivated by requiring everyone in the dojo to move from place to place on the floor by duck-walking. There are psychological equivalents that students can practice with the assistance of their fellow students, and their instructor, that strengthens them against group dynamics. Group dynamics are the biggest threat to a martial artist and their training, especially in situations where they're isolated from their own friendly group, and alone. Even the most physically capable martial artist is easily broken when it comes to group dynamics, especially those in very aggressive communities where such groups operate.
Summary Of Responsibility
The way that I see it, is that if the martial arts are to survive in an urban environment into the future, they should include standards for de-escalation, negotiations and problem solving, in addition to physical techniques that do not escalate the use of force.
They should also standardize methods for strengthening martial artists against the group dynamic tactics employed by collective groups in communities, so as to improve the autonomy and stability of isolated martial artists who are operating within a community where aggressive group dynamics and tactics are employed against targets in the same community.
By dealing effectively with these two challenges, martial arts will be strengthened and respected as a solid well defined set of protocols with regard to de-escalation of violence, social defense, and strengthened independence against predatory group dynamics.
This will open the door to reinforce the validity of marketing of martial arts and help to gain the confidence of the public in general. Especially amongst the youth looking for a means to develop self discipline and confidence in an ever the more difficult world.
Pressure Testing
No martial art is perfect, in the sense that they contain a technique or counter-technique for every possible situation. When conflict does arise, and physical violence rears its ugly head, it usually is a very unpredictable situation and very different from the controlled environment of a training facility.
Pressure testing is a means by which martial arts instructors can create a carefully monitored training dynamic that seeks to pit students in situations that are chaotic enough that they are able to test their ability to improvise and adapt to the unpredictable situations arising as a result of conflict. There is no one to one correlation (ie Uchi vs. Uke), as things change very, very quickly in conflict, and the Uke, is not going to gently place their hand on the Uchi's shoulder, and wait until the technique has been correctly applied. There's going to be conflict and lots of resistance to any move, and in ways that are unpredictable to all but those who've pressure tested many times, and very, very effectively (without the pressure testing becoming stagnant and unpredictable itself).
Lets examine one thing first and do away with a myth that I've not yet heard anyone acknowledge about martial arts versus those who don't study, but are perhaps street fighters or boxers or just untrained.
Those who train, have a higher chance of success than those who don't, no matter how inept the martial arts system might appear to be, assuming that it integrates physical exercise that strengthens arms and legs, and includes flexibility training, and has a cardiovascular component. Someone untrained, who does none of these things is almost guaranteed to have a very difficult time against someone who does.
If you as a student, twice a week, train for three hours on weekdays and two hours on the weekends, you are going to be much more strong and agile compared to someone who doesn't. The longer you do, the stronger and more agile you'll be. Your grip will become stronger and stronger compared to someone who doesn't, and that difference alone almost guarantees a sizeable enough difference in capability to sway things in the advantage of those who train versus those who don't, no matter how ineffective one might regard the martial art to be. A strong grip, strong shoulders and arms, and strong legs and a good sense of balance almost guarantees that the opponent will be restrained and unable to free themselves without any further violence.
That is a fact and one demonstrated many times over.
Now, just to demonstrate this idea, lets take someone who doesn't work a physical job, who is maybe conducting themselves in criminal enterprise, such as boosting (stealing from stores in order to sell stolen goods to those who custom order such goods from the booster).
The booster goes into a store, and grabs an iPod, and attempts to walk out with it, even setting off the alarm as he tries to escape the store.
He runs into someone, a tradesman, who works with power tools and his hands all day, every week day for about forty-five to fifty hours a week. That person's hands are almost incalculably strong compared to the one doing the boosting, and so much so that he'd never have any chance whatsoever to escape that person's grip. The tradesman grabs hold of the booster before he can get out of the door, and given that the tradesman, despite his not looking like a weight lifter, is also very strong in the arms, given that he works all day with power tools.
The comparison in strength is almost off the charts and very difficult for people to understand unless they're worked in such line of work before, or trained in martial arts before. When you do something like that regularly, your body becomes strong. Very strong compared with someone who doesn't, and that strength in many cases even surpasses the strength you attain by lifting weights.
Training regularly, or working regularly with one's hands and body, makes them very strong. You'll never appreciate the difference until you encounter a situation where you're tested against someone who doesn't work or train, and until you've tested against even someone who lifts weights.
When I started training in martial arts decades ago, I was also working half of my week in a very, very physical job. My Sensei often remarked at how easy I made the pushups look, and when demonstrating waza with another student being the Uchi (or even the Uke) and me being the Uke, the students would always remark at how hard it was to move me or budge me given that difference in strength that arose from my employment.
That's not my ego speaking. That's just the fact that training and working with one's body, always gives a very big advantage compared to someone who does neither, and this is the real danger, because when people have a disadvantage in terms of strength and training, they shore it up with weapons.
Weapons, such as knives, or clubs, require very little training to be deadly to people with training and people without training.
Knowing these things, and then training for situations and how to deal by negotiation with someone who is wielding such a weapon, is what should be standardized as well. The person who has no advantage whatsoever, will if they're already gambling everything just to get out of the store with a few hundred dollars that they might sell very quickly, they'll almost always be carrying a weapon, and one that can be quickly drawn and wielded against a stronger assailant effectively in order to buy them an escape window with the goods they're stealing.
Training should always focus on averting violence in this situation and an immediate solution to potential of violence.
Pressure testing, should as much focus on developing the students' ability to improvise, as much so as it should focus on developing the students' ability to handle situations like the sudden appearance of a weapon, and then negotiating a non-violent solution and escape.
Pressure testing should never become a vehicle for the martial arts ego, versus that of another competing martial arts practitioner to prove one system right, and one system wrong, unless it involves the standards that are suggested in this post, regarding the effective strategies of de-escalation, negotiation and problem solving or what to do when a weapon enters into the situation.
Pressure testing should never be used as an endurance test outside of the dojo or training facility, because the undisciplined and unmonitored use of pressure testing is a great danger to the students, and the ones practicing pressure testing.
The idea with martial arts is to train, and to not get injured while training, and yet to be effective in situations where injury is a risk. Knowing the crucial balance between the two priorities is what makes pressure testing effective, and prevents it from becoming the source of training ending injuries.
What About The Butterfly Dragon?
Where does all of this intersect with the core philosophy of the Butterfly Dragon? About the protection of innocence? What is innocence? Why does protecting innocence involve violence?
The concept of innocence as encountered in the Butterfly Dragon, is a very difficult subject to broach, because it already comes with a lot of predisposed baggage given the impression of what innocence means to any number of other people.
Is losing one's innocence their loss of virginity?
Is it the point at which their faith in the goodness of humanity is finally broken, as it is a trope in many ancient and philosophical stories in texts throughout many cultures.
Do the innocent abstain from everything fun in life, while the guilty take part in it all?
Is innocence even the antonym of guilt when in the context of the Butterfly Dragon?
Why does an educated and artistic Chinese woman dress up in a scale armoured butterfly suit to deal with criminal activity in a city with several effective law enforcement units and why has this been the case since 2012 when the Butterfly Dragon was first published?
Why is the Butterfly Dragon written by a man, who isn't even Chinese, or Japanese or Korean or Vietnamese, and who was born and has essentially lived his entire life in one Canadian city?
Is it even right for such a man (who has his own wiles and lifestyles, some of them a little risque) to write about having a moral compass and a philosophy, and living in society that has become dangerously zealous with regard to the joys of life everyone should decide for themselves, rather than allowing their government, any church or their neighbours into their privacy?
If you no longer practice martial arts, how can you write about it, and the Butterfly Dragon?
In Butterfly Dragon: Reimagined, Helayne (who is essentially very much like Heylyn Yates) is in the process of becoming the Butterfly Dragon. A woman and a philosophical symbol for the protection of innocence. At this point in the story, she knows herself as Helayne, a woman who has endeavored for her entire life to become a fashion designer, while bearing the weight of an ancient tradition and secretive protectors, who through their specialized martial arts training, have become the guardians of innocence in society, though she's still not entirely familiar herself in that idea.
The character, especially recently, has gone through a metamorphosis, though given the fact that I wanted her to focus on solving a conflict to rescue Alicia in a recent episode, by using her wit rather than her Butterfly Dragon abilities, I created a situation where the old Heylyn Yates, and the new Helayne Ying, have now diverged and have very much been proven to be very different from one another, and this is something that I regret, because I want them to converge, not diverge.
Helayne is on her way to becoming Heylyn, and Heylyn is on her way to become Helayne, and at some point soon, they're going to intersect, and they will no longer be Helayne or Heylyn. They will be the Butterfly Dragon as Helayne Ying, who is essentially the merger between the two characters and the bridge between the two very different origins, though this new origin will be the new canon, while Heylyn's The Two Butterflies, will continue after the end of Butterfly Dragon: Reimagined, though that's a long way off.
Still, during this process, we're going to explore exactly what innocence is in terms of the Butterfly Dragon, and what it isn't. It isn't purity or impurity. It isn't having absence of all temptation, and it isn't religious at all in any way in the context of the world of the Butterfly Dragon. Not at all.
One can experience anger, or jealousy or any other host of potentially harmful feelings towards themselves or others, and still be entirely innocent. One can be lustful and have a great imagination for it, and yet still be innocent, for there is no greater innocence than love itself and sharing it intimately with a partner whom shares it back, and all consensually for those involved.
I guess I am telling you this because I know what innocence is and can be a trigger word for some. Those who have internal issues of guilt, without themselves understanding to be confident in matters they deem to be worth fighting for in terms of their own compass, even potentially standing against those who are opposed to them.
The truth is that I don't know exactly what innocence is, but I can tell you what it isn't.
I'm hoping that we'll find it through this particular journey in the Butterfly Dragon, as Helayne Ying makes her way through a difficult journey with Alicia Westin, Monique Defleur and Valerie Aspen, on an adventure that is going to be very different than that of the original canon, and yet very familiar.
And yet, at the end of that road, there beyond innocence might lay.
Everything I've stated about martial arts, lines up with the philosophy of the Butterfly Dragon, and especially that of Sifu Jinn Hua.
I'm going rewind the events of the most recent episode and rewrite it, in order to concur with this convergence between Heylyn Yates and Helayne Ying.
That will be coming soon, though Era of the Spellbound Ep13 is priority, to be followed up by Grand Tapestry of Moments Ep 5. Ep 4 will return, but a little bit changed.
See you soon.
Oh, and May the 4th be with you (and Grogu too)!
PS: The only Tiger I know, didn't study Kyo-kushin Karate (something I've never studied in my life). I'm more of a Shotokan fellow, having studied Goju Jujutsu-Ryu and Aikido, along with a bit of Tae Kwon Do, and Chen style Tai Chi. The Sebomnim I studied Tai Kwon Do under almost four decades ago, was Tiger Hoon. He is the inspiration for Tiger Hoon Kwang Sebomnim, and was a trainer in North York during the 1970s and 1980s.
And for those of you who need some hope that there's still a compass here. I'm not in this for the practical win aka short lived win. I'm in it for the philosophical win. I'm in it for the long win.
Brian Joseph Johns aka Shhhh! Digital Media
I am Brian Joseph Johns and this is Shhhh! Digital Media at https://www.shhhhdigital.com or https://www.shhhhdigital.ca in Toronto, Ontario, Canada at 200 Sherbourne Street Suite 701.
