Some Difficulties in Learning Budo

The practice of budo which derived from bujutsu is a dive to Japanese tradition. Aspiring students should be made aware about the Japanese learning environment in the study of martial arts. Filipinos have a completely different mind set in my own observation. Generally, we are easy going and with westernized ideas. The discipline and the rules would be stressful for those not prepared to take the study. Even those who have years of training still have difficulties in adapting dojo culture. It is very easy for them to forget that they are studying both martial arts and culture. That having budo practice without it's cultural context for me is not budo at all. Imagine a kendo or kenjutsu practice without reiho. Very strange, yes? I encountered some problems when people forget and have their westernized mind set of doing things and forget the essence of the practice of Budo which is rooted to the values practiced by the Samurai class. One funny experience for me was doing some service to a dojo and yet yearning for recognition for personal effort. Budo or Bujutsu is to advance the position of the group and not the individual. Because Budo is rooted in military way, hierarchy is important. Even for the Japanese, social hierarchy is important. Cultural and generation behaviour can clash to Budo culture. Some students think they are clients when they enroll in budo arts and think of mitori geiko as a waste of their time and they should be served. Beginners should be slowly guided the seniors of the dojo about unique traditional characteristics for them to slowly adapt and prevent a culture shock. But, sometimes our seniors seems to forget the learning environment of Budo practice. Sometimes if not often, it is difficult to maintain the climate of which the growth of Budo to prosper.