| The Talmud and Karate Two pursuits which have been a constant throughout much of my adult life have been the study of the Talmud (gemara) and the study of martial arts. In fact I remember well the days when I lived in Brooklyn, woke up before the crack of dawn, spent the early morning training at the U.S. Oyama Kyokushin Karate dojo and studying gemara at Mesifta Tiferes Yerushalayim (Yeshiva). I would then have breakfast at the kosher dairy restaurant on the Lower East Side near the old "Forward" building where the famed Yiddish newspaper was published, a paper that served generations of Jewish immigrants. In the morning hours I'd sit there surrounded by old Jewish shops with Hebrew writing, from the days when this neighborhood was almost entirely Jewish, and newer Chinese shops with colorful Chinese writing, catering to the current immigrants. Two nations of immigrants, each bringing to America it's rich and cherished heritage, the Talmud and the martial arts. Although these two disciplines may seem to have nothing at all in common, in fact they may seem like exact opposites, that is only how it appears to the casual observer. One who has immersed himself in these disciplines will soon see many similarities. Both are ultimately concerned with making the world a better place, one soul at time, both deal with the spiritual betterment of man. Both show utmost respect to tradition, its elders and sages, and both know that true mastery takes years of discipline. Both are disciplines which can never be learned from a book, they require living masters. What does this mean? Perhaps you can clearly see that it would be difficult to learn a physical art like karate or kung fu from a book, but gemara, Talmud, is a book! Here lies their greatest similarity. We go back here to the aura of the yeshiva, the traditional hall of study, or the dojo, the traditional training hall of martial arts. Here we discover the most ancient of relationships, the master disciple relationship, the rebbe and his talmid, the sensei(teacher) and his deshi (student), and this can not be gained from reading a book on your own. There is a certain energy that is passed unspoken from master to student, things that appear "between the lines". Certain things are picked up just by observing the master. It is said regarding the rabbinical sages that their "casual talk" is a great teaching. When you are studying and your teacher leans over you and places his hand on your shoulder and helps you understand a passage, he is transmitting to you the same love and passion for the ancient study that his teachers in the old country gave to him. When your sensei guides you through a technique his energy joins with yours. Basically it is something which can not be described in words, it must be experienced first hand in order to be felt and understood. When I open a gemara it hits me! it is as if I am transformed back to an ancient study hall, I am surrounded by distinguished scholars who look and sound like they are from another era, another world. When I put on my karate gi and belt it is as if the karate masters of old are with me in the dojo, a sense of tradition and iron clad discipline overcomes me. I carry the torch forward while trying my best to preserve the traditions of the past. I try to give to my students a little of what I have experienced, the feeling, the passion, the fire inside. |