Should Loyalty Be Given Blindly?

The Martial Arts Community is a wide collection of people that have different values, opinions and ways of living their lives.  To some, values such as Duty, Honour, Honesty and Loyalty are important; generally speaking, these people tend to be the ones that keep fostering the correct spirit within Dojos.  Every now and then we meet people that pretend to live by these values but their actions show them to be walking a different path ... their voices echoing the correct sentiments but completely lacking in conviction.  The final test is in how someone conducts themselves.  A person that has to say 'I'm an honourable man' - seldom is.

Where the person is a senior figure in an organisation, some will blindly follow that person without question.

So, should loyalty be given to anyone blindly?  Absolutely not.  While I try not to judge anyone in life, because I know of some of the difficulties our journeys can place in our paths, I do assess people that I meet.  I tend to think well of people until I have evidence to the contrary.  Would I continue being loyal to someone that supports someone acting unprofessionally or supporting someone that discriminates in ways that are clearly against good practice ... and the law of the land?  No I wouldn't.

A dojo is a place of learning ... but so much more: it's a community.  I will state this clearly, if we have a problem in our establishment and we don't challenge it (particularly racism, sexism, homophobia and disability related discrimination) then we are as guilty as the person carrying out these offences.  If managers, leaders and teachers know of such behaviour and allow it to continue over a number of years, they have failed in their duty to the dojo and their community.

Loyalty is earned not given ... and it's a two way street, like all good relationships.  Loyalty should be withdrawn from those that act in ways that are contrary to our dojo's standards, including ethics.

One of the biggest lessons in life is to be able to walk alone and see things for yourself with your own eyes; this means that you must look at all sides of the issue, allow for questions and answers and then come to a decision within yourself based on what you yourself have heard and seen from all the parties involved - in an open way - preferably together. Otherwise you may find yourself perpetuating an injustice while the real culprit escapes to continue creating more mayhem through seeking material gains rather than spiritual goals. 

Blind loyalty isn't loyalty.  Walking your own path in life requires courage ... and I wish you all that you need to be able to do this.

Villayat 'Wolf' Sunkmanitu

Dojo-Cho

Meiyo Karate Club