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I spent my time over this Lunar New Year break and on my recent trip to Yunnan, China, reading a Tom Clancy book called Every Man A Tiger which is a book of American military history covering the period from the Korean War to Desert Storm.
There's one lesson in it that struck home: General Chuck Horner's insight on the difference between ruling by fear and ruling by reason. Naturally in an armed forces scenario discipline will remain of paramount importance, nevertheless, he came to the conclusion that modern resilient armies cannot be ruled by fear, but must allow for the exercise of individual initiative and that must be given its due space. This in no small part was due to the fluid nature of warfare and the much higher speeds at which warfare can be conducted these days.
I couldn't help but think of dojo culture in the light of this especially since there is considerable emphasis on tradition and the trade off that must occur when this conflicts with initiative. The issue of where this line is to be drawn will recurr with every new generation and one sincerely hopes that wisdom triumphs over ego each time.
02-20-2007 08:53 AM 