On group dynamics and the Ninjutsu online community.

"Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering"- Master Yoda

I am sorry to say, but Yoda was wrong. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to a whinging post on social Media. Whinging post leads to more awareness for my dojo online. It’s a good win for me.

It’s true, hate is good for my dojo. The best part though, I don’t have to do anything to get it.

There is a really strange phenomenon that happens online within the Bujinkan community. Where a small group of self-appointed "Shihan" and "experts" keep trying to spread disinformation, or behave in a way resembling bickering school children. Or in some sort of voyeuristic manner, creepily hate-stalk people online.

In group dynamics we see quite often the stance of opposition for opposition sake. We see this in school as children, in hostile work environments and in sports and social clubs. For example in the world of politics, I don’t like that politician, so I will oppose anything they suggest for the better or the worse. You see it’s much easier to oppose something whether warranted or not, then to propose something better. 

You have to look quite closely, and as neutrally as possible at some of the posts online regarding certain individuals in our small community online, especially when they are talking about other people. You need to ask yourself some questions and answer them honestly.

Why does this person speak ill of another like this online? Especially when the target of the posts has no social media presence? So if they are attempting to confront the person, are they just too stupid to realise that no one in their right mind, will join a social media platform to defend themselves from baseless accusations from people they do not know?

Would real “Shihan’s” lower themselves to such a level as to gossip about another person online…They offer no insight, real critique or constructive criticisms… and they resort to insults and name calling very quickly and then try to back track on what they say. They encourage the behavior on their self-administrated pages and platforms by getting their students and friends to participate as well, because it is not hard to herd sheep.

Seriously though, being a master, teacher or instructor is about discovery and helping others rise above and grow. If what these people do is so much better, why do they not offer help to the person? Why don’t they demonstrate that what they do is better and more useful? Why don’t they extend the olive branch and try and make the community as a whole stronger? After all, according to the self-appointed “shihan”, what they do is so much more remarkable, it should be rather easy for them to demonstrate their adeptness in our art, then everyone would want to practice with them right? Or do they instead offer snide remarks and insults and lead sheep to behave in the same way? Without offering a better alternative. Would a real shihan behave like this?

The most humorous part of all is that occasionally these people share videos online or comment on other members pages praising certain BBT practitioners for having superb Taijutsu, and all the comments that follow also praise the video/posts/comments/blogs. But these people do not realise, that the person is actually a student of the one they drip about the most. 

So if you are not offering something helpful or better, and you are just gossiping or joining in on the gossiping, or you follow someone who gossips like we see on social media, ask yourself, is any of this making you a better martial artist? A better person? Is this helping me at all? Or do you/they come across behaving like a spoiled school child?

For me personally, when these people pop up and spread their “hate”, it’s good for me. You know why? Because people go and check out those who have said things and those who they spoke ill of via Youtube and other Social Media Platforms, and you know what happens when they do, they see the difference for themselves and then come and practice Ninjutsu with us here in Brisbane and make their own minds up, or with my teacher or with my friends from around the world. These people don’t behave like sheep, they make their own decisions. They are going to see healthy, flexible and dynamic movers, who are extremely passionate and enthusiastic, who don’t chase ranks, titles or medals and who don’t go around slandering people on public forums, who encourage debate and dialog vs people who… I’ll let you decide.

It is also quite funny that these same people who disparage others are always happy to have the person they dislike translate for them in Hombu, act as intermediary between them and Soke etc. They still buy his books, subscribe to VOD services offered, or get their students to. They watch any YouTube content with him, makes you wonder if they actually hate him, or are they just extremely envious of what he has to offer, because they cannot do it themselves.

As you know, people like to talk, but they don’t always speak the truth, and their eyes can sometimes deceive them, they may be pressured socially to think or behave in a certain way (Master/Slave relationship not Master/Student), so you have to ask yourself, do I know this person someone is speaking poorly of? Have I practiced with him? Have you firsthand experience with them face to face? Why am I so offended by this person, someone I do not know personally, that as an adult I will go online and have a cry about them? Will this solve my issues? Why do I or my friend/student/teacher behave like this online about someone they dislike and do not know? Is it because you/they are actually insecure about your/their own abilities? If it is, maybe you should spend less time on the internet and more time practicing instead. Unless you prefer mindlessly following others and not thinking for yourself? 

As for me, I say keep on hating, you are raising more awareness for our Brisbane dojo and our online community, and when people come and experience it first hand, they will see what we have to offer. Hard work, honesty, integrity, precision, open dialog, friendship, debate, culture, history, more hard work etc…

My teacher and his master gave me this piece of advice after practicing in the Bujinkan already for 12 years when I first met them. Practice with everyone and then make your own mind up. You are an adult. You alone are responsible for your own choices. Which means if you chose correctly, good for you. If you chose poorly, I am sorry you made a mistake. But instead of having a cry, why don’t you fix the problem yourself.

Remember, your teacher is not there to be worshiped, you are not their slave. You don’t owe them anything but your best effort. Question everything they say or do in practice, then question everything you say or do in practice as well. Learn to think for yourself, honestly it won’t hurt as much as you think it will.

Cheers Gray

Bujinkan Seichusen Dojo Brisbane
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