I am not sure how "because it is part of the identity of L5R" is different from "comfort in the familiar" or "because it's always been that way."
I am not saying they should move away from R&K, I'm just saying that I am not married to it (there are other aspects of the system that I would specifically want to see changed, but off the top of my head none of that would require moving away from R&K, although I would lean towards removing the massive-power-boost Technique system and that might require other modifications to ensure appropriate incentives for balanced stats).