Philosophy

Shito-Ryu Karate-Do Genbu-Kai International

Philosophy of the Martial Arts

The philosophy behind karate is vast and complex. It stems from thousands of years of armed and unarmed combat. Techniques that were perfected hundreds of years ago, are still being perfected over and over again by each new-generation. Buddhism, Taoism, and the code of Bushido have all played parts in the development of the martial arts philosophy.

The minds of martial artists are filled with various techniques that they have learned; jabbing, blocking, punching, kicking, sweeping, throwing, deflecting, locking, as well as hiding, escaping and running. These skills were only used as a last resort and only in self defense. But, once the moment to fight came, the martial artist would use every technique, every ounce of energy and determination to over come his opponent quickly and effectively. The body was finely tuned by thousands of punches, blocks, and kicks during extreme heat and freezing cold. A martial artists body becomes use to exhaustion, sweating, strains and bruises, all in an attempt to achieve self perfection. To be able to defend themselves in any situation or to be able to perfect a Kata and execute it exactly every time, this is the martial artists ultimate goal. Kime, sometimes referred to as Ki or Chi, and Zanchin are important philosophical terms and play an important part in all martial arts. Kime or "spirit" is the backbone of most martial arts systems. It is what martial artist use for inspiration, ideas, courage and focus. Zanchin is also used in conjunction with Kime. Zanchin or "state of total awareness" is also used when training and in combat. Zanchin allows the martial artist to be aware of what's around him, to have a sort of sixth sense, brought about by experience and instinct.

The Samurai used his Zanchin during battle in order to properly prepare his mind for victory or death. Another important concept is "Do", translated as "The Way". This is a path, or way of life, by which martial artists follow. Many martial arts systems have incorporated this philosophy, such as; Aikido, Tae Kwon Do, Judo, Kendo, and now Karate-Do. Even though most karate names don't incorporate the "Do" into the name itself, it is still there in spirit. The code of Bushido or code of ethics by which the Samurai was to conduct himself has played an important role in the philosophy of karate. Respect, Honor, Courage, and Loyalty are parts of this code that have been integrated into the martial arts.

The religions of Zen Buddhism and Taoism have also been used as a base for philosophy in martial arts. Because Zen Buddhism and Taoism are so complex a subject, they will only be briefly mentioned. Zen Buddhism, which requires many hours of meditation, is the belief that through self reflection one's mind will reach a point of Nirvana or Enlightenment. Taoism is the belief that man is one with nature and the universe. It has the philosophy that nature and the universe are in harmony with one another and that one can not exist without the other. An example of this is the Yin And Yang symbol which is commonly referred too in many martial arts systems. Yin is characterized as the negative force of darkness and emptiness. Yang is characterized as positive force of light and fullness.

These two forces are combined into one creating harmony and unity, and each can not exist without the other. Other examples would include; day and night, being and nonbeing, hard and soft. No matter what the example, there would always be an opposite. Philosophies are sometimes misunderstood. It is often thought that to be truly great at karate, one would need to know hundreds of various techniques to call upon. However, learning hundreds of techniques and also being proficient at all of them is very difficult. In karate, it is better to have quality then quantity. So, martial artists choose only a select few techniques to perfect rather than trying to perfect hundreds of techniques. Within our own style, which has a large number of katas, it is better to learn a few katas perfectly than to be average at all of them. Everyone is different, so not all techniques will be suitable for every person because of age, size, weight and natural ability. Instead, it is up to each person to determine what their strength, weakness, and limitations are and build upon them.

Other concepts which are misunderstood are the belts. Many people are too concerned with their rank rather then their ability. "Always remember that knowledge is in your brain and not around your waist."These philosophies are just a few of the many philosophies that exist in the martial arts. As you become more experienced, you'll learn more about these other philosophies and be able to incorporate them into your karate-do.

Philosophy, or the beliefs in certain concepts and ideas, has always been an important part of the martial arts and karate. From the beginning, Bodhidrama brought his ideas of mental strength and beliefs of non-violence to China from India, creating Zen Buddhism. Bodhidrama’s series of exercises were created for building strength, stamina and mental focus. Bodhidrama believed that everyone needed to be able to make their bodies do what their minds wanted. One of these exercises, the Eighteen Hands of Lohan, slowly changed over time and became more oriented around self defense and less around exercise and health. Since survival during combat was now the more important goal, the philosophy changed from non-violence to self preservation. The idea was not only self preservation but perfection of the techniques, so that a person could defend themselves in any situation. The Shaolin monks quickly learned that perfection could not be gained unless the human body was rigorously trained and pushed to its’ limits. Hence the saying, “NoPain, No Gain” . By pushing the body and mind to its’ limits, a person could gain the skill and knowledge they needed to prepare them for the next level!

Since perfection of the techniques meant live or death, it was encouraged that quitting not be an option. An old Chinese saying goes, “You never fail, as long as you keep trying” . This meant that eventually you would succeed, as long as you keep trying! This is the one thing that new students don’t understand. The training is hard and mentally straining and rather than continue, it becomes easier to quit for most people. But those few people who really wish to get to black belt and higher never quit. They obtain only what others wish they could have, simply by continuing to show up and train. As Shaolin monks spread the martial arts around China, Japan, Okinawa, Korea and Taiwan their philosophies were also passed down from generation to generation.

On Okinawa, Kung Fu evolved into what we know as karate. The Okinawan people were attacked by samurai from the Satsuma Clan of Southern Japan. The Satsuma Shogun outlawed karate and all weapons. Forced to keep their art a secret, the Okinawans treated karate very seriously. They never wanted the samurai to know that they knew karate, because that would put them and their family in danger. So, the Okinawans only used karate to defend themselves against attack. A samurai who was not under the direct control of a shogun or head samurai were called Ronin and were sometimes of low moral character. So the Okinawans had to be aware of danger at all times. As it became harder to control ronin samurai, the shogun made all samurai conform to the Code of Bushido or code of ethics in order to bring up the moral character of his samurai. A story from the days of the samurai explain why this code was so valuable.

During the Satsuma occupation of Okinawa, a Japanese samurai, who had lent money to a fisherman, made a trip on collection day to Itoman Province where the fisherman lived. Unable to pay, the poor fisherman fled and tried to hide from the samurai, who was famous for his short temper. The samurai went to the fisherman’s home and, not locating him there, made a search of the town. As his search for the fisherman proved fruitless, the samurai grew furious. Finally, at twilight, he came across the fisherman cowering under an overhanging cliff. In anger, he drew his sword. “What do you have to say?” he shouted. The fisherman replied, “Before you kill me, I want to make a statement. Can you grant me this humble request?” The samurai said, “You ingrate! I lent you money when you needed it and also gave you a year to pay, and this is how you repay me. Out with it, before I change my mind.”

“I’m sorry,” the fisherman said. “what I want to say is this. I have just started to learn the art of the empty hand and the first thing I learned was the precept: “If your hand goes forth, withhold your temper; if your temper goes forth, withhold your hand.” The samurai was astounded to hear this from the lips of this simple fisherman. He put his sword back into its scabbard and said, “Well, your right. But remember this, I shall be back one year from today, and you had better have the money ready.” Thereupon, he left.

Night had fallen when the samurai returned home and, as was the custom, he was ready to announce his return when he noticed a shaft of light streaming from his bedroom through the door, which was slightly ajar. He peered intently from where he stood and could see his wife sleeping and the faint outline of someone sleeping next to her. He was startled and exploded in anger as he realized it was a samurai. He drew his sword and stealthily crept towards the room. He lifted his sword and was ready to charge into the room when the words of the fisherman came to him. “If your hand goes forth, withhold your temper. If your temper goes forth, withhold your hand.” He went back to the entrance and said in a loud voice, “I have returned.” His wife got up, opened the door and came out with his mother to greet him. His mother had his clothes on. She had put on his samurai clothes to frighten away intruders in his absence. The year passed quickly and, come collection day, the samurai made the long trip again. The fisherman was waiting for him. As the samurai approached his home, the fisherman ran out and said, “ I had a good year. Here is what I owe you and interest besides. I don’t know how to thank you.”

The samurai put his hand on the fisherman’s shoulder and said, “You do not owe me anything. I owe you.” The moral being that you should always think clearly and without anger to cloud your judgment always remembering to never strike first.

Today the philosophy surrounding karate is vast. Without combat being the final goal, karate no longer needed to be purely for self defense. Now karate is used in entertainment, i.e.: The Power Rangers, and Karate Masters television shows. Karate is also used as an exercise to maintain good health and strength. And last, karate has become more of a sport, with hundreds of tournaments every year, with the ultimate goal being a trophy and recognition.

All of these different avenues of karate change the true meaning of karate and change the philosophy around each. The philosophy around aerobic kickboxing is health and weight loss, were the original philosophy was self preservation. Whatever the reason, always remember that the core philosophy behind any martial art is based on self defense and combat that dates back 1500 years.

THE FENCE

There once was a little girl who had a bad temper. Her mother gave her a bag of nails and told her that every time she lost her temper, she must hammer a nail into the back of the fence.

The first day the girl had driven 37 nails into the fence. Over the next few weeks, as she learned to control her anger, the number of nails hammered daily gradually dwindled down. She discovered it was easier to hold her temper than to drive those nails into the fence.

Finally the day came when the girl didn't lose her temper at all. She told her mother about it and the mother suggested that the girl now pull out one nail for each day that she was able to hold her temper.

The days passed and the young girl was finally able to tell her mother that all the nails were gone. The mother took her daughter by the hand and led her to the fence. She said, "You have done well, my daughter, but look at the holes in the fence. The fence will never be the same.

When you say things in anger, they leave a scar just like this one." You can put a knife in a person and draw it out. It won't matter how many times you say I'm sorry, the wound is still there. A verbal wound is as bad as a physical one.

Friends are very rare jewels, indeed. They make you smile and encourage you to succeed. They lend an ear, they share words of praise and they always want to open their hearts. to us. Please forgive me if I have ever left a hole in your fence!

SAND AND STONE

A story tells that two friends were walking through the desert. During some point of the journey they had an argument, and one friend slapped the other one in the face. The one who got slapped was hurt, but without saying anything, wrote in the sand:

"TODAY MY BEST FRIEND SLAPPED ME IN THE FACE."

They kept on walking until they found an oasis, where they decided to take a bath. The one who had been slapped got stuck in the mire and started drowning, but the friend saved him. After he recovered from the near drowning, he wrote on a stone:

"TODAY MY BEST FRIEND SAVED MY LIFE."

The friend who had slapped and saved his best friend asked him, "After I hurt you, you wrote in the sand and now, you write on a stone, why?" The other friend replied: "When someone hurts us we should write it down in sand where winds of forgiveness can erase it away. But, when someone does something good for us, we must engrave it in stone where no wind can ever erase it.

"LEARN TO WRITE YOUR HURTS IN SAND AND TO CARVE YOUR BENEFITS IN STONE!"

THE MAYONNAISE JAR AND COFFEE

When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar...and the coffee...

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was. So the professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls.

He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full.

The students responded with a unanimous "yes."

The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand.

The students laughed. "Now," said the professor, as the laughter subsided, " I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things-your God, family, your children, your health, your friends, and your favorite passions-things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house, and your car. The sand is everything else-the small stuff. "If you put the sand into the jar first," he continued, "there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you. Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your partner out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal." Take care of the golf balls first, the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand." One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented. The professor smiled. "I'm glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend."

TURN A WEAKNESS INTO A STRENGTH

Sometimes our biggest weakness can become your biggest strength. Take for example, the story of the 10 year old boy who decided to study judo, despite the fact that he had lost his left arm in a devastating car accident.

The boy began lessons with an old Japanese judo master. The boy was doing well, so he couldn’t understand why, after three months of training, the master had taught him only one move.

"Sensei", the boy finally said, "shouldn’t I be learning more moves?" "This is the only move you know, but this is the only move you’ll ever need to know," the sensei replied. Not quite understanding, but believing in his teacher, the boy kept training.

Several months later, the sensei took the boy to his first tournament. Surprising himself, the boy easily won his first two matches The third match proved to be more difficult, but after some time, his opponent became impatient and charged; the boy deftly used his one move to win the match. Still amazed by this success, the boy was now in the finals.

This time, his opponent was bigger, stronger and more experienced. For a while, the boy appeared to be overmatched. Concerned that the boy might get hurt, the referee called a time out. He was about to stop the match when the sensei intervened. "No," the sensei insisted, "let him continue".

Soon after the match resumed, his opponent made a critical mistake. He dropped his guard. Instantly, the boy used his move to pin him. The boy had won the match and the tournament.

On the way home, the boy and sensei reviewed every move in each and every match. Then the boy summoned the courage to ask what was really on his mind. "Sensei, how did I win the tournament with only one move?" "You won for two reasons," the sensei answered. "First, you’ve almost mastered one of the most difficult throws in all of judo. And second, the only known defense for that move is for your opponent to grip your left arm."

The boy’s weakness had become his biggest strength.

PUT THE GLASS DOWN

A lecturer was giving a lecture to his students on stress management. He raised a glass of water and asked the audience, "How heavy do you think this glass of water is?"

The students' answers ranged from 20g to 500gm. "It does not matter on the absolute weight. It depends on how long you hold it. If I hold it for a minute, it is A-OK!

If I hold it for an hour, I will have an ache in my right arm. If I hold it for a day, you will have to call an ambulance.

It is the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes."

"If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, we will not be able to carry on, the burden becoming increasingly heavier."

"What you have to do is to put the glass down, rest for a while before holding it up again."

We have to put down the burden periodically, so that we can be refreshed and are able to carry on.

So before you return home from work tonight, put the burden of work down. Don't carry it back home. You can pick it up tomorrow.

Whatever burdens you are having now on your shoulders, let it down for a moment if you can. Pick it up again later when you have rested....Rest and relax. Life is short, enjoy it!!!

DONKEY IN THE WELL

One day a farmer's donkey fell down into a well. The animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do. Finally he decided the animal was old, and the well needed to be covered up anyway, it just wasn't worth it to retrieve the donkey. He invited all his neighbors to come over and help him. They each grabbed a shovel and began to shovel dirt into the well. At first, the donkey realized what was happening and cried horribly. Then, to everyone's amazement, he quieted down. A few shovel loads later, the farmer looked down the well, and was astonished at what he saw. As every shovel of dirt hit his back, the donkey did something amazing. He would shake it off and take a step up. As the farmer's neighbors continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it off and take a step up. Pretty soon, everyone was amazed, as the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and trotted off. The Moral: Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt. The trick to getting out of the well is to shake it off and take a step up. Each of our troubles is a stepping stone. We can get out of the deepest wells just by not stopping, never giving up! Shake it off and take a step up! Remember the five simple rules to be happy:

1. Free your heart from hatred.

2. Free your mind from worries.

3. Live simply.

4. Give more.

5. Expect less.

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