part0012

This was one of the main precepts Funakoshi Gichin impressed upon his students. Of course, it can be easily interpreted to mean being aware of your surroundings and not be caught off guard against an unwelcomed attack. Funakoshi was certainly a proponent of always being vigilant whenever and wherever, as Nakayama Masatoshi (one of Funakoshi’s most senior students) recounts how Funakoshi would randomly test his students, even while eating in restaurants. When one of his students held the chopsticks improperly, Funakoshi would show, without harming the student, how an adversary could jam it down their throat. But as important as being vigilant was for Funakoshi, training meant students applied what they were taught in the dojo ( 道場 ) to everyday life. How do you handle life’s challenges, overcome hardship, and interact with others? The basic foundation for guiding the students were laid out in the five main principles known as, Dojo Kun ( 道場訓 ) by Funakoshi. Subset of the Dojo Kun ( 道場訓 ) are 20 additional principles that Funakoshi wrote, called, Niju Kun, meaning Twenty Principles.

The Dojo Kun ( 道場訓 ) is the principles by which all karate-do students are to live by. It is recited at most traditional karate-do dojo ( 道場 ) at the beginning and sometimes at the end of each class, as a reminder to each karate-ka the importance of training with the right purpose in mind. Prior to reciting the principles, the word, “hitotsu” is said earnestly for each one, meaning “number one.” The significance of which is to imply no one principle is viewed as more important than the other - making them all of equal importance. Interestingly there are no mention of improving technical skills or mastering self-defense elements in these 5 main principles. Thus, the Dojo Kun ( 道場訓 ) promotes the assimilation of karate-do into daily living, which may act as a guiding philosophy ( 道場訓 ) in the effort to perpetually improve oneself and contribute to the larger society. Listed below is the simplified interpretation of the Dojo Kun (道場訓 ) in English, followed by the pronunciation in romanji and the literal translation in Japanese below in parenthesis.

The wording is brief and meant to be thought provoking. Many have translated and interpreted the meaning behind the Dojo Kun( 道場訓 ) . The attempt here is simply to briefly discuss the meaning of each principles and how it can be applied in our daily life.

Japanese culture is an honorific society. The honorific hierarchy is embedded in the language itself. Depending on the class and age of the individual, the person being spoken to must be addressed by the proper title, i.e., san, sensei, chan, sama, et. al. But unlike Western culture, the title comes after the person’s surname since the family name is considered of utmost importance in the Asian culture. For example, it is more appropriate to address the sensei as, Funakoshi Sensei instead of Sensei Funakoshi.

In terms of hierarchy, the title of sama is reserved for those of high status or superior importance. The title is somewhat like in the Western culture of, “Your Highness,” or “Your Excellency.” Even though it is used at the highest level, it is quite common in Japan to address customers with the use of sama. Since the customer is considered of high importance to any industry, such as a restaurant, it is common to hear customers being referred to as, okyaku-sama .

Grammar structure also reflects how one should speak to another of higher status. But the honor of respect is bestowed upon the person rather than demanding it. When introducing oneself one’s title is not stated, even as a sensei, e.g. “I am Smith-sensei,” would not be appropriate. Instead simply, “My name is Smith.” The honor of the title is bestowed upon by the recipient. Sometimes this is misconstrued in Western culture to imply the person does not want to be addressed by a title. On the contrary, as the person humbles themselves, the honor and respect of the title is appropriately bestowed upon them. It becomes disrespectful not to address the sensei or anyone else by title. Such is the level of respect that is entrenched into the Japanese culture.

From the moment a karate student enters the dojo, he or she bows before entering as a sign of respect. Students also bow when they greet the sensei or sempai. This simple act of respect is extended onto the dojo floor as well during training when facing a partner to spar or exchange of techniques in drills. The symbolic gesture of bowing to one’s partner also has the implication of extending gratitude towards the other for assisting in the training to make one better.

Respect being one of the more familiar principles applies everywhere in our lives; at work, interfacing with others, at home, and even with ourselves. To apply a sign of respect by bowing in our daily lives would seem very odd in the Western culture. However, respect is not just about the gesture as much as the actual intent itself. If one can extend respect towards others, the feeling becomes more mutual. Respect is a characteristic that is promoted from the moment we are taught how to behave as a child. Earning someone’s respect and respecting others is an important trait that defines how we coexist with others.

Practicing an art which entails aggressive attacks and defense against one another may seem oxymoronic to the principle of “Refrain from violent behavior.” Karate-do is not about learning how to fight, but rather how to avoid a fight. The old cliché, “A little bit of knowledge can be dangerous,” is applicable to young karate-ka (in terms of experience) that are tempted to test their newly acquired skills outside the dojo. In some cases, it may be for a just cause in assisting others in peril, or purely to boast their bravado. Either way, violent behavior only results in more violence. This is not only foolish but also dangerous for both parties involved.

To the average person, avoiding a fight may be conceived as cowardice. But in reality, it requires more courage to refrain from fighting. Mahatma Gandhi, knowing full well he would be beaten with clubs at the hands of the British soldiers, never once retaliated physically and preached only non-violence. Very few will have the fortitude that Gandhi possessed, since basic human instinct is to retaliate when confronted by violent behavior. As a result of his courage and non-violent approach, Gandhi was able to liberate India from British rule. Imagine how many lives would have been lost if Gandhi’s approach were to instill violent retaliation. Martin Luther King Jr. would later adopt Gandhi’s non-violent method during the civil rights protest.

If the intent is not to engage in fighting, why then does karate-do training revolve around sparring with each other? The purpose of training how to defend and counterattack in the dojo, is to develop a sense of awareness to aggressive behavior. Continued training to the level of perfecting such fighting skills is to heighten one’s ability, such that if no other option is available but to engage in physical confrontation, a method of self-protection exists. The more advance the karate-ka trains the ability exists to control the opponent’s actions or their will to fight instead of resorting to physical violence.

Effort is an imperative element to achieve success at any level. During dojo training, the sensei barks out commands and students respond with a spirited shout, “Ousu ( 押忍 ) .” “Ousu ” is derived from the contraction of two Japanese words, “push” and “endurance.” The word is also used in greeting the sensei as well as an acknowledgement. In effect, by saying “Ousu ,” the student is letting the sensei know that he will put all his effort hence forth – pushing one’s endurance to the max. This constant reinforcement of the level of effort required in the dojo also applies to any field of endeavor.

In a perfect world, everyone would be smart and attend a prestigious university and ultimately providing a great contribution to a company or society. The reality is companies hire people of various intellect as well as skill sets. What defines success between a gifted smart person and an average person is the amount of effort that is applied. An employer would be better served to have an average employee that gives 100% effort towards a defined goal, as opposed to relying on a smart employee that does not put in much effort.

As the tale of the rabbit versus the tortoise tells of a race where the rabbit having a large lead, loses the race to a slower opposition by taking a nap instead of finishing the race. Traditional moral of the story is to never underestimate a weaker opponent, or slow and steady wins. This tale also reinforces that success is not based on how much talent you have initially, as much as how you use what you have and put in the effort. Persistence and determination can achieve positive results, no matter the level of talent. The tortoise’s determination to finish the race ultimately made him the victor over a superior opponent.

Loyalty is a strong tradition that has been extended from the Confucian influence onto the family and martial arts. Being faithful is a commitment that one makes when learning the art from their sensei. After many years of training, the sensei is no longer just an instructor, but a guiding figure for the students. As the sensei puts forth all his knowledge for the student to learn, the student is expected to remain faithful to the sensei.

The other part of this principle is in regard to protecting the way of truth or in other words, guiding others toward the proper path. Japanese culture places emphasis on the mentoring system of sempai and kohai relationship, senior and junior respectively. This relationship fosters respect for authority and transference of knowledge from the senior to the junior. In doing so, it is also the responsibility of the sempai to guide the kohai towards the proper direction, not only in the dojo, but also in life following the ethical principles.

Character and personality traits are used interchangeably by the average populace without the realization that the two have distinct differences. Personality is an inherited trait considered to be immutable, while character is a learned behavior that can be malleable over time. Personality is reflected by the outer appearance and behavior that may not be true to the inner character. The common expression, “you can’t change his character any more than you can change the spot on a leopard,” is more reflective of a person’s personality than their character.

Character focuses on mental and moral qualities of a person, which is heavily based on social and environmental influences. Character is one’s belief that can be altered over time. In order to perfect one’s character, the desire must be there to want to improve. Contrary to popular belief, learning karate-do does not necessarily improve a person’s character as much as it reveals that person’s character. Learning an art which entails the ability to overcome another person, can lead to potential character flaw. Possession of power always invites arrogance, if not guided properly by moral principles. “Seek Perfection of Character” is to become a better person with a sense of propriety through the practice of karate-do.

Dojo kun( 道場訓 ) is not unique only to Shotokan karate style or to Funakoshi’s teaching. Other styles of karate-do also emphasize similar principles associated with their teaching of how students should behave in learning the art. Below are a few examples: