Use Your Own Judgement

Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it. Do not believe in anything simply because it is spoken and rumoured by many. Do not believe in anything simply because it is found written in your religious books. Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of your teachers and elders. Do not believe in traditions because they have been handed down for many generations. But after observation and analysis, when you find that anything agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all, then accept it and live up to it.  

-- Buddha

Flexible vs Stiffness

Tesshu once met a street fighter nicknamed ‘The terror of Edo,’ who had had more than thirty sword fights without once being defeated. Tesshu asked him where he had learned his skill. The street fighter replied that he was entirely self taught.

“Then how did you succeed?” asked Tesshu.

“As soon as the fight began I would get close enough to touch the tip of my enemy’s sword with my own. If he held his sword stiffly I knew I could win easily, but if he held his sword in a flexible grip with a strong projection of ki, I didn’t take the risk of a fight. If I meet such a man I throw my sword at him and run away, and thus remain undefeated.”

--- Martial Art Story

Knowing vs Being

When the Tesshu, a master of Zen, calligraphy and swordsmanship, was a young man he called on the Zen master Dokuon. Wishing to impress Dokuon he said, “The mind, the Buddha, and all sentient beings after all do not exist. The true nature of phenomenon is emptiness. There is no realization, no delusion, no sagacity, no mediocrity, nothing to give and nothing to receive.

Dokuon promptly hit him with a bamboo stick. Tesshu became quite furious.

Dokuon said quietly: “If nothing exists, where did this anger come from?”

--- Zen Story

Watered Down Style

“Many Karate teachers teach a watered down style – no hip action and no depth of punching – so it is easy to say that these teachers have no depth to their knowledge. You are what your teacher is, and if he knows a lot, you should be able to demonstrate this knowledge.” 

--- Yuchoku Higa

Even One Technique

“A student well versed in even one technique will naturally see corresponding points in other techniques. A upper level punch, a lower punch, a front punch and a reverse punch are all essentially the same. Looking over thirty-odd kata, he should be able to see that they are essentially variations on just a handful.” 

--- Gichin Funakoshi

Your Own Study and Effort

“Our teachers did not give us a clear explanation of the kata from old times. I must find the features and meaning of each form by my own study and effort, by repeating the exercises of form through training.” 

--- Tsuyoshi Chitose

Do Kata Slowly

“When thinking of kaisai, it is vital to realize how important it is to do kata while in a relaxed state.

Master Toguchi taught us to do kata slowly and with ease. When you move slowly, you feel the weight of your arms and body. It is important for senior students to combine both arm and body movements.”

--- Toshio Ijima

Training Method

"Beginning Students learn only the foundation kata, Naihanchi kata for Shuri-te and Sanchin kata for Naha-te. The emphasis is on proper breathing, proper postures and the development of ability to generate explosive force with very short movements. The use of the hips and the turning of the body to generate power are not emphasized at this stage.

Only after the students have mastered the first stage, sometimes it takes years, the kaishu kata to be taught. At this stage the use of the hips and the turning of the body to generate power are added to the training. This is in conjunction with the study of the kaisai of the kata. That is why it usually took a year or two to learn one kata."

--- Ankoh Azato

The Wheel Maker

One day, King Huan was reading a book while an old craftsman was busy making wheels over in a corner. The old man noticed that the book seemed to capture the King's complete attention. He grew increasingly curious about this, and after a while decided to approach.

"Your Majesty, forgive me for intruding," the old man said. "What is this book that you are studying so diligently?"

"This is no ordinary book," the King said, holding it up with great respect. "It is written by a wise sage."

The old man asked: "Is this sage still alive, Your Majesty?"

The King shook his head. "No, he passed away a long time ago."

"Oh, I see," the old man nodded. Then, without thinking, he added: "In that case, what Your Majesty is reading would simply be the leftovers of a dead man."

This struck the King as incredibly insulting. "What is this?" His anger flared. "You are nothing more than a lowly craftsman. Is it your place to comment on what I wish to read? Explain the reasoning of your statement and I may let you live. If you fail to do so, I shall have your head."

The old man replied: "Your Majesty, it is exactly as you say: I am but a humble craftsman. I know nothing except the art of making wheels. Permit me to explain myself to you using this little bit of knowledge that I have."

This response surprised the King. To him, making wheels and reading books could not be further apart. Had the old man lost his mind due to fear? King Huan was puzzled, but his interest was piqued. "Go on," he said.

"Your Majesty, in my line of work, the hole in the center is of supreme importance. It must fit the axle just right. If I make it too big, the wheel will slip right off and become useless. If it is only slightly too big, then the wheel will seem to stay on, but after a short while of actual usage on the roads, it will loosen and fall off the axle, quite possibly causing great damage to the carriage in the process.

"On the other hand, it is also possible to make the hole too small. In that case, when I force the axle into it, I may very well split the wheel in two, thus wasting hours of effort. If it is only slightly too small, then it may appear to be a secure fit, but after a short while of actual usage, the wheel will crack and break apart, again causing possible harm to the carriage and even the passengers within.

"Therefore, one secret of my trade is to know the right way to make the hole. But making the hole just right, not too big and not too small, requires years of non-stop practice. This experience gives me a feeling that guides my hand. It is a feeling I have learned to trust, for it is never wrong.

"The other secret of my trade has to do with the roundness of the wheel. If I chisel away at the wheel too quickly, I may be able to complete the work in a short time, but the wheel won't be perfectly round. Even though it may look quite acceptable upon casual inspection, in actual usage it will cause excessive shaking of the carriage. The ride will be extremely uncomfortable, and the wheel will damage itself beyond repair in a matter of days.

"Of course, I can chisel slowly and carefully. This guarantees a perfectly round wheel, but it will also take so much time to complete that Your Majesty would have to wait many years before we can assemble the royal fleet of carriages. Clearly, this would not be acceptable.

"In order to create the best wheels possible in a timely manner, I must chisel at just the right speed - not too fast and not too slow. This speed is also guided by a feeling, which again can only be acquired through many years of experience. With this feeling, I can be perfectly composed and unhurried when I make my wheels, but still complete the project on time.

"I can teach the mechanics of wheel making to anyone. It is easy to create something that looks like a wheel, but quite difficult to make wheels that are durable, safe, and provide a smooth ride. I can explain all of this to my son, but it is impossible for me to give him the feeling that is at the heart of the wheel making art. He must gain that on his own. This is why I am seventy years old and still making wheels.

"Your Majesty, the ancient sages possessed the feelings that were at the heart of their mastery. Using words, they could set down the mechanics of their mastery in the form of books, but just as it is impossible for me to pass on my experience to anyone else, it is equally impossible for them to transmit their essence of wisdom to you. Their feelings died when they passed away. The only things they left behind were their words. This is why I said Your Majesty was reading the leftovers of a dead man."

King Huan was stunned and speechless. Slowly, he lowered his hand and set the book down. 

Zen and Sports

"The spirit of Zen is not only important for Judo (the martial arts) but for all sports. Zen puts stress on living fully in the moment, and this mood is necessary for all sports. Both Zen and sports emphasize training, observance of rules, learning from masters, and objective excellence. Other similarities include their common stress on attention to details, grace of movement, and growing by participation. While perhaps less evident in some sports than in Zen, is the ultimate aim of freedom from obsession to defeat and victory. The Zen of sport and the sport of Zen can both lead to more meaningful living."

--- Masunaga Reiho (Zen and Judo teacher)

Training Process

Practice should take place as follows:

• Explain what karate is about; 
• Explain the training attitude; 
• Learn each and every posture as well as how to advance, retreat, and pivot; 
• Practice how to strike with the fist and elbow;
• How to kick with the foot along with how to release [a grab]; 
• Next teach kata;
• After becoming familiar with kata, he can move on to matches.

--- Chotoku Kyan

Training & Understanding

Understanding without training is weak.
Training without understanding is blind.

--- Zen Saying

Leaving the Training Methods Without Going Against Them

When he has completed the training and has accumulated a great fund of practice experience, he moves hands and feet and body without the mind being involved; this is leaving the training methods without going against them, and now there is freedom in using any technique (waza) at all. As to the mind at that time, the devil himself cannot guess its state. Training is the means to arrive at this. When he has mastered the training, the training ceases to exist for him. This is the supreme aim of all the Ways.

--- Heiho-Kadensho

Rei (礼)

Rei (礼) is a most important notion for understanding the Confucian way. It has two overlapping meanings: proper comportment and ritual. It was not lost on sages like Confucius that habits determine character. The repeating patterns of what we say, what we do, and how we think determine what we become and what we are. As our habits go, so go we. In Confucius's view, attentive performance of social ritual and everyday etiquette shapes human character in accordance with archetypal patterns. We thereby make our own the wise ways of the ancients, which are heaven's ways.

--- Roger T. Ames

Shuhari - 守破離

The three stages of karate training:

守 (Shu) - Conserve (copy, imitate)
破 (Ha) - Discover (analyze, dissect)
離 (Ri) - Depart (free, internalized)

Junbi-Undo (准备运动)

We also did junbi-undo, a series of preparatory exercises also created by Miyagi. This sequence involved a combination of karate techniques and yoga exercises designed to build our bodies for better performance of karate techniques.

--- Seikichi Toguchi

Ichigeki Hissatsu (一擊必殺)

Okinawan karatedo is designed for comprehensive self defence. Karate fighting skill is based on the body of techniques known as “ichigeki hissatsu” which require the proper development and integration of mind, body and technique (心 体 技 - shin, tai, gi) for optimal results.

--- Seikichi Toguchi

Chinkuchi

This expression (chikuchi) is used to describe the tension or stability of the joints in the body for a firm stance, a powerful punch, or a strong block. For example, when punching or blocking, the joints of the body are momentarily locked for an instant and concentration is focused on the point of contact; the stance is made firm by locking the joints of the lower body-the ankles, the knees and the hips-and by gripping the floor with the feet. Thus a rapid free-flowing movement is suddenly checked for an instant, on striking or blocking, as power is transferred or absorbed. Then the tension is released immediately in order to prepare for the next movement.

--- Higaonna Morio

This “chinkuchi” is sometimes written as “one cun power” and is a principle of movement related to the “cun power” of Chinese Quanfa. A simple explanation is, when punching for instance, to contract the muscles used when punching (especially the triceps and the trapezius), increasing the speed of the punch or block from within your own body.

--- Arakaki Kiyosi

When punching, the most important thing is that the “koshi” are in it, and that chinkuchi is being utilized. Chinkuchi, in a word, means to contract the trapezius, the triceps, the pectoralis major, etc. when thrusting the fist out. At that time, the armpit must also be closed when punching or blocking. This means that a punch with chinkuchi has an instantaneous increase in power. This is called “one cun power” and causes a great destructive power upon the opponent’s body.

--- Tokashki Iken

Shoot your loose, half-opened left hand straight along the power line at a chin-high spot [...]. But as the relaxed left hand speeds [...] suddenly close the hand with a convulsive, grabbing snap. Close it with such a terrific grab that when the second knuckle of the upright fist smashes [...], the fist and the arm and the shoulder will be ‘frozen’ steel-hard by the terrific grabbing tension. That convulsive, freezing grab is the explosion.

--- Georges Carpentier 

It seemed to me that the real secret lay in the delivery itself far more than the strength behind it, and I therefore aimed to make my punches the culmination of a perfectly coordinated action of the whole body, beginning with the legs. Incidentally, my punches including the one which I developed later and which was to win general admiration as ‘the lightning settler’, always started from the legs.

--- Jack Dempsey 

Empty Hand - Chinese Hand

I don't know when it was changed, but "karate" is now written as "Empty Hand" instead of  "Chinese Hand". Anyway, I am happy to know that nowadays karate is popular all over Japan as a unique Okinawan martial art, and it has even been officially recognized by Dai Nippon Butokukai (Great Japan Martial Virtue Association) as one of the Japanese fighting arts. However, without doubt, I am sure that the roots of karate is in China. I suppose the prototype karate might had been modified in various ways in my home Okinawa, I think we can see the evolution of karate which was influenced by the uniqueness of Okinawan culture. Therefore, maybe, it is not unreasonable to write karate as "Empty Hand" instead of "Chinese Hand".

--- Chojun Miyagi

Practice Makes Perfect

A dramatic ballad singer studied under a strict teacher who insisted that he rehearse day after day, month after month the same passage from the same song, without being permitted to go any further. Finally, overwhelmed by frustration and despair, the young man ran off to find another profession. 

One night, stopping at an inn, he stumbled upon a recitation contest. Having nothing to lose, he entered the competition and, of course, sang the one passage that he knew so well. When he had finished, the sponsor of the contest highly praised his performance. Despite the student's embarrassed objections, the sponsor refused to believe that he had just heard a beginner perform. 

"Tell me," the sponsor said, "who is your instructor? He must be a great master." 

The student later became known as the great performer Koshiji. 

--- Traditional Story