The Facets of Ryukyu Budo

There are several areas of development that define true martial arts training, specifically within 'Ryukyu Budo Training'. 

People say that Ryukyu Budo is many things, a form of self-defence, fun fitness activity and a way of life. But what does it entail? What is involved?
Obviously, depending on your priorities and reasons for training this may vary, but in my opinion there are several things that are involved in real training of Ryukyu Budo (and most other martial arts).


The term 'Ryukyu Budo' includes all styles of Karate & Kobudo that originated in the Ryukyu islands (predominantly Okinawa).


It is important to note here that these days much of modern Karate (Te) and Kobudo have strong cultural influences from mainland Japan, which does differ quite a bit from traditional Ryukyu culture. Many modern Budo clubs do also have heavy influence from Eastern societies, especially from the US. The customs and traditions that originated in this way have only been introduced to Ryukyu Budo in the last 100 years or so.


While many of the physical techniques within Ryukyu 'Te' originated mostly from Chinese Quan Fa (Kung Fu), the philosophical aspects of it are directly a consequence of being developed within Ryukyu culture, which comes from several places and belief systems from all over Asia. The same is true of Kobudo.
These places include Shinto, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, Bushido, teachings of Lao Tzu and Sun Tzu and other cultural practices & traditions of the old Ryukyu Kingdom.

In today's society, it is important to pass on the philosophical traditions as well as the fighting skill, as a true Budoka (Budo practitioner) one must be strong, skilled, wise and have integrity.
Without the conditioning of the mind one will be weak willed and will give in to base instincts, becoming a thug and/or a coward.
The Okinawan masters talked about ‘perfection of character’ being a required along with ‘perfection of skill’.

While still stressing the importance of constant need to improve skill and always seeking to be better physically, the masters all knew that the constant need to improve the character and the mind too.
Bunbu Ryodo  <-- read this, very interesting  ;)
With great skill and a strong mind, one will have the confidence within themselves to never use that skill. This is the true purpose of Budo.


The character development is only one 'facet' of training in Budo. The following is a list of different areas within a 'complete Budo system', all of which are of equal importance. I have divided them into separate categories here, but they are all related and are intertwined with each other.




Hohan Soken
Shorin-Ryu Master

Character Development

Becoming a Warrior




Physical Skill

Martial Technique

Physical Development

Strength, Agility, Balance, Control and Flexibility


Knowledge Development

Acquiring the Information

Knowledge Understanding

Precursor to Wisdom

Martial Technique Practicality

Bunkai

Martial Understanding

What to Do & What Not to Do

Polishing of the Spirit

Being Better



Each of these 'facets' require constant work and development if you are to find the way.
In my next few posts, I'll be going into more detail of each of these different facets and explain my understanding of them.


In true Budo training there are no set timeframes for certain achievements or goals. True Budo training is a lifetime activity. Every Budoka is different mentally and physically so, logically, every Budoka's journey is going to ebb and flow at different times.
We all have good days and bad days; we all have periods of great improvement and little improvement. These variations will never coincide with another's.

To compare yourself to other people is to mistake the way and misunderstand what your own progression should mean to you.
Your progress is determined by you and only you.
What other's do, right or wrong, is irrelevant to your journey.
This concept is important to understand. While it could be categorised as being part of the 'Character Development' or 'Knowledge Understanding', it is a requirement for any serious progression within all facets of Budo.




Comment below to share any thoughts or opinions you might have.  :)

Thanks for reading.
Derm

Ͼ

Gichin Funakoshi's Twenty Precepts (Part 2)

In my previous post I detailed the first 10 of Gichin Funakoshi's Precepts.

Here are the last 10!

十一

空手は湯の如し絶えず熱度を与えざれば元の水に還る

Karate Wa Yu No Gotoku Taezu Netsu O Atae Zareba Motono Mizuni Kaeru

11. Karate is like boiling water: without heat, it returns to its tepid state.

This is straightforward, but a good analogy.
With a certain amount of heat you can make the water boil. With only a little heat it will not boil and just sit at a lower temperature. Apply no heat and it will cool to room temperature. With a lot of heat it will gain enough energy to completely vaporise.

Another analogy for the same thing, is 'swimming upstream'. 
In order to successfully swim against the current, you need to put in a certain amount of effort. With 'some' effort you might only just match the speed of the current and not actually get anywhere. With no effort, you will undo any progress and go back downstream with the current.



十二

勝つ考は持つな負けぬ考は必要

Katsu kangae wa motsuna; makenu kangae wa hitsuyo

12. Do not think of winning; think, rather, of not losing.

There is a big difference between 'winning' and 'not losing'. There seems to be a mindset in people, especially in today's society, where 'winning' is the goal. People think that in order to be successful and happy in life you must be a winner. Realistically the idea of 'winning' is subjective, it's not as absolute as it appears.

When being focused on winning, you're only looking for one outcome to any situation, so most of the time, setting yourself up for disappointment.
Rather than thinking of only one outcome, be open to many possible outcomes as long as it's not negative. If you're focused on 'not losing', you're more open to different possibilities, as long as you ensure that what ever the situation is, turns out well.

In a self-defence situation, it's best to have a mindset of 'not losing'. Winning only involves 'beating' the opponent. Not losing involves any thing from beating the opponent to 'dropping it and walking away'. If you're not worried about winning, you are able to "make adjustments according to your opponent" and choose the best outcome based on virtue, not ego.



十三

敵に因って轉化せよ

Tekki ni yotte tenka seyo

13. Make adjustments according to your opponent.

In his movie Enter the Dragon, Bruce Lee's character says: "When the opponent expand, I contract. When he contracts, I expand. And, when there is an opportunity, I do not hit - it hits all by itself."

You must be able to react and change according to your opponent's strengths and weaknesses. The idea is to have enough skill to be able to react with effective technique that suits the situation, to be fluid and not rigid.

If you're rigid with your techniques, you will be predictable. The opponent might have skills that might out-match yours. If you can adapt and change in the moment you will be more difficult to defeat.

The same is true of your opinions and mindset. A true warrior is open-minded and willing to see different points of view. To make adjustments in your mindset and attitude according to the information you are presented with.



十四

戦は虚実の操縦如何に在り

Tattakai wa kyo-jitsu no soju ikan ni ari

14. The outcome of a battle depends on how one handles emptiness and fullness (weakness and strength).

In the Art of War it says:
"If your enemy is secure at all points, be prepared for him. If he is in superior strength, evade him. If your opponent is temperamental, seek to irritate him. Pretend to be weak, that he may grow arrogant. If he is taking his ease, give him no rest. If his forces are united, separate them. If sovereign and subject are in accord, put division between them. Attack him where he is unprepared, appear where you are not expected ."


The main point here is 'adaptability'. We should be able to observe the opponent and situation then adapt to it, taking advantage of their strengths or weaknesses by utilising our strengths or weaknesses.

There is not just 'one way' that will work in all situations. Our actions and decisions must be tailored to the situation and the opponent.
How you handle your, the opponent's or the situation's emptiness and fullness determines the outcome

In a previous post I discussed the concept of The Emptiness Concept You should read that when you have finished this one :)



十五

人の手足を剣と思へ

Hi to no te-ashi wa ken to omoe

15. Think of hands and feet as swords.

The word 'Karate' directly translates as 'Empty Hands', this doesn't mean that a Karateka is weaponless.
As Funakoshi Sensei says, your hands and feet should be thought of as weapons. This doesn't just refer to their use in combat. It's obvious that if there aren't weapons available and you must defend yourself, then parts of your body need to be used or you will face defeat. 
This precept also refers to how you look after your weapons and how you develop them into stronger, more reliable weapons.

We learn how to do the techniques correctly, in effect teaching us how to make/use the weapon. Examples of this are: straight wrist and elbow, strike with 'Seiken Knuckles', pull the toes back, strike with the ball of the foot, all the little technical things about the techniques.
We can also make the weapons stronger with constant practice and Hojo Undo training. Hojo Undo (meaning Supplementary Training) is a traditional Okinawan method of training designed to strengthen and harden your weapons to increase their effectiveness.

We should also think of the opponent's hands and feet as swords too. Either when training or in actual combat, always be aware of the position and direction of the opponent's 'weapons'.

十六

男子門を出づれば百万の敵あり

Danshi mon o izureba hyakuman no teki ari

16. When you step beyond your own gate, you face a million enemies.

This is about awareness and being prepared. Whenever you're "beyond your own gate", at all times, keep your head up and be aware of the people around you, whether you are in a crowded place or on your own.

If someone (or a group of people) looks dodgy, you should know, firstly, that they are there, then keep an eye on them. Don’t be taken by surprise, all the training in the world won’t help if you’re struck down before you even know what happened.



十七

構は初心者に後は自然体

Kamae wa shoshinsha ni atowa shizentai

17. Kamae (ready stance) for beginners; later one stands in shizentai (natural stance).

This precept is quite often forgotten in modern martial arts. People train for years and years doing "traditional stances" like Zenkutsu Dachi but fail to realise the message that Funakoshi Sensei was teaching.

In general, beginners lack the strength and understanding of their own bodies to do techniques with any speed or power, so need to practice in the exaggerated stances to make their body gain strength and to build more 'body awareness' so to have control over every part of their body. 

Advanced Karateka have the strength and a higher level of body awareness, doing the "traditional stances" later is more or less superfluous. In reality, constantly training in stance's like Zenkutsu Dachi for a long period of time (in some cases 3, 4 or 5 decades), can actually be damaging to things like knees and back. 



十八

形は正しく実戦は別物

Kata wa tadashiku, jisen wa betsumono

18. Perform Kata exactly; actual combat is another matter.

This is basically a combination of  the precepts 13, 14 and 17.
Just as precept 17 talks about with stances, we learn Kata with exaggerated movements in order to build speed, power and accuracy together with 'body awareness' so we can execute the techniques more effectively.

What Funakoshi is saying when he says "actual combat is another matter"  is the same message as he says in precepts 13 and 14, in real life situations, what is correct or incorrect is more fluid than in Kata. Kata must be exact so we can build skill and hone technique, but in real combat there are no rules and those that try to follow the rules will probably be defeated.

We need to take the skills we have built in Kata training and learn to adapt them to the situation and the opponent. The ability to improvise on the fly is vitally important, kata practice on its own will not provide this.



十九

力の強弱体の伸縮技の緩急を忘るな

Chikara no kyojaku tai no shinshuku waza no kankyu

19. Do not forget the employment or withdrawal of power, the extension or contraction of the body, the swift or leisurely application of technique.

All of these motions of the body are found throughout the Kata. To truly be a proficient Karateka you must understand when and how these should be employed.

Funakoshi Sensei is referring to the many different complex things your body is doing at any one time, in any particular technique.
Even for a relatively straightforward technique, like a simple punch, there are many different muscles doing many different things in order to achieve the effective completion of that technique.
Your body does most of these things automatically, but if you are consciously aware of what each part of your body does in order to produce a certain outcome, you have the understanding to perform techniques with great effectiveness and reduced effort and energy you put into those techniques.

This higher level of understanding of each technique isn't easy. It takes years of training to gain this type of knowledge. For the understanding of the dozens and dozens of different things your body does in any one technique, you must practice that technique over and over thousands of times.



二十

常に思念工夫せよ

Tsune ni shinen ku fu seyo

20. Be constantly mindful, diligent, and resourceful in your pursuit of the Way.

This last precept is both straightforward and complex at the same time. Books can be written about this. My interpretation of it is best described with the following words:
Focus
Dedication
Commitment
Mindfulness
Astute
Determination
Vigilant
Conviction
Honesty
Persistence
Subtle
Tenacity
Wisdom
Faithfulness
Observant
Perseverance
Development
Willpower
Respectful

These are just words, but to a dedicated Budoka, it is what it's all about.
I'll leave you to reflect on why each of the above terms are necessary in 'your pursuit of the Way.'






Comment below to share any thoughts or opinions you might have.

Thanks for reading.
Derm

Ͼ

Gichin Funakoshi's Twenty Precepts (Part 1)

Gichin Funakoshi (the founder of Shotokan Karate) wrote ‘Twenty Guiding Principles to guide students on the way of both mentality of Karate and physical Karate training.

Gichin Funakoshi is popularly known as the 'Father of Modern Karate'. With good reason, his life's work seems to be to be taking an martial art what was virtually unknown outside of Okinawa and spreading it to the entire world. For all intents and purposes he succeeded brilliantly.

Gichin Funakoshi

In his time he saw Karate grow from little Okinawa to all over Japan, at the time, a conservative country with it's own existing martial arts. Today there are millions of people practicing Karate, in no small part due to his efforts.

Other masters did also move to mainland Japan to promote Ryukyu Budo, Chojun Miyagi, Choki Motobu and Kenwa Mabuni among others, but Gichin Funakoshi's contributions to 'Modern Karate' are arguably the greater than all others.

The below is the first 10 of Funakoshi Sensei's 20 precepts.
In Japanese, Romaji and the English translation from the book The Twenty Guiding Principles of Karate: The Spiritual Legacy of the Master translated by John Teramoto.

With each precept I have included my interpretation and thoughts.
There seems to be a surface meaning and a deeper meaning to most of the precepts.



一

空手道は礼に始まり礼に終る事を忘るな

Karate-do wa rei ni hajimari rei ni owaru koto a wasaru na

1. Do not forget that Karate begins and ends with rei.

'Rei' encompasses a couple of things, the first being 'courtesy' (some people call refer to this as 'respect', but I believe courtesy and manners just are an outward sign of respect and actual respect is something deeper). 
Courtesy (and/or manners) is a given for any serious Budoka, it should go without saying. Anyone skilled in the fighting arts should balance it with being humble and having consideration for others at all times.

'Respect' is a vital part of true Budo. As I mentioned, true respect is something deeper than the outward behaviour and how we interact with others. True respect comes from within and is a part of our psyche. At it's core it is a deep feeling of admiration or trust. So while we should be courteous with all people, we reserve our respect for those who deserve it. A good example of this is if you do not have respect for your Budo instructor, you owe it to yourself to find someone you can respect. This might seem obvious, but I have seen many people through the years that don't respect their instructor and complain about them when they aren't around. This isn't healthy for anyone (especially Budoka).

Rei can also refer to what is possibly the most important part of all of Budo, 'Self-Respect'. Self-Respect isn't to be confused with arrogance or audaciousness. Your own Self-Respect is a combination of your self-esteem, confidence, integrity, self-honesty, self-image and the sense of worth. It is the knowledge of who you are yourself and the regard for you own value to yourself. Nothing is more important than this, because a person with no Self-Respect doesn't stand for anything. They will allow anything to happen to themselves and/or others. This is the opposite of being a warrior. 

As Funakoshi Sensei says: "Karate begins and ends with rei" this is very true as the many facets of 'rei'  are constant and never ending for a true Budoka,



二

空手に先手なし

Karate ni sente nashi

2. There is no first strike in karate.

The obvious meaning of this precept is that a person with fighting skill should never use it to escalate an altercation by 'striking first', Karate is a defensive art. 
Sun Tsu's Art of War talks about doing what is necessary to end the battle. Deliberately escalating things by being the first to make the situation a 'violent situation' is not the martial way. Funakoshi Sensei isn't the only master to talk about this. Some other masters that said similar things were Kyan Chotoku, Kenwa Mabuni and Chojun Miyagi (I'll leave it to you to go and find what they said regarding this). One notable exception to this was Choki Motobu who disagreed with this statement saying "'Sente' is about taking the initiative". I both agree and disagree with this. 'Taking the initiative' is important and Budoka should adopt this attitude, but not at the expense of their values. I believe we can have an attitude of talking the initiative and not escalate the violence needlessly.

Another (deeper) interpretation of this precept is more about attitude and mindset rather than actual physical conflict. The old saying by Alexander Pope: "Fools rush in where Angels fear to tread". A smart Martial Artist knows to wait and be patient. To consider the situation and to not be blindly acting. Using caution, understanding the situation is the first thing that should be done, not action. So there can't be a 'first strike' because the first thing to do is always to consider and understand... Then take the necessary action without regret.
This consideration of the situation before acting may only be a split-second, but could be the difference between the taking right action and creating a truly regrettable outcome.



三

空手は義の補け

Karate wa, gi no tasuke

3. Karate stands on the side of justice.

To fight for justice and what is right is what all Budo skills should be used for. As an instructor, it would be irresponsible to teach fighting skill to people without consideration for what that skill will be used for. 
If an instructor taught a student the ability to seriously hurt a person, then the student goes out and hospitalises someone, the instructor is just as responsible for this as the student. Morality and virtue should always accompany martial arts training. If a student isn't learning the importance of Justice and Rectitude, then the instructor should be responsible enough to consider not training that student.

As a Budoka we should only use the skill that we have trained with, in times of injustice, or in the Dojo (of course). Any other reason or situation we should want to find a better way to resolve the situation.



四

先づ自己を知れ而して他を知れ

Mazu onore o shire, shikashite ta o shire

4. First know yourself, then know others.

This is an extension of the 'Self-Respect' mentioned in the 1st precept. It basically means that there is no way of accurately finding an understanding of others (either actions or intentions) if you don't even understand yourself. If you understand your own motives, wants and desires then you have a frame of reference to work with, so you can put yourself in their shoes.

Both feelings of sympathy and empathy are only possible if you truly understand yourself. If you are honest with yourself, then you are capable of being honest with others. Through this, you are more able to recognise when others are dishonest with you. When you understand others you can read a situation effectively and reduce the chance of being taken by surprise or deceived.

Many people find self-knowledge difficult, as they know subconsciously that while seeking to know themselves they might have to face aspects about themselves they don't like. This relates to self-respect. People automatically want to take the path of least resistance. It is easier to deny a certain thing about yourself that you may not like, rather than face it and put the effort into fixing it. This is what true Budo training does, it forces people to face themselves. (Goju Instructor Michael Clarke goes into more detail about this in his Book Shin Gi Tai, it's worth the read).



五

技術より心術

Gijitsu yori shinjitsu

5. Mentality over technique.

Developing mind, body and technique are all important, but the development of your mind is far more important than the others.
 
More often than not Budoka tend to neglect the development of mentality, probably making the assumption that Budo is a physical activity so the focus should be on the physical. This is an easy mistake to make and it couldn't be further from the truth!
Most Budoka would agree that a stong mind, correct attitude, determination and dedication are all character traits that a Budoka should have, but they put little focus on improving these.

 
In order to do develop the mind in training, you need to train hard and give it everything you've got. When you want to give up or want to slacken off, push even harder. You develop a strong mind by using it and putting effort into making it strong (just like a muscle).
In order to do develop the mind when in not training is easy. Act like you do when you do when you are in the dojo... at all times. (This is what numbers 8, 9 and 10 on this list are all about!)



六

心は放たん事を要す

Kokoro wa hanatan koto o yosu

6. The mind must be set free.

Having an open mind and being creative is crucial!
It's true that beginners need to follow the system in order to ensure that they are learning the correct techniques and picking up the right attitude. All that beginners have to do is put the effort in and do as they are asked, but this isn't what true Budo is. In a culture of "only do what Sensei says" it's difficult to have an open mind. Also, in a culture of "only this is the correct way" it's difficult to be creative. In truth, this is still all beginners stuff. Beginners should do what Sensei said and should have a rigid structure of correct and incorrect, but later on, this should change. 

In Okinawa there is a well known term 'SHUHARI' (守 破 離) which (within the context of martial arts) means 'Follow the rules - Break the rules - Make the rules'. This is the natural progression from leaning to mastering.
 
A popular translation of Shuhari is "Obey-Digress-Transcend"
 
My interpretation of what Funakoshi Sensei saying here is that the way is to follow the rules only to a certain point, the ultimate goal is not to follow the rules for ever, but to eventually set the mind free, to detach from the set system that you learnt and transcend the norm... be creative and have an open mind to all that will help you on your journey to being the best you can be.



七

禍は懈怠に生ず

Wazawai wa ketai ni seizu

7. Calamity springs from carelessness.

If you're careless when training with a partner, particularly when doing Bunkai, people can be injured. There is a certain amount of trust between you and your partner, it's disrespectful to not be switched on and paying attention. Realistically, carelessness is the seed of negligence.
Carelessness is dangerous even when not working with a partner, for example if people are in the same dojo but practicing different Kata, being careless will result in someone crashing into someone else. Even when you're training on your own, if you're careless, you might do yourself an injury by pulling some muscle, twisting your ankle or over extending joints.

The awareness of yourself and everything around you (that you utilise in order to not be careless) doesn't stop at the dojo door. This is something that a Budoka uses every second of every day.

Calamity also springs from carelessness with your thoughts. Have control over your mind and don't let you mind just think whatever it wants. Willpower is important. Everything starts with the thoughts in your head, have control and be less careless with your thoughts and you can control your world.

“The one thing over which you have absolute control is your own thoughts. It is this that puts you in a position to control your own destiny.”
―Paul G. Thomas



八

道場のみの空手と思ふな

Dojo nomino karate to omou na

8. Karate goes beyond the dojo.

There is more to Karate than simply training the techniques. There is a certain mindset that distinguishes true Karateka from others. This attitude and mindset are fostered in most Dojo: be respectful, have confidence, show integrity, think and speak honestly, act with honour... the list goes on. In general the idea is to be a good person, not selfish or ill mannered.

What Funakoshi Sensei is saying here is that we aren't just that sort of person in the dojo. We should be Karateka all the time, not just when we are standing in front of the instructor.

If we consider ourselves as 'Karateka' and want our training to have any sort of positive effect on our lives, we have to be true to ourselves and be a Karateka all the time.



九

空手の修業は一生である

Karate-do no shugyo wa isssho de aru 

9. Karate is a lifelong pursuit.

A common mistake among beginners is to think that the goal it to obtain a black belt and that's it.
Some people even maintain this belief, once they grade to the first Dan rank they think they're done, so quit. Ironically it's probably for the best that these people quit, because after years of training they have failed to grasp the point of that training
(The unfortunate thing is that they will now never understand the point).

I have seen many students get very frustrated when they are unable to get something right or if don't understand something, as if there's a time limit. While we should be constantly striving to get techniques right and understand it all, we have plenty of time to get to do it in. Actually we have all the time to do it in, true Karate is for the rest of our lives.

There is no failure in Karate... unless you quit.

Another thing to keep in mind it the way we train. Some training methods have short term results, but they are damaging in the long term. Especially the back, knees and elbows can show wear and tear over time. If you wish to keep using things like your knees when in your 80s or 90s, you need to be aware of certain training methods with long term effects.  
 


十

凡ゆるものを空手化せよ其処に妙味あり

Ara yuru mono o karateka seyo; sokoni myomi ari

10. Apply the way of karate to all things. Therein lies its beauty.

True Karate is a way of life. A real Karateka is constantly training, everything they do is done with focus on becoming better as a Budoka.
Something as simple as opening a door can be done with focus, keeping the elbows in, utilising core strength, the correct muscles and from a stable stance. At the same time, being aware of their surroundings keeping their wits about them, knowing that quite often a self-defence situation can be unexpected. This person 'lives' their Karate. That's what 'applying the way to all things' is all about. 

There is a difference between this person and someone who 'goes to training' a couple of times a week and doesn't give it a second through outside of training.

If we 'apply the way to all things' we will not just find ways to improve our technique more often, but we will have a deeper insight into the way in general.



This is only half of Funakoshi's precepts, keep an eye out for the last 10 soon!



Comment below to share any thoughts or opinions you might have.

Thanks for reading.
Derm

Ͼ

The Seven Virtues of Bushido

Bushido - meaning the 'The way of the Warrior' is the code of the Samurai of feudal times.   

 武士道

In the later years of feudal Japan in the Edo Period, the Samurai weren't so much the 'hired soldiers' anymore. They had become the gentleman warrior-class. Propriety, Courtesy, Honour and Integrity were considered important traits for a Samurai to have.


In his book: "Bushido: The Soul of Japan" by Inazo Nitobe, he outlines seven virtues that were essential to the life of the Gentleman Warrior of Old Japan.
These virtues are a guide for being a better person, not just in old Japan, but even in today's society, especially for the Martial Artist and Warrior.

名誉

HONOUR:  

The integrity of one’s spirit and virtues

“Honour is what no man can give you, and none can take away. Honour is a man's gift to himself.” – Rob Roy

The Samurai of old Japan believed that one’s honour is the immortal part of oneself, in a very literal sense. The warrior’s honour is the integrity of his spirit and virtues. Put simply our honour is intact when we stick to our principles.

To a warrior, his honour is very serious, it's the most important thing to him. This is because it is the culmination of who and what he is. It is the immortal part of a warrior because it’s the warrior’s honour that lives on in people’s memory after death. This doesn’t simply mean that it’s what people think of a warrior (that is only skin deep). True Honour of a real warrior goes right to the core and radiates from there. Letting people only think your intentions are honourable might appear to be the way but it’s not true honour of a real warrior.

Honour is the opposite of shame. To incur any shame was the greatest dishonour to a Samurai and he would commit seppuku in order to restore his honour.

A warrior’s honour influences everything that he says and does; it’s for his honour and no other reason that he follows the other virtues.

仁

BENEVOLENCE:  

A charitable, selfless mindset. To be good.

“It is the task of good men to help those in misfortune”- Sophocles

The Warrior is a good person; he can’t watch another person in need or trouble and do nothing. The true warrior knows it is the Warriors duty to help others.

Being a good person is difficult at times, sometimes it's easier to look the other way and pretend we didn't see that person getting attacked, but this doesn't sit well with a good person. They must do something.

義

RECTITUDE:  

Righteousness. An adherence to justice and truth.

“To see the right and not to do it is cowardice” – Confucius

A true warrior has a good sense of right and wrong, he not only listens to his conscience but acts on it too. Just like Benevolence, doing the right thing can be difficult, but the definition of a warrior is to standing the side of what is right.

This virtue is quite often translated as ‘justice’.

誠

SINCERITY:         

Truthfulness in thought, speech and action.

“Every single word is of great importance to the Samurai” - The Hagakure

Many people translate this virtue as “honesty” which is exactly true, a warrior must be honest. It is more than this though.

A true warrior doesn’t just speak the truth, his intentions behind the words and even his thoughts should be genuine. The ancient samurai found it an insult to give their word or make a promise as EVERY word they said was the serious absolute truth.

勇

COURAGE:
The ability to face fear or hardship, without being incautious or inconsiderate.

“The warrior is not led by others; but by remaining true to his convictions.” – F. J. Chu

Courage is essential to a warriors spirit. Courage is not only being brave in battle.

The warrior has the courage to stick to his principles at all times and doesn’t bow to peer-pressure. This virtues is probably the one that we use the most in our daily lives.

Courage isn’t ‘not being afraid’ courage is being able to face your fears without hesitation.

忠義

LOYALTY:

Faithfulness to a cause or ideal.

“Hold faithfulness and sincerity as first principles.” - Confucius

The ancient Samurai were required to be fiercely to their feudal lord. They were required to kill or be killed at their word. If it was demanded of him, a samurai would gladly take his own life. The word ‘Samurai’ literally means ‘to serve’.

In this day and age we live differently to the samurai in old feudal Japan. We don’t live to serve a particular lord, daimyo or shogun, but a warrior must be loyal to himself and his own conscience. Even to the point where he is willing to die for what he believes is right, just like the samurai of old.

礼

RESPECT:

Deep feeling of admiration and trust.

“Regardless of social class, there should be no discourteous behaviour.” – Tomida Dairai

There is a difference between having and showing respect. To show respect is to simply be courteous and for a warrior courtesy goes without saying. True warriors are always courteous (even with their enemies).

Having respect is different and more meaningful. A warrior that truly respects someone (e.g. parents, instructor or role-model ) has a deep feeling of loyalty towards that person. This doesn’t mean he compliments them continually or always agrees everything they say.
It means he admires that person to his very core. It means the warrior fully trusts that person’s word and knows that he is someone to count on. For this reason a warrior is careful of who he respects as not everyone can be trusted on such a deep level.

Being that a warrior understands what respect truly is, he strives everyday to be worthy of the respect of others. He doesn’t just act worthy of respect, he makes sure that he is worthy of respect with his entire spirit (even when others aren’t watching).

The warrior’s journey is a difficult one without end. It is a way of life, a way of discipline, a way of constant unending self improvement (The Japanese call this “Kaizen”). The true warrior knows the day will never come when he can say he is a ‘perfect warrior’... but luckily that’s not why he lives ‘The Way of the Warrior’.




Comment below to share any thoughts or opinions you might have.

Thanks for reading.
Derm

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15 Budo Terms Clarified

In my last post I mentioned that a 'warrior', a 'fighter' a 'martial artist' and a 'Budoka' aren't the same thing. They might share some traits,  but there is a distinction between each.

 

I thought I'd define my understanding of some names and terms that the layman (and some martial artists) get confused with and tend to mix up.

Bu - Is quite often translated to the English word 'Martial' or 'War'. The Japanese character 'Bu'  武  (originally the Chinese 'Wu')  is made up of two characters. one meaning 'to stop' 止  and the other is 'halberds' 戈 (which is an old weapon similar to a spear). Meaning the original idea for 'Bu' 武 is basically 'to stop weapons'. It doesn't mean anything like 'war' it means the opposite, to 'end war'.


An example of a Chinese Halberd

Martial - This is a general term regarding any type of physical conflict between individuals or groups of people. The word comes from the Latin word 'Martilis' meaning 'of Mars' (the Roman God of War).
 

Mars the God, not the Planet named after him.

Bujutsu - Made up of two characters 'Bu' 武 and 'Jutsu' 術.
Jutsu means Technique, Artform or skill. This means the direct translation for 'Bujutsu' in English is 'Martial Arts'.
 

Bujutsu

Martial Arts - 'Bujutsu' refers the physical activity of learning, practicing and training to perfect the fighting skills of 'Bu'. Martial Arts is often mistranslated as Budo, but there's more to Budo than just the physical techniques.
 

Budo - Made up of two characters 'Bu' 武 and 'Do' 道.
Do means the Road, Path or Way. It refers to the journey of the individual (In this case, within Martial Arts).
It's not just techniques or fighting skill, it's everything involved.
So Budo translates as The Martial Way.
 

Budo

The Martial Way - 'Budo' refers to all aspect of 'Bu', this includes the physical 'Jutsu' training as well as training to develop the mind, spirit, character and understanding. 


A Fighter - A person with a certain amount of fighting skill, as do all Martial Artists, but other types of Martial Artist have a different mindset. A fighter will employ those fighting skills almost indiscriminately, seeking to go out and start fights. These people enjoy and glorify violence.


A Professional Fighter - Simply put, a fighter who is paid to fight. Quite often these people aren't as reckless (or stupid) as the average street fighter. Professional fighters have a higher level of training in fighting skill, but in general they also enjoy and glorify violence.


A Martial Artist - A person who trains in 'Bujutsu' to perfect fighting skill. Fighters and Warriors are both examples of Martial Artists, but Fighters and Warriors are far from the same thing.


The Warrior - Basically meaning 'war person'. According to Miyamoto Musashi "The way of the Warrior of the twofold path; the way of the pen and the sword" meaning a Warrior is skilled in the ways of conflict and the ways of the scholar, they can fight and they are wise. Unlike the Fighter, the Warrior will employ his fighting skills in only specific situations, mostly to fight injustice or to do good. 


The Professional Warrior (Soldier) - Is a Warrior who is employed to fight in conflicts, most often on behalf of a Nation. These people are the highest trained Martial Artists, they quite often live by a certain code of Honour. A Mercenary is a Professional Warrior who will work of money, rather than Honour or their Country.

Professional Warrior
Arguably the most Honourable Vocation



 

Budoka - Made up of three characters 'Bu' 武, 'Do' 道 and 'Ka' 家.
In this context Ka means 'a practitioner of'. So Budoka is 'a practitioner of the Martial Way'. A Budoka isn't just a Martial Artist, as a Martial Artist only trains with the fighting skill, a Budoka trains all aspects of Bu. A Budoka is constantly striving to be the best he/she can be in Shin-Gi-Tai.
 

Shin-Gi-Tai - The Three pillars of the Budoka.
Shin 心 = Mind, Heart or Spirit (Character)
Gi 技 = Skill & Technique, Art Form or Knowledge & Experience
Tai 体 = Body or Physical Development or Effort.


Karate - The Japanese term for Ryukyuan empty handed fighting arts. The Direct translation of Karate is 'Empty' 空 and 'Hands' 手.


Toudi - The Uchinaguchi (Okinawan Language) term for Ryukyuan empty handed fighting arts. The Direct translation of Toudi is 'Tang' (or Chinese) 唐 and 'Hands' 手. The old Ryukyuans also called it simply Di (or Te), 'hand' 手.

'Toudi' By Hokama Tetsuhiro

Kobudo - The Japanese term used for Ryukyuan weapon fighting arts. The Direct translation of Ko is 'Ancient' 古 and 'Budo' 武道.
(Kobudo doesn't mean 'Weapons Style') 
 



These are general definitions, they aren't meant to define the terms in detail. My aim with this post is to explain the distinction between the terms, as people tend to get mixed up and tend to confuse them.
So to this end, I hope this has helped clear up some distinctions for you.



Comment below to share any thoughts or opinions you might have.

Thanks for reading.
Derm

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