- Master
Gichin Funakoshi
-
-
- THE
DOJO KUN
-
- Spoken
with pride
- A Dojo Kun is a
verbal affirmation that is recited by all of the
students, usually at the end of each training session.
-
- The purpose of the
Dojo Kun is to remind all of the students in the dojo,
regardless of their rank, that the physical, mental, and
spiritual growth that they enjoy as a by product of their
karate training, must also extend beyond the dojo's walls.
-
- By that I mean, in
order to derive the true benefits of Shotokan karate-do,
each student must take the underlying principals of this
art form and make them a regular part of their daily life.
-
- The following Dojo
Kun is taken from the 20 Precepts of Master Gichin
Funakoshi, it should be recited out loud one line at a
time, first by the dojo's sensei or senior sempai, and
then repeated immediately afterwards, in unison, by all
of the students in attendance prior to the final bows at
the end of each class.
-
- SEEK
PERFECTION OF CHARACTER
-
- BE
FAITHFUL
-
- ENDEAVOUR
-
- RESPECT
OTHERS
-
- REFRAIN
FROM VIOLENT BEHAVIOUR
-
- And
when you leave your dojo, always be sure and take the
meaning of those words out into the world with you.
Because it is in the every day world that is outside of
those four walls that you train behind each day, that the
true meaning of the dojo kun is truly meant to be
practiced.
-
- The
following explanations set forth the meaning of the Dojo
Kun.
-
- 1.
Seek Perfection of Character
-
- Character
- This means that the
art of karate is more than just physical. All beginners,
especially the young, should be taught the importance of
character building through discipline and rigorous
training. For the beginner, the character building
process begins with perfecting techniques through
repetition. The spirit to fight will be achieved as one
gains more confidence through development of stronger
techniques. Train to bring out the spirit, not only to
fight but to overcome personal problems especially in
times of sickness, domestic crisis or business problems.
It is a long path to develop these spiritual values but
once the concept is understood and experienced it will
provide a lifetime benefit of inner strength and peace.
- 2.
Be Faithful
-
- Loyalty
- To be faithful is a
strong samurai tradition and an extension of the
Confucius influence on the family and martial arts. The
faith to be shown is in your sensei and dojo. The student
must always be faithful to his sensei and follow in much
the same way as a medieval samurai was bound to follow
his feudal lord to the death without hesitation. While
this may seem unusual in the present day, it is
unreasonable to expect a sensei to teach all he knows to
a student who is likely to leave for the slightest reason.
The student must prove his loyalty over the years. The
faith and loyalty extended to the sensei will be
rewarded, in that a greater amount of knowledge and
wisdom will be passed on to the student and this bond
between sensei and student is extremely valuable and is
the basis of the learning relationship.
-
- 3.
Endeavor
-
- Effort
- To endeavor means
complete dedication and commitment necessary to achieve
mastery of the art. In no case is mastery possible
without strenuous effort and sacrifice on the part of the
practitioner. The endeavor must be of a sincere nature
and not just superficial. Serious effort on the part of
the student will be recognized by the sensei who will in
turn spend more time with him or her.
-
- 4.
Respect Others
-
- Etiquette
- Respect for others
is an important part of the Japanese and Okinawan culture
therefore common to the martial arts. Gichin Funakoshi
stressed that karate begins and ends with etiquette. He
also stated that without courtesy there is no dojo. This
is a reflection of the formal nature of the Japanese
people and may be observed bowing during training as well
as at home or office. Dojo etiquette is well defined. You
bow correctly and show respect in everything you do and
everywhere you go. Respect is extended to all...senseis,
parents, educators, law, deceased, nature, etc.
-
- 5.
Refrain From Violent Behavior
-
- Control
- A trained fighter
is a person with a fierce competitive spirit and great
strength so it is unfair to use it against an untrained
person. The karate-ka's spirit is unbeatable and must use
his knowledge only for the sake of justice. A person of
character can walk away from a fight because he is in
control of his emotions and is at peace with himself. He
does not have to test his abilities on the street. He
wins without fighting and he will have no regrets because
no one will be injured. Refraining from violent behavior
is hard to explain to many Westerners because of their
environment, or the attitude of winning tournaments, and
they want to do it as quickly as possible which is
against the principles of karate-do and dojo kun. It is
therefore necessary for instructors to constantly remind
the students of the importance of the dojo kun.
- **************
-
- The following is
another example of a Dojo Kun, only this one has the
Japanese terminology included and has been very kindly
provided to me with the kind permission, and courtesy of,
Sensei Charles Gidley, 6th Dan, of British Shotokan Kyogi
in England :
-
- Seek Perfection of
Character
- Hitotsu!
Jinkaku kansei ni tsutomuru koto.
- (To strive for the
perfection of character.)
-
- Be Faithful
- Hitotsu!
Makato no michi o mamoru koto.
- (To protect/defend
the paths of truth.)
-
- Endeavor to excel.
- Hitotsu!
Doryoku no seishin o yashinau koto.
- (To foster the
spirit of effort.)
-
- Respect others
- Hitotsu!
Reigi o omonsuru koto.
- (To honor the
principles of etiquette.)
-
- Refrain from violent
behavior
- Hitotsu!
Kekki no yu o imashimuru koto.
- (To guard against
impetuous courage.)
-
-
- Remember
- Regardless
of when you say the dojo kun,
- or
in what language you speak it,
- say
it with pride and say it like you mean it.
-
- Part
the clouds - see the way.
-
- "The
objective of karate-do is to contribute to the evolution
- of
the human spirit through physical and mental training."
- Sensei
Peter Lindsay
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