Humility and the Open mind
"True karate is that in daily life one's mind and body be trained and developed in a spirit of humility, and that in critical times, one be devoted utterly to the cause of justice." Gichin Funakoshi -Founder of Shotokan Karate
Humility is the defining characteristic of an unpretentious and modest person, someone who does not think that he or she is better or more important than others. The term "humility" is derived from the Latin word "humilis", which is translated not only as humble but also alternatively as "low", or "from the earth". "Humble." (Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. 2008.)
In Zen Buddhism, humility is equivalent to concern of how to be liberated from the sufferings of life and the vexations of the human mind. The ultimate aim is to achieve a state of enlightenment through meditation and other spiritual practices. Humility can also result from achieving the liberation of Nirvana. When one experiences the ultimate emptiness and non-self, one is free from suffering, vexations and all illusions of self-deception. Humility, compassion and wisdom characterize this state of enlightenment.
Chan (Zen) Master Li Yuansong states that enlightenment can come only after humility - the wisdom of realizing one's own ignorance, insignificance and lowliness, without which one cannot see the truth.
In karate the student must continually train with an open mind like an empty cup waiting to be filled. Karate students must become cognoscente of their lack knowledge despite the conclusions and accomplishments they may think that have achieved. The best way I could explain this is with an example from my own personal experience.
During the advanced class, Master Dave Scoob had us practice Takeyoku Shodan without any blocks or punches concentrating on just the footwork. It was surprisingly difficult. The entire purpose of the exercise was not only to improve our use of KI energy and work on stances, but also to reexamine our approach to learning by using a kata that we had performed hundreds of times.
At the end of the exercise I felt quite humbled by the whole experience. I was surprised how much I depended upon the use of my hands when executing movements in a kata. The more I connected the movements of starting and stopping my hands and feet together, I was surprised how many things I was doing incorrectly.
Karate students must remember that humility is the key to improvement. Once you think that you have mastered something you may not be open to learning new things about it. If your cup is full it cannot hold any more knowledge. Just because you have performed a kata 1,000 times does not mean that you have really mastered it.
To study karate is to know that there is always something new to learn, no matter how trivial it may seem. The key is just to keep practicing. There are times when practicing the same thing over and over might be repetitious, but the end results engrain the proper form and movement into your mind and bodies long term memory. The process of studying karate must be nurtured and takes a lifetime to master.
Humility is the defining characteristic of an unpretentious and modest person, someone who does not think that he or she is better or more important than others. The term "humility" is derived from the Latin word "humilis", which is translated not only as humble but also alternatively as "low", or "from the earth". "Humble." (Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. 2008.)
In Zen Buddhism, humility is equivalent to concern of how to be liberated from the sufferings of life and the vexations of the human mind. The ultimate aim is to achieve a state of enlightenment through meditation and other spiritual practices. Humility can also result from achieving the liberation of Nirvana. When one experiences the ultimate emptiness and non-self, one is free from suffering, vexations and all illusions of self-deception. Humility, compassion and wisdom characterize this state of enlightenment.
Chan (Zen) Master Li Yuansong states that enlightenment can come only after humility - the wisdom of realizing one's own ignorance, insignificance and lowliness, without which one cannot see the truth.
In karate the student must continually train with an open mind like an empty cup waiting to be filled. Karate students must become cognoscente of their lack knowledge despite the conclusions and accomplishments they may think that have achieved. The best way I could explain this is with an example from my own personal experience.
During the advanced class, Master Dave Scoob had us practice Takeyoku Shodan without any blocks or punches concentrating on just the footwork. It was surprisingly difficult. The entire purpose of the exercise was not only to improve our use of KI energy and work on stances, but also to reexamine our approach to learning by using a kata that we had performed hundreds of times.
At the end of the exercise I felt quite humbled by the whole experience. I was surprised how much I depended upon the use of my hands when executing movements in a kata. The more I connected the movements of starting and stopping my hands and feet together, I was surprised how many things I was doing incorrectly.
Karate students must remember that humility is the key to improvement. Once you think that you have mastered something you may not be open to learning new things about it. If your cup is full it cannot hold any more knowledge. Just because you have performed a kata 1,000 times does not mean that you have really mastered it.
To study karate is to know that there is always something new to learn, no matter how trivial it may seem. The key is just to keep practicing. There are times when practicing the same thing over and over might be repetitious, but the end results engrain the proper form and movement into your mind and bodies long term memory. The process of studying karate must be nurtured and takes a lifetime to master.
posted by Jake Richtsmeier at 1:57 PM
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