Obedience means obeying one’s parents. Besides being an obligation in which I have a firm belief, it is a way of teaching humility and keeping the ego in check. No matter how old we are, we are still our parents’ children.
We should also be obedient to the laws of our community and society. A good karate-ka is always a good citizen. There can be no duality in this regard. The highest obedience is to the moral and spiritual principles of our conscience, to which our parents have contributed much. I hope that every student of Seido Karate will be able to develop these highest individual principles and better understand him or herself.
Seido karate is growing, both here in the United States and overseas. The future growth of the system will depend on the successful transmission of the Seido principles of respect, love, and obedience through my senior students, in turn, to their students. I have been fortunate in my own training to have had the opportunity to instruct others. Over the years, I have had many outstanding students, of which I am very proud. Many senior black belts have been extremely successful in major open tournaments throughout the world, winning in kata, kumite and breaking. However, each and every one of my students contributes to the Seido organization in his or her individual way. Without the strong support of all my students, throughout the world, Seido could not have grown and developed as it is today.
At Seido, I want to create a secure place for anyone of any age or physical ability to train and learn. This is true at any Seido dojo, no matter where it is located. At Seido, we all train as a family. Cooperation, not competition, is the key word. Those who have more should share with others, giving advice and encouragement. The real competition is with yourself. The only requirement is that you give your absolute best effort at all times.
Ethical and Moral Values of Karate
The ethical and moral foundation of karate-do comes from the samurai. All karate students are expected to make these principles and values part of their behavior, applying them to their conduct in and out of the dojo.
Gi (rectitude)
This means making the right decision in every situation and doing it without wavering. The right decision is the moral one, the just one, the honorable one.
Yu (heroism)
Obviously, this meant something different in feudal Japan than it will in ordinary life. There are many possibilities for heroism in everyday life. Heroism and bravery mean taking risks, perhaps to our position, our status, and our self-interest.
Jin (universal love, compassion)
Compassion means, literally, a moving of the insides as a result of feeling for someone’s pain or suffering. Karate stresses action, and we should always strive to find ways to express our compassion for our family, friends, neighbors and those less fortunate than ourselves.
Rei (courtesy)
Courtesy is a quality the modern world sorely lacks. It is perhaps more relevant now than in feudal times, since courtesy signals respect and compassion for others. It is something that karate students should constantly practice.
Makoto (truthfulness)
Seido means “sincere way.” In all dealings with others, karate students should develop a sincere, honest straightforwardness. This can do much to improve modern interpersonal relations.
Chugo (devotion, loyalty)
One of the cornerstones of Seido is obedience. It refers to this value in the samurai. A student should be absolutely loyal and devoted, first and always, to parents and family. These are one’s origins, roots, and foundation. Secondly, if a student decides to pursue the way of karate, he/she should always remember the importance of loyalty to the organization and to the teachers who guide the student along the path of growth and self-improvement.
Karate: Moving Zen
A famous Zen master, Taisen Deshimaru, has said, “Only two things matter, energy and action.” What does he mean? The practice of zazen, seated meditation, can free us from our small “selves” and from our small “minds” and help us to realize our original natures. In a tangible way, it does energize us, by helping to regulate the autonomic nervous system, by increasing our vital capacity and the efficiency of oxygen exchange, and by calming the mind. But, if we were to sit like monks and become concentrated and focused, what of it? If we withdraw from the frenetic chaos of life to the monastery, is this not delusion also? It is, if there is no action.
Zazen creates energy, or it helps us tap our innate wellspring of energy. Karate trains us in applying that energy to action. Karate is action and movement: slow and fast, soft and hard, small and large, solitary and with others. These are all the types of action that we experience in our daily lives. In karate, we practice them with the energy of Zen. When we walk, it is Zen. When we run and jump, it is Zen. Karate Zen links energy and action. This is what we are practicing over and over, day by day.
When we leave the dojo and go back out into the market place of life, we take our practice and give it to others. Karate means “empty hand.” An empty hand clings to nothing. It does not hold on to preconceptions, prejudice, or the status quo. An empty hand can give and be of service to others. As we move about in our daily lives, we are practicing moving zen, total involvement and absorption in the present moment.
When someone watches a karate master do a kata, one is absolutely riveted by the beauty and power of the movements. They do not have to be explained, and they do not appear to be learned, but seem to come from within. If this experience were possible only in the dojo, then karate would be of limited value. However, it is possible for students to have the same experience in their everyday lives: a teacher giving a lecture; a stockbroker working in the chaos of the trading floor; a nurse in the charged atmosphere of a hospital. We study karate Zen to get in touch with our “original self” and to take that “big self” and put it to work to alleviate the suffering of others.
In the martial arts, there are many “ways,” e.g., judo, kendo, kyudo, karate-do. Zen gives them a single common ground.
“... if one practices and realizes the Buddha way, when one gains one dharma, one penetrates one dharma. When one encounters one action, one practices one action.” Genjokoan
If every movement and every action in our lives were infused with this ideal, how much richer, more enjoyable and more productive our lives would be.
Seido Black Belts, assembled for 1985 annual clinic. (Battery Park, at entrance to New York Harbor, lower Manhattan).
Annual Black Belt beach training. Sunrise at Rockaway Beach, New York.
Chi Gyo Ichi Nyo
The word chi means knowledge. Gyo means doing or action. Ichi nyo means inseparable. Acting without adequate knowledge or understanding is a constant source of consternation and problems. We are often busy and active, without really understanding the basis of our actions or their full impact. Some people study karate without knowing why they are really studying. In class they do the techniques without understanding their purpose, and so they lose much of the benefit. They do push-ups without understanding their purpose. Is the purpose just pain or just building strong arms? Or do they understand that they are building a stronger spirit, a nonquitting attitude? Do children come to class because their parents want them to, or for themselves? For what reasons do the students seek a black belt? For self-satisfaction? To impress others? Without real knowledge and understanding of why we do such things, we fail to get the full benefits and to realize our potential.
Karate in Everyday Life