When you’re pursuing a worthwhile goal it’s almost inevitable that at some point you’ll think one or more of the following: “This is harder than I thought it would be.” – “Why is this taking so long?” – “I’m getting nowhere with this.” – “I keep failing at this goal.” – “I can’t do this….
Category: Bushido
Remind yourself daily: “I AM WHAT I THINK”.
Mental training in the martial arts is often overlooked, with many practitioners spending very little time on this important aspect of training. . According to oriental culture, what affects your mind affects you body, and this can be seen and experienced in everyday life. . Negative thinking rewires your brain and makes you miserable, makes…
“Karate wa shōgai no kenkyūdesu.” (Karate is a lifelong study)
空手は生涯の研究です- Karate wa shōgai no kenkyūdesu (Karate is a lifelong study) – Mabuni Kenwa (1889-1952) . . Relatively speaking, there is still relatively few who choose to dedicate their lives to studying martial arts. In terms of sports, many choose more mainstream pastimes such as football, basketball, baseball, or soccer, as apposed to the martial…
“Bun Bu Ryō Dō” – The “Education of Body and Mind”.
Many of you who have spent a good number of years studying the martial arts have probably heard the term “Bun Bu Ryō Dō” (文武両道). . Bun Bu Ryō Dō is a term which has been in use throughout Japanese history, possibly going back further than the Heian period (794 – 1185). In a simple…
The practice of martial arts is deeply rooted in philosophy, tradition, and culture.
The practice of martial arts is deeply rooted in philosophy, tradition, and culture. It teaches not only self-defense but also discipline, focus, and respect. Many people start their martial arts journey with a specific goal in mind – perhaps to earn a black belt, or win a world title, to learn self-defense, etc. . It…
Keiko (稽古) and Shugyō (修行)
Keiko (稽古) and Shugyō (修行) . Training in the martial arts is not just a hobby; we should contemplate our practice deeply. . The Japanese have six words for training, each signifying a deeper, more encompassing path: Keiko – practice; Renshu – training; Kunren – discipline; Tanren – forging; Kufu – struggling to solve a…
Karate-do is the pathway of inner development…
Karate, its birthplace on the small island of Okinawa, created from indigenous fighting systems with influences from Chinese Kempo. . “Karate” (空手), meaning “empty hand”, the name was changed from Chinese hand or Tang hand (唐手), in the early part of the 20th century – both of which are pronounced karate in Japanese. . “Karate-Do”…
Mushin no shin
The word ‘mushin’ is comprised of two kanji characters: 無 (mu), meaning ‘nothingness’, and 心 (shin), meaning ‘heart’, ‘spirit’, or, in this case, ‘mind’. In this way, mushin can be roughly translated to ‘nothing mind’ or ‘no mind’. It comes from a longer phrase used in Zen Buddhism, ‘無心の心’ (mushin no shin), or ‘mind of…
The warrior mindset.
A warrior is not the one who seeks out fights. A warrior is the one who stands between the fight and the ones we love. A true warrior isn’t hateful or malicious. They are caring and aware of the needs of others. A warrior understands that not every fight is fought with hands and feet,…
“If you want to make friends, you have no time to make enemies.”
Cooperation and sharing are basic life skills that enable us to make friends, work successfully in groups, and get along well with others. . “If you want to make friends, you have no time to make enemies.” – Seikichi Iha 10th Dan Shorin Ryu Shidokan; above quote from an interview with the Lansing City…
What is the true meaning of the martial arts?
What is the true meaning of the martial arts? . The problem with this question is that the answer is going to be very subjective and personal. . We use the term ‘martial arts’ in a very broad sense, to encompass many different types of activities, and many practitioners describe what they do as…
Know which battles to fight.
Know which battles to fight. The real skill is not how to fight. It is knowing which battles to pick and which to walk away from. . If your response to all things is to fight, this is bad thinking, bad practice. After all, life isn’t measured by how many times you stood up to…