Cooperation and sharing are basic life skills that enable us to make friends, work successfully in groups, and get along well with others.
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“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 Pulse
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Martial artists have many things in common – their values, beliefs, goals, and dreams….. and these common goals should bring each of us closer together.
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Martial artists, instructors and teachers should support each other, raise each other up and empower one another to achieve these common goals. To learn from one and other, and eventually teach what we’ve learned to others, repeating the cycle.
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The “way of Karate” is a means of physical, spiritual and moral development based on protracted training. ​Practitioners should seek to foster a spirit that strives for truth, perseverance, spirit, and respect for others….. isn’t this the basic tenet of the karate we practice?
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Karate can provide a positive atmosphere that is essential to a students ability to learn. When you are committed to maintaining a martial arts culture of discipline, cooperation, and respect, then we can all grow and learn from each other.
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Respect and discipline are not only part of our vocabulary, they are words you should live by, as a code of conduct. Isn’t that what makes us different?
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Many of us follow eastern philosophy and meditation. Philosophy teaches you to let go of Ego and rationalize your actions. Meditation teaches you self-awareness and to connect with yourself. Every martial art has a set of values it teaches its practitioners, follow them, train and improve yourselves physically, mentally and spiritually. Train to become a better version of yourselves (It’s NOT just a cliché).
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Thanks to martial arts I have met and trained with people from all over the world. What do we have in common? Our shared passion. Our love of martial arts. Rather than emphasizing our differences, we should celebrate what brings us together as martial arts students. 
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Ichariba chode (行逢りば兄弟). An Okinawan expression … “Though we meet but once, even by chance, we are friends for life.”
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