REFLECTIONS ON THE VIRTUES OF THE WARRIOR AS TAUGHT IN SHORIN-RYU KARATE-DO

Karate. To some, it is a word that invokes scenes of action movie violence. To the young, it is a word that conveys mysterious abilities to those who practice it, often inspired by Saturday morning cartoons and video games. Many believe that it is simply a way of fighting, sought after only by those with a desire to hurt others, or as a self-defense, learned by those wishing not to be hurt. To still others it is merely a sport, or hobby, with no more significance than bowling, or jogging, or knitting. But for those that follow the true path of karate, it becomes a process of change and refinement, leading the practitioner toward enlightenment, a way of living life to the fullest extent of each moment. To these, karate-do becomes life. The practice of the art, and the lessons that the practice teaches us about ourselves, come together to touch all aspects of our existence, affecting not only the practitioner, but all those that they meet in their journey.

Those that continue their studies beyond the initial physical aspects of the art will come to realize the significance of the philosophical principles inherent in the teaching of karate to their lives. As they become more proficient with the physical processes of the art, they in turn continue to learn virtues and morals through perseverance and the examples set by their Sensei. As the student applies the virtues of the warrior to their life on a moment by moment basis, they begin to learn the ways of true peace and enlightenment, the first steps toward becoming a true master.

Doryo - Magnamanity

One of the first things the karate student learns in the dojo, aside from the simple basics of movement and the beginning vocabulary needed to communicate with and understand the teachers, is proper courtesy, a rarity in a society that seems to teach proper etiquette on a decreasing scale. The student is taught how and when to address the Sensei and the other students as part of their basic training. Students quickly learn their place in the greater scheme of things through example by, and occasionally serving as an example for, the teacher or Sensei, and are taught to respect that place, and the place of others. A portion of this occurs naturally, as students come to know, as they are taught the concept of endurance, some for the first time. In this way, as the student comes to grips with their own limits, they come to appreciate not only their own dedication, but that of those around them, as all are taught the boundaries of their physical selves, which in turn strengthens their self-esteem.

As the student develops, and begins to practice sparring and other physical techniques with a partner, they must learn to work with others from positions of both strength and weakness, attacker and defender, maximizing skill and cooperation to ensure the proper execution of the technique to the mutual benefit of both. In sparring, they learn to execute techniques while allowing for differences in skill on the part of both parties, as each student has a turn at being both the more skilled and the novice. During their turn in the position of a beginner, perhaps sparring a skilled ikkyu for the first time, the student learns that they must be forgiving, and occasionally be forgiven for, the infrequent random hit or bruised shin. These things come to be expected, and with time, one adapts, until they are hardly noticed.

With continued practice, and as the essence of karate begins to permeate the daily lifestyle of the practitioner, this principle begins to apply itself almost unconsciously. As the effects of the conditioning that is an integral part of traditional Shorin-Ryu karate-do training begin to manifest itself, hardship becomes something that the mind is trained to deal with, not something to fear. Endurance and conditioning training lead to a heightened respect and appreciation for the finer qualities and emotions that living has to offer. In searching for those aspects one loses the hold that petty problems have on our egos, freeing that part of ourselves to pursue other matters. The small pains that life has to offer begin to mean less in the greater light, and in doing so, make an impression on all those that we meet. This can have pronounced and profound consequences for those involved, as it concerns a fundamental change in karma, as negative situations are met with positive energy. Heightened self -esteem, and the confidence that it brings, allows the student to stop seeing those around them as a threat, either consciously or unconsciously, allowing them to radiate a much more positive attitude. The overall effect of this is that the true karate student will be much more tolerant of people and hardship, and will be less likely to deal with those situations from a position of anger or violence.

Simple rules of courtesy, of dealing with others, growing to transform those that practice them and perhaps change those around them as well. Working in conjunction with the other virtues that are taught in the traditional martial arts styles, it is an essential key to elevating the spirit toward enlightenment.

Fudo - Attitude, posture

There are many people outside of the martial arts community who consider martial artists to be arrogant, perhaps even violent, individuals. With the number of people who have an interest in, or who study, some form of martial art, it is doubtless that such individuals do exist. Because we are human beings, it is certainly possible for one to practice the techniques of an art for many years without benefitting from the spiritual growth such practice has to offer us, but the occurrence is rare. As one becomes more proficient in the arts, striving for greater understanding becomes an ingrained part of life, as does respect and humility. True martial artists have an acute understanding of their own mortality. They understand and respect these limits, which they face as a regular part of their training. True, there are those in the martial arts community, mostly those of "celebrity" status, that seem to exemplify only the fighting aspects of the arts, but those individuals that sacrifice the moral and philosophical aspects of martial arts cease to be martial artists. At that point those individuals become merely very skilled fighters. Those true to the arts know the difference.

Without the continued guidance of a Sensei, it is possible for confidence to fester into arrogance. However, the moment this happens, the true warrior begins to diminish, and they become closed to the reception of the truth or higher learning. It is when a person believes that they have truly learned everything that they become foolish, losing the ability to learn any further. In martial arts, this error can come home to such a person very quickly, and have a severe effect on both the body and the psyche, crippling spiritual growth.

Only with humility can one remain open to the greater truths of life. Those that are humble are no less confident in their abilities, but have come to understand through their journey a glimmer of how much they still have to learn, not only in martial arts, but of the universe in general. The difference between these individuals and others is that they welcome this knowledge and remain open to that experience, as life teaches lessons in an infinite variety of ways.

Thus the true followers of the way walk the path of life exhibiting a combination of humility and quiet strength, sure of their own capabilities and limitations, yet knowing deeply of how much there is that is greater than themselves. As this belief matures, it allows the student to apply the true benefits of karate-do to their lives, granting them the ability to face life with the true spirit of a warrior. As the student is taught the stances and movements of his kata, they learn a sense of control that will eventually grow to influence their daily life. They will learn to treat each occurrence or event of each day as both a challenge and as an opportunity to learn and grow as a person. When faced with hardship and loss, they will face it with the same solidity as a well-done kiba dachi, with a calm foundation and a strong heart, their belief in themselves unflinching in the face of adversity.

Although it would be easy to write an entire volume on the virtue of Fudo, here I only offer a glimpse of the value of its practice to the human spirit.

Giri - The Duty

As the student develops their skill and self confidence, they eventually begin to incorporate the philosophy of the art into their lives. As they do, they begin to walk the true path of karate-do. While it is possible to become enlightened on a journey, the guiding hand of a Sensei is invaluable to developing a strong moral character. This moral attitude will be the individuals' driving force in their day to day life, and the Sensei serves as a living example of its practice.

Though the practice of this virtue can be taught through example, it will be impossible for the individual to benefit from it without a sense of determination and desire, and these things can truly only come from within. The student must come to learn what is truly important to their life. They must decide upon their own values and goals, and must have the determination to follow them, perhaps to defend them if necessary, perhaps even being called upon to die for them. The duty is to oneself as a person, an obligation to oneself to be the best that they can be at every moment of their life, to continually strive to be a better human being.

While easy to say, actual practice is an entirely different matter. Each day presents an infinite number of possibilities for an individual's life, and many times situations present themselves that serve to test our moral character. Many of these situations concern relatively petty things, with little reward or penalty for the choice of action taken by those involved. The only true reward or penalty comes with the decision made by the individual in relation to their moral conscience and self-integrity. How a person feels about him or her self has much to do with how they treat others around them, and so by choosing a clear path, the individual has a positive effect on those around them, even when faced by negative situations. Those that choose a path with low moral standards will in turn tend to treat the world by those standards, and in turn be treated back in like fashion. The generation of this negative energy is in turn detrimental not only to their lives, but to the lives of all they encounter in their day to day life.

Those that study martial arts past the basics do so because of a sense of devotion to the art and to themselves. This sense continues to develop and grow with time, honing their values. The student begins to see with a heightened sense of purpose as they accomplish more, their progression through the art continually serving to show the possibilities of tomorrow. Once begun, the student grows to learn that the art is the way, and that the effort brings about its own reward. This continues to feed the student's desire, which in turn strengthens their sense of purpose. It is this strength of self that makes the karate practitioner a formidable foe. At the same time, it is the force that makes a dedicated father or mother, or a valuable worker, or a successful business person. The pride of purpose, backed with a strong moral character, serves to enrich who we are. As we improve ourselves, we in turn become a more positive force in the network of human interaction, generating goodwill to those around us.

Onsha - Tolerance

Intertwined with the other virtues of a warrior, the ability to be tolerant and forgiving to those around us is taught almost unnoticed to the student in the traditional dojo. Within the teaching of courtesy, and the formal rules of sparring and such, the student learns that they can rise above the incidental hard knock. They become stronger, and in turn become conditioned against harder and harder blows, not only in the dojo, but in normal life situations. They learn to accept more out of life and those around them. This ability, like any moral quality, can vary greatly within all human beings on a daily basis; many emotional, physical and psychological factors determine how much a person can deal with at any given time, and these factors can vary greatly from moment to moment, but those of the martial way are trained to strive almost instinctively to rise above adversity.

This type of attitude has the effect of reducing the amount of stress that one may encounter in life situations, which can in itself lead to a greater quality of life. Once the student learns to forgive, they learn that they feel freer than they had before, a feeling of relaxation they may not have felt for some time. While not granting immunity to direct attacks, either physical or verbal, from individuals, it does grant the ability to see the overall importance of our own actions in reflection of our moral code, and to recognize situations for what they are. On many occasions, a quiet, peaceful approach in the face in hostility reveals truths that would not come forward if greeted with equal force. This can lead to peaceful resolutions of many problems, which is the principle goal of the warrior; it ensures victory for all parties, while not having to take any damage.

Learning tact and strategy, whether while sparring or under the watchful eye of the sensei, is essential to living a positive life. There is an art to diplomacy, and those that attend instruction under a wise Sensei will come to learn it almost instinctively. By learning passivity through conditioning, the karate practitioner can rid themselves of the pettiness that often clouds the human spirit and become something greater than what they were. This enables the individual to concentrate on expressing their true selves to the world. a self made strong by the conviction of their own belief. This is not a matter of simply ignoring the many small hurts and wounds of everyday life, it is the ability to focus on the truth in the face of difficulty. It is the result of training and conditioning, both of body and of mind, that cleans the spirit, enabling us to look beyond the surface of everyday events, and to deal with them in a positive manner. Regardless of religious inclination, the effect of tolerance and generosity , as expressed through patience and positiveness, on the human spirit are the same; the individual begins to move upward along the spiritual path that leads to the divine.

Ninyo - Nobility, Chivalry

As the student becomes more fluent in the art, and his spiritual self begins its journey on a life long voyage of self-discovery, they become gradually more in contact with who they are as a person. This definition begins to take on more importance, an importance which grows relative to the advancement of the student. They begin to see their life as standing for principle, and thus enduring beyond their mere physical existence on this planet. How the student reacts to everything around them, and what they give to the world, take on a significance that exercises a great influence on how they live their lives. Those that have taken the first steps toward enlightenment begin to develop their emotional and spiritual selves, a process that serves to strengthen the spirit that perpetuates it. This strength of spirit is what has allowed the human race to endure as long as it has, and is a promise for its continued existence for as long as we strive to better ourselves. It is the striving for enlightenment and understanding that allows us to grow as individuals and as a species.

For every person striving to develop themselves spiritually or emotionally, there is at least one other that is not. Due to the complexity of the human species, it is unreasonable, not to mention hopeless, to expect every human being to have the same direction of purpose. This would defeat the purpose of humanity, not to mention making life very dull for everyone. Without adversity, there would be much less incentive to struggle, to strive for greater things. By facing and overcoming adversity, we are given the true test of our spiritual strength, and a chance to grow greater than we were before. When we are called upon to give of ourselves, it is an opportunity to share ourselves with others, to show the world who we are. It is the warrior's wish to be seen as pure of heart, virtuous, and courageous, to die for what they believe in. While we may not actually be called upon to sacrifice our lives, most of us will face at least one life crisis during the course of their journey. For the martial artist, these times are the true adversaries, to be dealt with in the same way as when facing an attacker, with courage and fortitude. Martial arts ceases to be something that is used for danger situations, and instead becomes something to be used to fortify ourselves against the true tests of life experience. For the warrior, adhering to their beliefs in times of dilemma is just as important as victory. To overcome means nothing if it means going against one's own set of values. This is a key doctrine in many warrior codes and religious practices. To the martial artist, it is an underlying principle of both.

Shiki - Resolution

Students of Shorin-ryu karate are taught from the beginning that there is no retreat in any of their forms or techniques. While it is true that some of the kata have movements in them that appear to be going backward, the kata were constructed to place the student back in their original position at the conclusion of the form, and the backward movement is actually a repetition of a technique that involves a settling type of stance, as seen in such kata as the kihon and fukyu ichidan. The bunkai of the form, as any student knows, has nothing to do with retreat. This can be said for all the forms that a student learns under this style, a process that takes a lifetime. The effect of Shorin-ryu training, and its consequential effects on the spirit, are best expressed by this concept. It is a principle that enables the warrior to overcome what to the unknowing can appear to be overwhelming odds. It is also an invaluable skill in dealing with the complexities of human experience. It gives its followers the courage to face life and death with a strong heart and a pure spirit, for those willing to dig into the deepest part of themselves.

Whether practiced consciously, or as the indirect result of good training, this aspect of martial training can be the determining factor for happiness or success in dealing with life situations. "Never go back. Never retreat." This is a common phrase among those that practice the various forms of Shorin-Ryu. It is said with a sense of pride, for those that say it do so with the knowledge of how much they have gained in their life with this philosophy, for only by going forward can we ever be sure of the outcome. Those that go forward do not ever have to struggle with the question of "what if." They do not have to waste precious moments of their life in self-doubt, criticizing themselves for what they could have done but did not. They instead always struggle to give everything the best they have. This is not to say that the martial artist believes that they are superman, it is simply that the martial artist comes to rely on the strength of their will, a strength that they put to the test on a regular basis.

In Shorin-ryu, the student is taught to train and fight as if it were their last hour on earth. They are taught to continually go forward, in everything they do, until it becomes second nature to do so at all times. It is a concept that is taught well, and is applied both in the dojo and out in the world. When applied properly, it gives the practitioner a focus of will that when applied to everyday life, can allow one to live life to its fullest extent. Daily experiences take on more meaning, and life becomes much different than what it was. In learning the art, and the philosophy that accompanies it, the student learns the tools needed to live a virtuous life. This tool, the ability to greet obstacles and adversity with a stout heart, is perhaps one of the most important. Without courage, there could be no progress. Within every aspect of a student's training in Shorin-ryu lie the foundations for a courageous spirit and outlook, built into the system since its beginning, handed down from one who has learned from what it had to teach them to one who had the desire to know. It is this aspect of training which distinguishes the art from many others. The true sense of a warrior's spirit is kept alive within the system, bringing to those that follow it a much deeper understanding of the world.

The reasons that led many of those that practice martial arts, and Shorin-ryu in particular, are as varied as the people themselves; but almost all that follow the path for any length of time cannot deny the effect that training has had on them. Most will agree that training has enriched their lives . Training in Shorin-ryu promotes a strong, positive attitude toward life. Although these principles were originally developed to attain martial and spiritual mastery, they can still be applied to one's life on a daily basis. The spiritual side of training in the martial arts becomes a fundamental part of a student's identity. They begin to apply the term of warrior in a different context. Those that follow the true path of Shorin-ryu karate see life as a struggle to reach enlightenment. Within the almost overwhelming light of how much we do not know, the student comes to know that they may never find perfection; the truth may continue to elude them, but they will never cease looking for it. It is the struggle itself that gives their lives meaning; the continual search for what can be.

For all the positive, deeply spiritual things that martial arts have to teach us, this aspect of karate training is all too often overlooked, and is sometimes even derided, by the media and society, especially in the west. And in some instances, students never progress far enough to realize the true benefits of martial arts training. To some degree, martial arts has suffered as a whole, as franchise based martial arts schools, magazines, and films concentrate on the fast buck, sacrificing the philosophy to satisfy the consumer's desire. This leaves many serious martial artists disappointed, and influences many to criticize that which they have never experienced for themselves. Yet for all this, the traditional teachings still survive in today's world, and one who follows the true path of the old ways can still benefit spiritually and emotionally from them. It becomes up to those that know the truth to serve as an example to others, living their life as a testament to their beliefs. And yet, though the martial arts community suffers from the same human flaws that affect the rest of our society , within the teachings of Shorin-ryu karate, the spirit of the warrior is alive and well.

This essay was written as part of the requirements of my first Dan test, which I passed in 1998. - the Author

© Michael Vain. All Rights Reserved. May not be reproduced in any way without express written permission from the author.