Niju Kun: The Twenty Precepts in Shotokan Karate

"Karate ni sente nashi"
("There is no first attack in Karate") - Master Gichin Funakoshi

 

The founder of modern day Karate was born in 1868 and died in 1957 when the above quote became an epitaph on his gravestone. After learning martial arts and then creating his own, he was said to have practised Karate every day until he died.

New videos have been found of Master Funakoshi which show him performing the Tekki kata. It shows us that even when the original great Karate master was training, Shotokan stances were very low (designed that way for the strengthening of the leg muscles).

Sensei Funakoshi wrote the Niju Kun (Twenty Precepts) to help karate students transform their art into a way of life. Each line contains superficial meaning as well as deeper truth that could take a lifetime to fully understand. The original Japanese text is terse and meant to be thought provoking. Accordingly, English translations vary with individual interpretation. Below is a synthesis of a number of these interpretations.

For more information on Master Funakoshi, his life and how he introduced karate to the world read "Karate-Do - My Way Of Life" By Gichin Funakoshi, published by Kodansha International Ltd.

The Twenty Precepts of Gichin Funakoshi

1. Karate-do begins and ends with a bow (courtesy).

2. There is no first attack (move) in karate. (In karate the initiative does not exist).

3. Karate is a great assistance (an aid) to justice.

4. First you must know (control) yourself, then you can know (control) others.

5. Spirit is more important than technique.

6. Always be ready to release your mind.

7. Misfortunes arise out of negligence (laziness).

8. Do not think that karate training is only in the dojo.

9. It will take your entire life to learn karate.

10. Put your everyday living into karate (put karate into everything you do) and you will find "myo" (the subtle secrets, the ideal state of existence, exquisite beauty).

11. Karate is like hot water; if you do not heat it constantly, it will again become cool water.

12. Do not think about winning; think rather that you do not have to lose.

13. Move (change) according to (depending on) your opponent. (Victory depends on your ability to distinguish vulnerable points from invulnerable ones.)

14. The secret of combat resides in the art of directing it (clever fighting, trying every strategy).

15. Think of the hands and feet as swords.

16. When you leave home, think that you have numerous opponents waiting for you. (It is your behavior that invites trouble from them.)

17. Beginners must master basic stances; natural body positions are for the advanced.

18. Practicing karate correctly is one thing; engaging in a real fight is another.

19. Do not forget to correctly apply: light and heavy application of power, expansion and contraction of the body, and slowness and speed of techniques.

20. Devise at all times. (Always think and devise ways to live the Precepts every day.)

Our Karate lessons. TRADITIONAL SHOTOKAN KARATE

We, at Ju Dachi Martial Arts aim to provide a knowledgeable training, teaching traditional Shotokan Karate at our lessons in Essex and London.

History of Karate and Shotokan style:

Most Western students of Asian martial arts, if they have done any research on the subject at all, will surely have come across references to Bodhidharma. He is known as "Daruma" in Japan and as often as not, this Indian Buddhist monk is cited as the prime source for all martial arts styles or at the vary least, for any style which traces its roots back to the fabled Shaolin Temple. However, the question of his contributions to the martial arts and to Zen Buddhism and even of his very existence has been a matter of controversy among historians and martial arts scholars for many years (Spiessbach,1992).

As legend has it, the evolution of karate began over a thousand years ago, possibly as early as the fifth century BC when Bodhidharma arrived in Shaolin-si (small forest temple), China from India and taught Zen Buddhism. He also introduced a systematized set of exercises designed to strengthen the mind and body, exercises which allegedly marked the beginning of the Shaolin style of temple boxing. Bodhidharma's teachings later became the basis for the majority of Chinese martial arts. In truth, the origins of karate appear to be somewhat obscure and little is known about the early development of karate until it appeared in Okinawa. Okinawa is a small island of the group that comprises modern day Japan. It is the main island in the chain of Ryuku Islands which spans from Japan to Taiwan. Surrounded by coral, Okinawa is approximately 10 km (6 mi) wide and only about 110 km (less than 70 mi) long. It is situated 740 km (400 nautical mi) east of mainland China, 550 km (300 nautical miles) south of mainland Japan and an equal distance north of Taiwan. Being at the crossroads of major trading routes, its significance as a "resting spot" was first discovered by the Japanese. It later developed as a trade centre for southeastern Asia, trading with Japan, China, Indo China, Thailand, Malaysia, Borneo and the Philippines. In its earliest stages, the martial art known as "karate" was an indigenous form of closed fist fighting which was developed in Okinawa and called Te, or 'hand'. Weapons bans, imposed on the Okinawans at various points in their history, encouraged the refinement of empty-hand techniques and, for this reason, was trained in secret until modern times. Further refinement came with the influence of other martial arts brought by nobles and trade merchants to the island.Te continued to develop over the years, primarily in three Okinawan cities: Shuri, Naha and Tomari. Each of these towns was a centre to a different sect of society: kings and nobles, merchants and business people, and farmers and fishermen, respectively. For this reason, different forms of self-defense developed within each city and subsequently became known as Shuri-te, Naha-te and Tomari-te. Collectively they were called Okinawa-Te or Tode, 'Chinese hand'. Gradually, karate was divided into two main groups: Shorin-ryu which developed around Shuri and Tomari and Shorei-ryu which came from the Naha area. "It is important to note, however, that the towns of Shuri, Tomari, Naha are only a few miles apart, and that the differences between their arts were essentially ones of emphasis, not of kind. Beneath these surface differences, both the methods and aims of all Okinawan karate are one in the same" (Howard, 1991). Gichin Funakoshi goes further to suggest that these two styles were developed based on different physical requirements Funakoshi, 1935). Shorin-ryu was quick and linear with natural breathing while Shorei-ryu emphasized steady, rooted movements with breathing in synchrony with each movement. Interestingly, this concept of two basic styles also exist in kung-fu with a similar division of characteristics (Wong, 1978).

The Chinese character used to write Tode could also be pronounced 'kara' thus the name Te was replaced with kara te - jutsu or 'Chinese hand art' by the Okinawan Masters. This was later changed to karate-do by Gichin Funakoshi who adopted an alternate meaning for the Chinese character for kara, 'empty'. From this point on the term karate came to mean 'empty hand'. The Do in karate-do means 'way' or 'path', and is indicative of the discipline and philosophy of karate with moral and spiritual connotations.

The concept of Do has been prevalent since at least the days of the Okinawan Scholar Teijunsoku born in 1663, as this passage from a poem he wrote suggests:

No matter how you may excel in the art of te,
And in your scholastic endevours,
Nothing is more important than your behavior
And your humanity as observed in daily life.

The first public demonstration of karate in Japan was in 1917 by Gichin Funakoshi, at the Butoku-den in Kyoto (Hassell 1984). This, and subsequent demonstrations, greatly impressed many Japanese, including the Crown-Prince Hirohito, who was very enthusiastic about the Okinawan art. In 1922, Dr. Jano Kano, founder of the Japanese art of Judo, invited Funakoshi to demonstrate at the famous Kodokan Dojo and to remain in Japan to teach karate. This sponsorship was instrumental in establishing a base for karate in Japan. As an Okinawan "peasant art," karate would have been scorned by the Japanese without the backing of so formidable a martial arts master (Maliszewski, 1992).

Today there are four main styles of karate-do in Japan: Goju-ryu, Shito-ryu, Shotokan, and Wado-ryu.
Gichin Funakoshi was born around 1868 in Shuri, Okinawa. While in elementary school, he became friends with Anko Asato's son and eventually began to train under Asato in Okinawan karate. Later, Funakoshi would also train under Shorin-ryu master Anko Itosu. Interestingly, Funakoshi never actually named the fighting style that he refined from Itosu and Asato's teachings, just preferring to call it karate. But when he started a dojo in 1936, his pen name of shoto (meaning pine waves) was used along with the term kan (house) by his students to erect a sign above the entrance to the establishemnt that said Shotokan.

Shotokan was the name of the first official dojo built by Funakoshi, in 1939 at Mejiro, and destroyed in 1945 as a result of an allied bombing. Shoto (松濤, Shōtō), meaning "pine-waves" (the movement of pine needles when the wind blows through them), was Funakoshi's pen-name, which he used in his poetic and philosophical writings and messages to his students. The Japanese kan (館, kan) means "house" or "hall". In honor of their sensei, Funakoshi's students created a sign reading shōtō-kan, which they placed above the entrance of the hall where Funakoshi taught. Gichin Funakoshi never gave his style a name, just calling it karate.

The Legacy of Gichin Funakoshi and Yoshitaka Funakoshi: Beyond building the foundation of Shotokan, Gichin served as an ambassador of karate, eventually helping to popularize it through public demonstrations and by working to bring it to karate clubs and universities. However, his development of the philosophical points or foundations tied to the style called the Twenty Precepts of Karate or Niju kun is perhaps what he's best known for. Gishin's third son Yoshitaka later refined the art tremendously. By changing several aspects (such as lowering stances and adding more high kicks) Yoshitaka helped to separate Shotokan from the other Okinawan styles.

Goals of Shotokan:

In essence, many of the goals of Shotokan can be found in the Twenty Precepts of Karate. That said, one of these seems to say a lot: "Do not think of winning. Think, rather, of not losing." In fact, it's something that one could imagine another martial arts master, Helio Gracie, saying. In "Karate-do: My Way of Life", Gichin Funakoshi also noted that, "The ultimate aim of Karate lies not in victory or defeat, but in the perfection of the character of the participant."

In combat, Shotokan is a striking style that emphasizes stopping an opponent with powerful kicks and/or punches quickly and without injury.

Philosophy:
I believe that understanding and taking interest in the philosophy behind, it is extremely important for a serious Karateka.
Gichin Funakoshi laid out the Twenty Precepts of Karate, (or Niju kun) which form the foundations of the art, before some of his students established the JKA. Within these twenty principles, based heavily on Bushido and Zen, lies the philosophy of Shotokan. (For these reasons, I will be writing about it very soon, focusing on Zen)
The principles allude to notions of humility, respect, compassion, patience, and both an inward and outward calmness. It was Funakoshi's belief that through karate practice and observation of these 20 principles, the karateka would improve their person.
The Dojo kun lists five philosophical rules for training in the dojo; seek perfection of character, be faithful, endeavor to excel, respect others, refrain from violent behavior. The Dojo kun is usually posted on a wall in the dojo, and some shotokan clubs recite the Dojo kun at the beginning and/or end of each class to provide motivation and a context for further training.
Funakoshi also wrote: "The ultimate aim of Karate lies not in victory or defeat, but in the perfection of the character of the participant."
The Dojo kun" is written on our student´s licence/record book. It would be interesting to read it and memorise it, as well as thinking about the deep meaning of each word, and put it into practice. To achieve your goals as a Karateka as well as a person.


Characteristics of Shotokan:

As was previously mentioned, Shotokan is a striking style of martial arts that teaches practitioners through a series of kihon (basics), kata (forms) and kumite (sparring) how to defend oneself. Shotokan is a hard martial arts style that emphasizes powerful strikes, long stances, and a lot of in and out techniques in sparring designed to avoid damage and end a fight quickly. Higher belts also learn some grappling and jiu-jitsu style techniques.

I hope that this brief introduction covers the main aspects of our Karate teaching and that it would be is helpful to all of our students and easy to understand.

By Sensei Patricia Torralba

Karate and its styles, by Patricia Torralba

What is Karate-Do?
Some people ask me what is Karate, and some people also ask what is the difference between Karate and the popular martial arts of Ju-Do or Taekwon-Do. Many people get confused, which is understandable if you are not familiar with the wonderful world of martial arts. We have to look at where the martial art originates from, the philosophy and history behind it and the stances or body movements on which each martial art focus more.

Karate means: "empty hand".
Do means "way", "path".
Karate-Do: "The path of the empty hand".

Karate may be defined as a weaponless means of self defence. It consists of dynamic offensive and defensive techniques using all parts of the body to their maximum advantage.

Karate practice is divided into:

Kihon (drilling of stances, blocks, punches, strikes and kicks)

Kata (pre-arranged forms simulating combat situations)

Kumite (sparring)

In each category, the beginner is given instruction at the most basic level until the techniques become spontaneous. As the student progresses technically, he or she progresses physically as well, and advanced practices demand greater stamina. At this stage, the student becomes involved with more intricate and difficult katas and more dynamic forms of kumite. As the student approaches black belt level, technique, stamina, speed, and coordination become natural as a result of strong practice. It is at this stage that the serious student discovers that his or her study of karate has only just begun. The object of true karate practice is the perfection of oneself through the perfection of the art.

Karate as self-defence
Karate is one of the most dynamic of all the martial arts. A trained karateka is able to coordinate mind and body perfectly, thereby allowing the unleashing of tremendous physical power at will. Therefore, it is not the possession of great physical strength that makes a strong karateka; rather it is the ability to coordinate mind and body. Upon developing this ability, even the smallest person finds that he or she has within himself or herself the power to deliver a devastating blow to any would-be attacker.

The benefits? I think they are very obvious... but here we go:
In our everyday lives we often forget the value of exercise to both our physical and mental health. The practice of karate tones the body, develops coordination, quickens reflexes, and builds stamina.
Also, the serious practice of karate develops composure, a clearer thought process, deeper insight into one's mental capabilities, and more self-confidence. In this, karate is not an end, but a means to an end. It is an activity in which advancing age is not a hindrance. Rather it encourages proficiency in the keen coordination of mind and body.

Karate styles:
There is not just one way or correct way of practicing Karate, as there are many diferent styles. Karate is not "unified" and that is one of the reasons why Karate is not at the Olympics. I think that it makes Karate even more interesting, though. And I look at it as a martial art so extensive and broad, that years of practice and studies are needed. Few diferences between styles, on techniques, stances, or Kata. There is no right or wrong style. At the end of the day every single style is still Karate. I studied and practiced Shito-Ryu for 7 years. It was a great experience and an honour to have learn with Sensei Luis alberto Garcia, in Madrid, Spain. Studying, practicing and teaching Shotokan now, has broaden my knowledge of techniques and Kata and I find it extremely interesting when comparing with each diferent style.

Witnessing the Karate course with Sensei Phil Snewin  from Kamishin Ryu recently (I wish I could have taken part, but had to sit down and just watch, due to my foot injury),  made me think even more about the importance of certain things that we tend to forget in our lessons:

• I think that it is very important to name all techniques in Japanese, and explain them in English.
• Karate, as a Japanese martial art, is very regimented, and ordered, and we should focus on keep practicing in that way. I believe that practicing Karate in the most traditional way possible is the beauty of Karate.
• Focus on the critical distance.
• Look before you act. When practicing techniques, bunkai and very important: in Kata!
• "Zanchin", as personal awareness, concentration, mental focus...

There are four major styles of Karate today: Shotokan-ryu, Shito-ryu, Goju-ryu, and Wado-ryu. A brief description of Shotokan and Shito-ryu is provided below:

Shotokan-ryu, which was founded by Funakoshi, came from Shorin-ryu (from Shuri-te), and utilizes long linear stances and physical power. This style was one of the first styles to be introduced to Japan in the 1920's. Powerful kata such as Bassai (Shuri-te) are typical of this style.
Goju-ryu was founded by Miyagi. It came from Shorei-ryu (from Naha-te and Tomari-te), which utilize up and down stances and internal breathing power (known as "hard and soft" techniques). Kata such as Sanchin (Naha-te) and Rohai (Tomari-te) demonstrate these techniques well.

Shito-ryu was founded by Mabuni. It is a combination of Shorin-ryu and Shorei-ryu, which makes this style a lot like a combination of Goju-ryu and Shotokan-ryu. Shito-ryu is fast, but is still powerful and artistic. Its kata include the same kata as Shotokan-ryu and Goju-ryu, as well as some artistic Chinese white crane kata such as Nipaipo. Shito-ryu also practices with Kobudo (weapon arts) and sometimes Iaido (sword arts) as part of the style, which makes Shito-ryu fairly unique among the modern Karate styles.
Wado-ryu is a derivative of Shotokan-ryu. It was founded by Ohtsuka, a student of Funakoshi.

I, being a previous Karate Shito-Ryu and Kobudo student, I would like to explain a little about its origins so you can also be familiar with this marvellous Karate style:

As stated above, Shito-ryu is a combination of two old different styles of Karate: Shorin-ryu and Shorei-ryu. This combination makes Shito-ryu a blend of power and speed. Shito-ryu emphasizes very much on Kihon (basics) at the beginning, but for a senior student, quality and quantity run together. Shito-ryu contains all eighteen Shorin-ryu katas, all sixteen Shorei-ryu katas, the Chinese white crane katas, plus the katas devised by Mabuni himself from his broad knowledge and experience, for a total of over 60 katas (depending on the organization).
Moreover, Shito-ryu lives together with Kobudo (weapon arts) and Iaido (sword arts) as well. Kobudo katas and Iaido katas, along with Kihon, Kumite, all the other Karate katas, and the principles and messages behind them made the treasury of Shito-ryu so magnetic and demanding that it truly deserves a life-long dedication to practice and perfect.

By Sensei Patricia Torralba.