Budo

I've been practicing my sensai's karatedo shindokai again. I have room in my backyard in which I can do my movements. It's been quite rewarding, I realize just how much I missed it and the people I did it with. Practicing alone is not the same as with sensai and my sempai's (I was a white belt while all the others were black except Don, whom should have been). Also, I only have a few items, such as my karate waza checklist that sensai gave us while we were still training together to go from and this, I feel, isn't enough, as many of the kata and techniques are slipping from memory, or totally gone.

I was able to find Thor sensai's email and I asked him if I could obtain his notes on his style. I hope I'll get a response back; it's been so long since I spoke to any one of them. Those couple of years I practiced with them had a major effect on my world-view and it had much to do with the philosophy of Budo, which is the way of the warrior. Of course, to us westerners that sounds like it should be about violence, but the reality of it is much different. I found a few articles on the internet about Budo and took this from this site: Okinawan Koryu Karate.

Zaha Sensei often says that the ultimate goal of budo is to win without fighting your opponent. Thus, one should not make enemies-you must love your opponent and respect him. To accomplish this, you must be disciplined and have self- confidence. Gentleness and severity must live together in you.

As you can see, the philosophy is much different from what you might assume from something that seems so violent. The focus of martial arts is not to hurt or defeat an opponent, but to incorporate them into yourself, to understand that all events (emotions and thoughts included) have universal effects on all beings and matter (if there is even a need to separate the two). In this way you will win without fighting, but not only do you win, so will they. Unity is the goal of Budo, not separation. If you feel sad, so will I. Your happiness, is my happiness. This is what is meant when the goal of Budo is not to make enemies.