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This section
is devoted to my personal opinions and beliefs about the philosophy
behind
karate and Yoshukai karate in particular. While we study Yoshukai
karate
for the physical aspects, there are some mental aspects which I think
enhance
the martial arts experience. None of this material will be on any belt
test, it is merely for you to think about and mull over to form your
own
opinions about. I do not intend for these words to be religious-
merely thought-provoking.
Honor
Honor is a nebulous
concept which means many things to many different people. I will talk
about
it only in the context of fighting. First, who has honor? Unless you
have
heard differently, every individual you meet you should assume has
honor.
You should try not to be biased by appearance or rumors spread about
the
person but instead make your own judgement based on their actions with
you. You may not do anything dishonorable to someone who has honor,
else
you will lose your honor. If someone does not have honor, however, they
should be treated with proper respect and politeness, but in a fight
any
effective technique can be used against them.
Next,
what is considered honorable or dishonorable? Firearms in general are
dishonorable.
They are a weapon which require relatively little skill to use
and
it is impossible to defend against them. Bows are slightly dishonorable
for similar reasons, though it is much harder to learn how to use a
bow.
Unequal weapons are highly dishonorable. If someone pulls out any
weapon
on you when you are unarmed, they have broken honor. Similarly, if you
have a knife and someone pulls out a sword, they have broken honor.
Maiming
and killing strikes are dishonorable. They do not show your skill and
art
but rather your strength and brutality. Attacking when an opponent is
not
prepared is dishonorable. Fighting an opponent who is of obviously far
inferior skill is dishonorable, unless the opponent knows your skill
and
engages in the fight regardless. Having more than one attacker per
defender
on a side is also dishonorable.
All of the above
apply only to honorable individuals or honorable fights. When might an
"honorable" fight arise? Tournaments are common examples. Both
fighters are expected to behave with some measure of honor. A fight
with
another martial artist in a controlled surrounding should be an
honorable
match. An agreed-upon fight with another individual should also be an
honorable
fight. A dishonorable fight is the most common, however. Any time you
are
attacked without provocation or forewarning. Any fight where your
opponent
does one of the above dishonorable acts immediately becomes a
dishonorable
fight. Your opponent has no honor at this point and it is not
dishonorable
to defeat them with any means at your disposal.
If an opponent breaks
honor, your top priority should be your safety. It is vital that if
there
is to be one person left from a fight, it be you. This is the
goal
of martial arts in general. Effective techniques are knee strikes and
elbow
strikes. If an opponent cannot walk, he cannot persue you. Killing
strikes
are also effective. Often these will knock an opponent
unconscious
long enough for you to escape. In any confrontation, it is always best
to flee if possible. Violent conflict should always be a last resort.
Fighting
Martial
arts should be used only as a last resort, when all other attempts at a
resolution have been expended. A Yoshukai student may never start a
fight
for any reason. Only if an opponent makes a physical attack may a
Yoshukai
student respond in kind. Verbal and mental attacks are initiated to
anger
an opponent and make them lose focus. If you are calm and peaceful,
these
attacks will not affect you. Always try to avoid dangerous situations.
Try to stay near lights when walking around a dangerous area. If an
individual
or a group is starting to get rowdy, avoid them as much as possible.
This
is not to say that if someone attacks you, you should be passive and
accept
the attack. If a fight is unavoidable, it is best that you use your
skills
to assure your safety. There are two varieties of dishonorable fights:
the non-lethal and the lethal. A good example of a non-lethal fight
would
be a bar brawl. Most of the combatants are probably drunk or getting
there
and are not in full control of their judgement. They are, of course,
responsible
for this state of consciousness, but the assumption is that they are
not
fighting to kill but rather because of anger or lack of judgement. It
is
not likely that a skilled Yoshukai student will be involved in such a
fight.
However, if they find themselves on the receiving end of an attack,
retaliation
should be controlled and enough to drop an opponent without severely
injuring
him.
Lethal fights
are the worst kind, and it is everyone's wish to avoid them.
These
are the fights where someone is trying to injure you or kill you. These
fights usually only have one winner, and your martial arts skills are
most
useful here. If your safety is severely threatened, you should use any
effective techniques possible to assure your safety.
Fighting should
be only a last resort to a conflict. The prefered method of dealing
with
a violent situation is to escape it. It is not dishonorable to run from
a fight. It reflects wisdom and courage. It is very easy to engage in a
fight- the hard part is refraining from doing so. As Jack is fond of
saying,
"I won my last fight by 100 yards." Your safety is the primary
concern, and avoiding a fight is the best way to win it.
Meditation
Although Yoshukai
karate is not as spiritual as other styles of martial arts (like tai
chi), we do perform
some meditation on occasion- usually during formal bow-ins. This time
is
not for "prayer", it is for preparing your body to perform karate
and for remembering all that you have learned during that class time.
At
the beginning of class, you should be clearing your mind, becoming calm
and restive so that you may absorb all that you learn. At the end of
class,
you should review all that you have learned in a calm, restive manner.
Both times, you should be preparing yourself for karate and be ready to
learn.
Breathing is
an important part of meditation. When we sit karate-style, keep your
back
as straight as possible. Your eyes should be closed, your hands resting
comfortably on your knees. Breath in through your nose in a long, deep
breath. Expand your diaphragm so that your stomach moves out, not your
chest. Hold the breath for several seconds, then slowly release. Wait
for
several seconds, then repeat the process. Your mind should be clear of
everything except karate.
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