TEACHINGS OF HANSHI

LEARNING LIFE TIME SKILLS THROUGH THE STUDY
AND WISDOM OF TRADITIONAL MARTIAL ARTS

Traditional, Martial Arts are a lifetime journey of maturity and growth, everlastingly in the quest of self-Improvement, emotionally, physically and spiritually, developing real lifetime skills and wisdom.

Through truthful discipline training and self-motivation, we seek to uphold the principles of the traditional culture within our art, with respect, loyalty and honour. Therefore, by doing so the traditional martial artist discovers the gift of knowledge to share with others, and the ability to find enjoyment and enlightenment during their lifetime of study.

Learning to give to others, teaches us how to respect each other and their beliefs, always listen first with your heart then with your ears. Remembering that kindness is something the deaf can hear and the blind can see, and be grateful for hardships and setbacks in your training, as these will reveal patience and understanding, always find your personal time to practice your art. “Train your weaknesses and build them into your strengths.”

In past conversations, several of my students have asked me the meaning of “loyalty,” (忠義, chūgi) within our art. My answer is only my view; others know doubt will have their way of expressing “loyalty.”

We live in a forever-changing world where egotism is quite prevalent and personal gain the quest of many relationships… One of the honorable character qualities an individual can develop is the ability to be “loyal.” Loyalty forges the spirit of the traditional martial artist creating many possibilities for advancement.

search image sitemap

Bushido kanji image

Bushido

Long-established educational martial arts have many pathways for the practitioner to pursue, Takahashi Soke said these “pathways are named.”The first pathway known as the pathway of “Morality – Rinri – Sei 倫理性, the second pathway is known as method or technique – Tekunikku テクニック pathway, what Osensei was describing was that we all do not learn traditional martial arts, on technique alone.

Today I have only mentioned two of these pathways relating to our Karate-Budo; I say, “Karate-Budo” as there is a huge difference to what we study; than what I would call modern-day sports karate, therefore we have many pathways to pursue during our lifetime of learning our art.

I have viewed a number of shared benefits of my past and present students these being the lifetime skills, which temper the mind, spirit and body of the individual.

Although some of my students may not be actively training, embedded in their being are well-founded skills to assist them throughout their life’s journey. Therefore, the way of traditional martial arts prepares and teaches the whole person, be mindful that you do not become impatience in what you are pursuing and give yourself the necessary time to understand that you are indeed polishing your character through the time spent in your art. In most cases, those who are close to you will see the changes that are happening in you, before you do. If your heart is good then embrace the wisdom from those much wiser and more humble, what’s more from this moment in time, a deeper perceptive will take place within you.

In order to understand the authentic connection to the wisdom found in learning traditional martial arts; I sincerely believe that teaching is indeed an expansion of my art.

In Budo thoughts and spirit