He who would follow the way of true karate must seek not only to coexist with his opponent but to achieve unity with him. There is no question of homicide, nor should emphasis ever be placed on winning. When practising it is important to be one with your partner, move together, and make progress together.
If the way of thinking changes, everything will change.
The mind should be clear, that is, without thoughts, and all movements should be made in a natural way. Without a clear, supple mind, the body cannot be supple.
The old masters said that when confronting an opponent you must be mentally prepared to die. In other words, you must be in a state where life or death is irrelevant. Once in this mental state there cannot exist any antagonism towards your opponent, there will be no winner, no loser, no feelings of fear nor hate. You will confront your opponent with a clear mind. Thinking is useless, you must simply act. Through practice this will become understood in a natural way. A relaxed and flexible mind together with a flexible and rapid body are the best requisites for a karateka. With practice you will be able to attain rhythm, the sense of opportunity, distance, breathing and the flow of vital energy.
The problem of the mind is a deep subject. The attainment of a higher state of mind, self-growth and self-purification are the ultimate attainable goals through practice. You must train mind and body, otherwise practising has no value.
Once you attain a perfect understanding of the other person, you can attain unity with him and words such as victory and defeat stop having meaning. This is the true secret of Karate, coexisting with your opponent. And when an understanding of the human essence is attained, it will make us co-operate with others and through this obtain self-understanding. Practice will not be complete before this mental state is acquired.
I wish to understand the relationship between human beings, between human beings and nature through my own body (body and spirit as an inseparable unity); it is my wish that our practice should follow this way.
Humans because of their very nature cannot live alone. Thus one desires personal peace and at the same time for all others. Being able to take care of others, think and act as if in the place of other beings, building what is marvellous in the human being: that is practice.
In going beyond traditional karate and making it evolve, have I gone too far, putting too much emphasis on the soul?
If the way of thinking changes, everything will change.
The mind should be clear, that is, without thoughts, and all movements should be made in a natural way. Without a clear, supple mind, the body cannot be supple.
The old masters said that when confronting an opponent you must be mentally prepared to die. In other words, you must be in a state where life or death is irrelevant. Once in this mental state there cannot exist any antagonism towards your opponent, there will be no winner, no loser, no feelings of fear nor hate. You will confront your opponent with a clear mind. Thinking is useless, you must simply act. Through practice this will become understood in a natural way. A relaxed and flexible mind together with a flexible and rapid body are the best requisites for a karateka. With practice you will be able to attain rhythm, the sense of opportunity, distance, breathing and the flow of vital energy.
The problem of the mind is a deep subject. The attainment of a higher state of mind, self-growth and self-purification are the ultimate attainable goals through practice. You must train mind and body, otherwise practising has no value.
Once you attain a perfect understanding of the other person, you can attain unity with him and words such as victory and defeat stop having meaning. This is the true secret of Karate, coexisting with your opponent. And when an understanding of the human essence is attained, it will make us co-operate with others and through this obtain self-understanding. Practice will not be complete before this mental state is acquired.
I wish to understand the relationship between human beings, between human beings and nature through my own body (body and spirit as an inseparable unity); it is my wish that our practice should follow this way.
Humans because of their very nature cannot live alone. Thus one desires personal peace and at the same time for all others. Being able to take care of others, think and act as if in the place of other beings, building what is marvellous in the human being: that is practice.
In going beyond traditional karate and making it evolve, have I gone too far, putting too much emphasis on the soul?
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