Rules of the Dojo

After talking with John yesterday about the three great Japanese martial artists - the ones he has most admiration for - Ueshiba (aikido), Agami (karate) and Mifune (judo), I found this by Mifune on a Judo website. The wonderful thing about the Japanese is their culture of respect and refinement. By the way, John considers Agami to be the greatest of the three, not necessarily because he was the best fighter but because he ventured most courageously into the internal and the unknown - that raw and trembling space where all you have is your vulnerability and your connectedness.

To master an actual technique, mental culture should come first.
Acquiring a technique requires a careful, modest, non-mean, free and attentive mind.
In other words a player should do his utmost and nothing less.

Have no falsehood in mind.
Reluctance or deceit are not conducive to the inner harmony required by Judo practice.
Do not lose self-confidence.
Learn to act wholeheartedly, without hesitation. Show reverence toward the practice of Judo by keeping your mind in it.
Keep your balance.
The centre of gravity follows the movement of the body. The centre of gravity is the most important element in maintaining stablility. If it is lost, the body is naturally unbalanced. Thus, fix your mind so that your body is always in balance.
Utilize your strength efficiently.
Minimize the use of strength with the quickest movement of body. Acknowledge that what is called stillness and motion is nothing but an endlessly repeated process.
Don't discontinue training.
Mastery of Judo cannot be accomplished in a short time. Since skills depend on mental and physical application, constant training is essential.
Keep yourself humble.
If you become self-centred, you will build a wall around yourself and lose your freedom. If you can humble yourself in preparation for an event you will surely be better able to judge and understand it. In a fight, you will be able to detect the weak point of your opponent and easily put him/her under control.

Kyuzo Mifune