I just returned from a training trip to Naha Okinawa, the birthplace of Karate.   This was my third trip, and by far the best, but also the most challenging as I was testing for my Yondan in front of Komura Sensei, Sanguinetti Sensei and Kimiya Sensei. 

You have all forced me to continue to improve and grow.  I thank you all.

What is a DAO?
Usually described as a path to spiritual self-development by a human being.  But essential to this is self-overcoming.

“Spiritual” refers to the human capacity to be deeply affected, to seek a meaningful connection to something beyond the usual confines of the ego, the capacity for transformation by means of commitment to some DAO of self-overcoming. (pay attention to the final slide)

If karate-do or any martial art is to be engaged in as a Do or Dao, it will not merely be development of skill in technique through training.  It must also be guided by some increasing understanding of the wider implications of such a practice and any human practice.  So reading the literature of great spiritual teachers and warriors who practiced martial arts as a spiritual Dao is an indispensable part of your training.   So let’s identify what makes fighting arts a dao and its relation to philosophy, the pursuit of wisdom.

With MMA schools almost exclusively focused on sparring and applied techniques, I can see why they would at least initially hold greater appeal for young adults interested in quickly learning self-defense and not much else.  But my own experience with karate has taught me just how rich with application our traditional art form is, and how much more TMA has to offer.

Here’s the thing about our weaknesses and imperfections, the cracks in our cups – they’re the wounds on our lives. We can dwell on them, remain broken, and allow the wound to become infected in our despair. We can let the wound fester and slowly eat away at us as we refuse to let go.

But that’s a choice.

This is my Karate. It’s good enough for me.

The fire rises. It burns hot. The water does too.

Today, the cup is empty, and the teapot is boiling over.

Your tea is ready.

We will examine the kata Gankaku to illustrate these traditional bunkai and also explore oyo for certain techniques.

We practice the physical move mindfully, with critique and self-awareness we are taught the most efficient and effective ways to move.  We refine these movements over time and continue to learn and redefine the same moves.  We are challenged every step of the way to continue to improve and refine.  Soon, through the muscle memory learned the movement becomes a natural part of us and how we move.  It becomes reflex, or response without thought. Automatic!

My studies have helped me grow as a person, a teacher, a counselor, and an advocate.  The terms I learned in academia exist on the dojo floor, but they are truly practiced.  I see experience disconnect in what I have been taught in school and the practice of my profession and that troubles me.  I experience a real acknowledgement and consistency in the study of Karate.  That comforts me and grounds me throughout my life.  Karate is a “Transferable Skill” that will never leave me.

I believe the karate we study is a type of living art, and in the study of this art, we help keep it alive.  As this living art changes throughout the years, new students are able to contribute to the continuum of this evolving art.  As karate changes and adapts to new demands of modern societies, it ensures its relevance and utility.