Blog Article/Post Caveat (Read First Please: Click the Link)
Do we truly practice with character. When I say character do I mean ... the mental and moral qualities distinctive to an individual where strength and originality are a part of that person's nature; a person of good reputation and then you have to go on and define what that means to that individual, to others, to the tribe and finally to society as a whole, i.e., what is acceptable and what is not that governs a person of character.
To me the "character" of a karate-ka and martial artist is the Yin of the Yin and Yang in karate, yang being the strictly physical applications. You should develop both simultaneously to become well rounded or a karate-ka and martial artists of character.
When martial artists of old spoke of masters and experts they included that persons character. This person was not only proficient in the physical forms and applications of karate and martial arts but they had a character that was serious, disciplined and honorable. They don't rely on the impression of others and how they behave in private was more important than how they impressed in public. They looked inward.
A martial artists or any person of character relied on the inner self by the honor they felt themselves. They didn't perform to impress others but performed to meet the stringent requirements of self. A demonstration was simply a demonstration, not a performance that is judged outside the self.
Today's master is driven by the impressions they receive from others. They become a person of perceived personality that speaks to the need to be a salesman, a social operator, a person with a ready smile, a hearty handshake, and an ability to get along with colleagues while at the same time positioning and performing to outshine them.
When I hear someone say, "I just want to learn how to fight," I tend toward caution because in my mind one cannot learn how to fight without developing proper character. This proper character is what gives any person the tools, traits and characteristics necessary to wield power. With power come responsibility and in karate and martial arts, as trained traditionally and properly, there is great power given.
All to often you hear about terms and traits that one develops practicing karate and a martial art yet you seldom see any specified training regimen concerning character building.
As I wrote, "do you want to be a karate and martial artist of character or a karate and martial artist of personality." In the end the best mix is to be a martial artists of deep character and adequate personality for both are required to achieve true master of self, karate and martial arts be it for sport or self-defense.
In order to achieve "oneness" as a principle of philosophy you must make character and personality a part of your training, practice and application. You have to have a goal to reach a state of Okinawan Bushi (as described in the post linked above).
To keep this post simple lets use the two characteristics of compassion and empathy as example. In a singularly built system that comes from the study of duality the practice of karate and martial arts first teaches you the damage it can bring through experiencing an application of a technique. This, as Steven Pearlman states, comes first before learning how to apply said technique. This provides you with a healthy understanding of what types of pain and damage that can be delivered with karate and martial arts. Then, when you actually begin to apply the same techniques that experience provides you with an empathy for those to whom you apply said technique. Your compassion builds through the experience of pain, etc., allowing you to understand with compassion how easy it will be to exert the power you learn to others.
Then think in today's legal and civil environment for self-defense, that both compassion and empathy will provide you the impetus to exert that power accordingly to stay within the constraints of the law and of society. Just simply being able to just "fight" is not enough. (Actually, fighting is illegal)
Having a compassionate recognition and an empathy toward the degree of damage does not keep you from applying martial arts should you be attacked. but it does teach us how to respect both violence and pain and all the other effects of violence and the tempering of marital practices so as to apply our expertise properly and with character.
- Moral and Ethical strength
- Integrity
- Confidence
- Consideration
- Courageousness
- Decisive
- Dependable
- Determination
- Honesty
- Encouraging
- Expert
- Friendly
- Patience
- Mature
- Polite
- Positive
- Precise
- Reliable
- Responsible
- Serious
- Skillful
- Thoughtful
- Tolerant
- Trustworthy
- Wise
Bibliography (Click the link)
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