In Karate There is No First Attack.
In today's pressure-filled society, tempers flare easily and lawsuits abound. Having the reserved manner of a budoka can help us defuse a situation without needing to resort to violence unless absolutely necessary.Karate is an Aid in Justice.
Today's FBI statistics show gang activity and violence expanding from the inner city to rural America. Law abiding citizens who know self-defense can thwart criminals in their quest to overrun the general populace now as much as in the days of the unarmed Okinawan peasant.Control Yourself Before You Attempt to Control Others.
Recent news stories have told about children who have turned their parents in to the authorities for drug abuse. The martial arts encourage this kind of behavior because they stress living virtuously rather merely asking others to do so.Spirit First, Technique Second.
Without the spiritual component of Karate, the modern bodoka - just like his Funakoshi-era counterpart - is merely doing an aerobic exercise. Whether it is a Kata (form), a kickboxing match or an Ultimate Fighting Championship bout, it must be done with heart, soul and spirit. Otherwise, grave injury can result.Always Be Ready to Release Your Mind.
Bruce Lee and other martial artists have echoed his thought.We should be free to listen and learn - without being burdened by our own mind. With a closed mind, the style and the practitioner become stagnant and go nowhere. Lee continually read books and learned things; hence, his mind was free.
Accidents Arise from Negligence.The martial arts are not enjoyable or safe unless attention is paid to careful practice. Does this relate to Modern times? Ask any insurance company that covers martial arts studios.
We need to take our martial arts training out of the school. Now more than ever, we must bring all aspects of the arts into our life. Confidence, discipline and self-esteem can not be achieved during the hour or so we spend in the martial arts school. We need to grow all day long.
It Takes an Entire Lifetime to Learn Karate.Although we live in a "fast food" society, we should not think there is an end to our martial arts training. The budo (warrior ways) can teach us patience and a never-give-up attitude, which are sorely lacking during this time of changing of spouses, jobs and homes.
Put Your Everyday Living into Karate and You Will Find the Secret.Did Funakoshi speak of enlightenment or the "death touch"? Of course not. He wanted us to live our art so we can reap the benefits of achieving mind/body harmony and inner peace - which the world always needs more of.
Karate is Like Boiling Water: If You Do Not Heat It Constantly, It Will Cool. We need to remember that martial arts are meant to be
enjoyed as one of the few lifelong activities available to us. Even though
they are over 50, Joe Lewis and Bill Wallace 
Ginchin Funakoshi (right) devised the "20 Precepts of Karate" to help al the students become better martial artists and better citizens.
continued to stand out because of their determination to "heat" their spirit and practice; meanwhile, millions of practitioners around the world who began when Lewis and Wallace did "cool" and disappear because they gave up. In general, we become bored too quickly. We need to keep our mind fresh and train constantly.
Don't Think About Winning or Losing.Modern martial artists tend to focus on no. 1 competitor and shun the rest. Children, the mentally challenged and the physically handicapped all should be welcomed in the martial arts studio because the arts emphasize not just winning but never losing or giving up. No student should ever feel like a loser.