Ken Zen Ichii Karate
PHILOSOPHY
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In Ken Zen Ichii Karate learning both the Spirit of Bushido and the Spirit of Karate are part of the basic training.
Spirit of Bushido
In feudal Japan the Martial Arts were a way of life. Living a life of honor was considered an obligation to your ancestors, as was a courageous death. To accept death without fear or hesitation was the aim of all true warriors. The life of a warrior consisted of fighting battles for their lords or accepting any challenges that might be issued. In order to keep them from becoming no more than mere mercenaries, a code was established among the warriors to separate them from the other classes.
A code of honor is only as good as those who claim to live by it. The meaning must come from the individual’s quest for the life of a true warrior. Benevolence, Courage, Bravery, Humility, Loyalty, Honor and Compassion should be expressed by each person, in keeping with his or her own beliefs.
Benevolence is the love of mankind and a desire to promote their happiness. Courage is defined in KZI Karate as the act of standing up for your moral points of view. Bravery is not showing fear when confronted by a danger of physical harm or pain. Humility is not thinking less of your self but thinking of your self less often, not being arrogant or haughty. Loyalty is being true to those you have chosen to love; family, country, and friends are usually at the top of this list. Honor is keeping true to your values of right and wrong even when there is no one there to know the difference. Compassion is truly being able to feel for the less fortunate and a desire to put an end to their misfortune.
Traditionally for women this code of honor was expressed in three ways. First, the Spirit of Bushido meant protecting the home, since the men were usually away working. Another aspect for women is moving with symmetrical design, so that there would be grace and beauty in their movements. Introducing the children of the family to the martial ways was also a very important part of the Spirit of Bushido for women. Since the battles fought by warriors of today are for bettering the way of life for the family, modern day men and women both can help improve that life by following the spirit found in the complete code of the warriors of old. Since these principles cannot really be defined for a person, each person must always continue in their search for the true meaning of these principles.
Spirit of Karate
The Spirit of Karate is, in a way, the continuation of the Spirit of Bushido. It deals more with the realities of our every day struggles as opposed to the spiritual ideas of a group.
Never Expect Anything At Anytime. This means not expecting people to act the way you want them to and also accepting the way the world is progressing. Freedom from worrying about the future is necessary for a clear mind needed to solve problems or make decisions in daily situations.
Never Strike First and Minimum Force are two points that go hand in hand. Many times minimum force will mean not striking at all, instead just leaving, knowing there is no need to fight
True Control is not only hitting what you aim at, but also with the amount of power intended. This also implies control of your feelings so that fear or anger doesn’t apply to decisions made.
Mental Training and Moral Training are the points a person is most likely to have trouble with. Training the mind to remain calm and being true to your beliefs is much harder than controlling the aim and speed of a punch. But it is all of equal importance to a good Karate student.
" Code of Conduct"
I will foster and promote Courage, Justice, Truthfulness, Loyalty, Self Control and Honor in accordance with
the "Spirit of Bushido” and to use Karate only in its purest manner. Arthur "Mr. Bee" Beverford