“The ultimate aim of the art of Karate lies not in victory or defeat, but in the perfection of the characters of its participants”.
Gichin Funakoshi
Incomprehensible to the novice of Karate is that the foremost enemy is within ourselves. The thruthfulness of this statement may only become evident if we follow Nangyodo. Unfortunately pursuing Nangyodo is not inherently in our nature.
Nangyodo translated from Japanese means “the way of hardship“. The technology of the 21st century has provided our society many luxuries that our forefathers could only have dreamed about. The side effect of these social cushions, is that we have come to expect everything instantaneously. Pursuing Karate that is worthwhile, is neither fast or easy. Although some have tried to sell Karate as such for their own monetary gain, a resemblance of the snake oil salesman of the 19th century.
The mental and physical hurdles of Karate training, are essential for the practitioner to overcome. Conquering these obstacles is the first stage in cultivating a character that is mature. During training the practitioner may be ignorant to the fact, that the instructor erects these hurdles for them. Pain, fatigue, fear, and anger are some of these barriers that the student will be faced with. Like a mirror a good instructor shows you a true reflection of yourself. Rejoice in the your good qualities, but don’t cover up the blemishes in your character with makeup.
Doryoku,
Scott
