-Because the practice suit is
much like the soldier's battlefield equipement, anyone who practices Karate
should regard his practice suit with respect and affection and should always
take good care of it. It is important for a karate man to value his suit just as
highly as a judo man value his. Famous judo master are said to value all their
practice suit, but particularly those that have a long history of many of many
matches. The man who has a real fondness for karate, too, must take care of his
practice suit and keep it clean. TO REPAIR A TORN PRACTICE SUIT IS NO DISGRACE,
BUT TO WEAR A TORN OR DIRTY ONE IS.
-Mas Oyama
(This is Karate)
RHYTHM IN KARATE
-Rhythm is defined as any kind of movement characterized by the regular
recurrence of strong and weak elements. All things in the universe have rhythm,
either external, like music, or internal, like the atomic structure of a rock.
The martial arts are no exception, and the student who has a sense of rhythm
will improve in karate much more quickly than one who does not. It would be of
great assistance to a karate-ka to become involved in the rhythmic occurrences
in everyday life such as music, dance, and so on. This will lead to a
UNIFICATION of the mind and body wich will serve as the firm foundation for
Growth and excellence in any undertaking.
-Mas Oyama
(Essential Karate)
NONE-STOP TRAINNING
In teaching karate, I have encountered all kinds of students with all kinds of
personalities. Some have thje makings of fine karate man. Other are lazy. In a
short period of six months or a year, it is difficult to know the extent to wich
people will develop. Some are well-coordinated and make rapid progress at first
only to rest on their laurels, become lazy, and ultimately see themselves
surpassed by people who were initally much less promising...
MAS OYAMA...
(The Kyokushin Way)
THE KATAS
-The kata is the grammer of karate. It unifies the body and the spirit and
greatly developes the respiration. In the Katas, you can find all the basic
movements of: blocks, attacks, foot positions, ect. Katas are practiced in
groups, the students who know the Kata are placed in the front so the other
students may observe them.
COMPARISONS
Objective comparisons with other schools, other dojo and other students within
your own school are important. But don't lose sight of the purpose of this
comparison. Know your own strenghs by understanding the weaknesses of others.
One of the most pragmatic ways to make objective comparasions with others for
the sake of improving your own technique is participation in tournements. There,
one can truly see if one's training has been effective.
NO REST!
Studying the martial way is like climbing a cliff; keep going forward without
rest. Resting is not permissible because it causes recessions to old stages of
achivevement. Persevering day in, day out improves techniques, but resting, even
one day, causes lapse. This must be prevented.
Mas Oyama
ULTIMATE
The ultimate aim of the art of karate lies not in victory or in defeat but in
the perfection of the character of its participants.
Gichin Funakoshi