20 PRINCIPLES OF KARATE:
1. Karate is not only dojo training.
2. Don't forget that Karate begins with a bow and ends with a bow.
3. In Karate, never attack first.
4. One who practices Karate must follow the way of justice.
5. First you must know yourself. Then you can know others.
6. Spiritual development is paramount; technical skills are merely means to the end.
7. You must release your mind.
8. Misfortune comes out of laziness.
9. Karate is a lifelong training.
10. Put Karate into everything you do.
11. Karate is like hot water. If you do not give heat constantly it will again become cold.
12. Do not think you have to win. Think that you do not have to lose.
13. Victory depends on your ability to tell vulnerable points from invulnerable ones.
14. Move according to your opponent.
15. Consider your opponent's hands and legs as you would sharp swords.
16. When you leave home, think that millions of opponents are waiting for you.
17. Ready position for beginners and natural position for advanced students.
18. Kata is one thing. Engaging in real fight is another.
19. Do not forget (1) strenght and weakness of power, (2) expansion and contraction of the body, (3)
slowness and speed of techniques.
20. Devise at all times.
NIJU KUN
Gichin Funakoshi's 20 Precepts of Karate-Do
1. Karate begins with courtesy and ends with courtesy.
2. There is no first attack in Karate.
3. Karate is an aid to justice.
4. First control yourself before attempting to control others.
5. Spirit first, technique second.
6. Always be ready to release your mind.
7. Accidents arise from negligence.
8. Do not think that Karate training is only in the dojo.
9. It will take your entire life to learn Karate; there is no limit.
10. Put your everyday living into Karate and you will find "Myo" (subtle secrets).
11. Karate is like boiling water. If you do not heat it constantly, it will cool.
12. Do not think that you have to win, think rather that you do not have to lose.
13. Victory depends on your ability to distinguish vulnerable points from invulnerable ones.
14. The battle is according to how you move guarded and unguarded
(move according to your opponent).
15. Think of your hands and feet as swords.
16. When you leave home, think that you have numerous opponents waiting for you.
It is your behavior that invites trouble from them.
17. Beginners must master low stance and posture,
natural body positions are for the advanced.
18. Practicing a kata is one thing, engaging in a real fight is another.
19. Do not forget to correctly apply: strength and weakness of power,
stretching and contraction of the body and slowness and speed of techniques.
20. Always think and devise ways to live the precepts every day.
The beginnings of modern-day karate date back to 560 AD when Daruma Boddhidharma, the founder
of Zen Buddhism, left western India and traveled thousands of miles alone to teach in China. He
found many students eager to listen to his ideas but physically unable to keep up with him. So he
designed a method of training to develop his followers' physical strength, which he considered a
crucial aid in attaining spiritual strength. His reasoning became the basis of karate-do, or “the way of
the empty hand.” Although he felt that the way of Buddha was preached for the soul, he taught that
“the body mind and soul are inseparable.”
Shotokan Karate is one of the oldest and most popular styles of Karate. It was developed at the
beginning of the last century by Master Gichin Funakoshi (1868-1957) from the southern Japanese
island of Okinawa.
Two relatively different styles - in spirit as well as in mechanics - used to exist in Okinawa in late 19th
Century: Shorei-ryu and Shorin-ryu The former was designed for well built people, placed emphasis
on developing physical strength and was impressive in its shear power. The latter was light and
quick, with fast strikes and counterattacks, designed for people who were small in size and very
agile. After years of intense study of both styles, Master Funakoshi arrived at a new understanding of
martial arts, and a novel style was created, that combined the ideals of Shorei and Shorin.
As in all Karate styles it is Katas, formal sequen ces of basic techniques, that form the backbone of
the tradition. The traditional Japanese martial arts, Judo and Kendo, two of the seven traditional
paths to enlightenment in Japanese classical culture, were heavily centered around combat
(Kumite). Master Funakoshi instead, in the centuries old Okinawa tradition, sought a path to spiritual
depth through individual technique. Thus, Shotokan initially developed as a formal style with little
Kumite application, instead focusing on breathing, releasing energy and outstanding mind and body
control.
In 1922, the first Karate Demonstration was held in Tokyo by Master Gichin Funakoshi and had made
a powerful impression on the Japanese public. After that, Karate became very popular and spread
very fast in Japan. From the beginning, Master Funakoshi insisted on teaching Karate to college
students. The first Karate-do Club was in Keio University. Today, Karate-do is spread into many
countries around the world. In May 1948, the Japan Karate Association (JKA) was founded by the
students of Master Gichin Funakoshi, and the standards of training (Kihon, Kata, Kumite) and
competition were established.
The word Shotokan is composed of three kanji characters in Japanese. The sho character is taken
from the word matsu which means pine tree. To is the character for waves. Pine Waves is supposed
to mean "the sound that pine trees make when the wind blows through their needles." Some people
also translate this to mean the waves that pine trees seem to make visually when bending in the
wind. Master Funakoshi signed his works of calligraphy with the pen name Shoto. That is where the
first part of the name of this type of karate came from. The word kan means building. The name
Shotokan comes from the world's first karate dojo, which was constructed in 1939 by Funakoshi's
students. They placed a plaque over the door that said "Shotokan", or " The Hall of Pine Waves", in
honor of Funakoshi. This first dojo was completely destroyed in an American bombing raid on Japan
in 1945.
Characteristics of Karate-Do
By training hard many characteristics of karate can be influenced positively, like persistence,
discipline, self control and correct behaviour. Het concept "Do" (way) means this development of
oneself.
For Karate-Do three aspects can be distinguished:
Karate-do as improving the physical condition;
Karate-do as a competitive
Karate-do as selfdefence
MIZU NO KOKORO
This refers to the mental attitude while facing an actual opponent. It refers to the need of making the
mind calm, like that of an undisturbed body of water.
Smooth water reflects accurately the image of all objects within its range, and if the mind is kept
calm, comprehension of the opponents movements, both psychological and physical, will be both
immediate and accurate, and one's responses, both defensive and offensive, will be appropriate and
adequate.
On the other hand, if the surface of the water is disturbed, the images it reflects will be distorted. In
other words, if the mind is preoccupied with thoughts of attack and defense it will not properly
comprehend the opponent's intentions creating an opportunity for the opponent to attack.
TSUKI NO KOKORO
This refers to the need to be constantly aware of the totality of the opponent and his/her movements,
just as moonlight shines equally upon everything within its range. This means that one should watch
just part of the opponents body such as the hands or feet, rather watch the entire body. With the
thorough development of this attitude, the consciousness will be immediately aware of any openings
in the opponent's defenses.
Clouds blocking the light of the moon are likened to nervousness or distractions. These distractions
stop the light from shining on everything. Likewise, they make comprehension of and reaction to the
opponent's moves more difficult than they need to be.
The beginnings of modern-day karate date back to 560 AD when Daruma Boddhidharma, the founder
of Zen Buddhism, left western India and traveled thousands of miles alone to teach in China. He
found many students eager to listen to his ideas but physically unable to keep up with him. So he
designed a method of training to develop his followers' physical strength, which he considered a
crucial aid in attaining spiritual strength. His reasoning became the basis of karate-do, or “the way of
the empty hand.” Although he felt that the way of Buddha was preached for the soul, he taught that
“the body mind and soul are inseparable.”
Shotokan Karate is one of the oldest and most popular styles of Karate. It was developed at the
beginning of the last century by Master Gichin Funakoshi (1868-1957) from the southern Japanese
island of Okinawa.
Two relatively different styles - in spirit as well as in mechanics - used to exist in Okinawa in late 19th
Century: Shorei-ryu and Shorin-ryu The former was designed for well built people, placed emphasis
on developing physical strength and was impressive in its shear power. The latter was light and
quick, with fast strikes and counterattacks, designed for people who were small in size and very
agile. After years of intense study of both styles, Master Funakoshi arrived at a new understanding of
martial arts, and a novel style was created, that combined the ideals of Shorei and Shorin.
As in all Karate styles it is Katas, formal sequen ces of basic techniques, that form the backbone of
the tradition. The traditional Japanese martial arts, Judo and Kendo, two of the seven traditional
paths to enlightenment in Japanese classical culture, were heavily centered around combat
(Kumite). Master Funakoshi instead, in the centuries old Okinawa tradition, sought a path to spiritual
depth through individual technique. Thus, Shotokan initially developed as a formal style with little
Kumite application, instead focusing on breathing, releasing energy and outstanding mind and body
control.
In 1922, the first Karate Demonstration was held in Tokyo by Master Gichin Funakoshi and had made
a powerful impression on the Japanese public. After that, Karate became very popular and spread
very fast in Japan. From the beginning, Master Funakoshi insisted on teaching Karate to college
students. The first Karate-do Club was in Keio University. Today, Karate-do is spread into many
countries around the world. In May 1948, the Japan Karate Association (JKA) was founded by the
students of Master Gichin Funakoshi, and the standards of training (Kihon, Kata, Kumite) and
competition were established.
The word Shotokan is composed of three kanji characters in Japanese. The sho character is taken
from the word matsu which means pine tree. To is the character for waves. Pine Waves is supposed
to mean "the sound that pine trees make when the wind blows through their needles." Some people
also translate this to mean the waves that pine trees seem to make visually when bending in the
wind. Master Funakoshi signed his works of calligraphy with the pen name Shoto. That is where the
first part of the name of this type of karate came from. The word kan means building. The name
Shotokan comes from the world's first karate dojo, which was constructed in 1939 by Funakoshi's
students. They placed a plaque over the door that said "Shotokan", or " The Hall of Pine Waves", in
honor of Funakoshi. This first dojo was completely destroyed in an American bombing raid on Japan
in 1945.
Characteristics of Karate-Do
By training hard many characteristics of karate can be influenced positively, like persistence,
discipline, self control and correct behaviour. Het concept "Do" (way) means this development of
oneself.
For Karate-Do three aspects can be distinguished:
Karate-do as improving the physical condition;
Karate-do as a competitive
Karate-do as selfdefence
MIZU NO KOKORO
This refers to the mental attitude while facing an actual opponent. It refers to the need of making the
mind calm, like that of an undisturbed body of water.
Smooth water reflects accurately the image of all objects within its range, and if the mind is kept
calm, comprehension of the opponents movements, both psychological and physical, will be both
immediate and accurate, and one's responses, both defensive and offensive, will be appropriate and
adequate.
On the other hand, if the surface of the water is disturbed, the images it reflects will be distorted. In
other words, if the mind is preoccupied with thoughts of attack and defense it will not properly
comprehend the opponent's intentions creating an opportunity for the opponent to attack.
TSUKI NO KOKORO
This refers to the need to be constantly aware of the totality of the opponent and his/her movements,
just as moonlight shines equally upon everything within its range. This means that one should watch
just part of the opponents body such as the hands or feet, rather watch the entire body. With the
thorough development of this attitude, the consciousness will be immediately aware of any openings
in the opponent's defenses.
Clouds blocking the light of the moon are likened to nervousness or distractions. These distractions
stop the light from shining on everything. Likewise, they make comprehension of and reaction to the
opponent's moves more difficult than they need to be.
Niju Kun >
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| Red Dragon Shotokan Karate Association Chicago, IL |
