The value of etiquette

This week, I finally got it. I understand now, why the etiquette is so important. My revelation came as I was researching kata. I'd been chatting with some people who have spent decades researching the subject, and they pointed me in the direction of some resources on the web and some books on the subject, which delved into the history of kata. It seems that kata work on many levels - on the superficial level, the moves are exactly as they appear; a series of blocks and counters and stances. However, to the expert, there are also deeper hidden bunkai which are not commonly explained.

Patrick McCarthy, an eminent martial arts researcher likens the moves in kata to a loaded gun. They have great power. Just as with a loaded gun, you wouldn't give it to just anybody; you'd want to make sure that they have the right sense of responsibility and the right moral attitude before you'd entrust them with something so dangerous. Similarly, the masters who passed the kata onto their students, only revealed the deeper meanings to those who showed the right moral fibre. Perhaps this is part of the reason that so much of the kata bunkai has been lost over time, as there were not enough of the right sort of students?

Anyway, one of the first things that one would require of a student being given such a deadly art, is that they wouldn't go out with a high-and-mighty attitude cruising for fights all the time or showing off their deadly skills. An easy way to gauge a student's attitude outside the dojo is to see their attitude inside the dojo. Are they too arrogant, opiniated or full of themselves to bow, and show respect to others, especially less experienced or less capable students? If they are, then why would a sensei ever trust that student to behave well away from the dojo?

We often talk about the importance of humbleness, but now I think I'm starting to get it. We don't want to be humble just to show how wonderful we are, or even to demonstrate that we can obey the GKR rules; we want to be humble, because humble people have nothing to prove. Humble people have minds that are open to receive valuable techniques. Humble people can be trusted to receive the amazing tradition and martial techniques encapsulated in GKR Karate without abusing that knowledge. I read a great saying that goes, "The more grain on the stalk, the more it needs to bend."

Just recently, I've seen some vicious and shocking squabbling and threats between 5th dan senseis on one of the Goju forums, and it's reminded me how very unbecoming it is, when accomplished martial artists are driven by ego, rather than self-improvement.

So the next time you bow to your sensei, or a fellow student, or even the dojo, don't feel embarrassed, or awkward, or even irritated. Instead, take a moment to remind yourself that you are refining your personality in order to get the very best from your karate.

Both Bruce Lee, and Miyamoto Musashi (the legendary Japanese swordsman) have said words to the effect of, "Never enter a battle thinking about the outcome. Rather, simply commit yourself wholeheartedly to the moment." I think the point is, if you're worrying about failure, or looking forward to victory, your mind is not fully concentrating on the fight at hand. By eliminating the egotistical need to win the war, you can more completely concentrate on the battle instead. If you win all the battles, you'll be victorious in the war as well...