"I want to be able to defend myself!"
"I'd like to improve my mental focus!"
"I want to get in shape!"
JMAC Traditions
Love and Courage
Thursday, January 5, 2006
At the Aikibudoin at Dartmouth College, on their shomen, is some calligraphy in Japanese that says, roughly translated, "Have I loved enough, have I showed enough courage?"
This is a wonderful admonishment to martial arts students of every variety: kendo, karatedo, aikido, or any-do. It helps to remind us of two of the most important virtues found in budo.
Perhaps the more obvious virtue is courage. It takes courage to face a strong punch, kick, or throw, whether in the dojo or in self-defense. Of course, the real courage we are trying to exhibit is the courage to do the right thing, even when it is scary or unpopular. It can be much harder to calm an angry person or coach a misguided teenager than to block a front kick, but as martial artists it is our responsibility to do the right things, even when they are difficult.
It may be less obvious that martial artists should be loving, but truly, without love we cannot live well in the world. In the dojo, love can take the form of the kindness shown by the teacher to his students, or the bond that develops between training partners. Kindness between those who practice fighting arts is critical to the success of any traditional martial arts school.
This is an excellent question with which to evaluate any training session: "Have I loved enough, have I shown enough courage?"
The Japanese Martial Arts Center would like to thank the many Ann Arbor businesses that support this blog, both martial arts-related and others, including: Network Services Group, Art of Japanese Swordsmanship, Shudokan Martial Arts Association, Budo Mind and Body, Art of Judo, Iaido Dot Com, Lorandos and Associates, Oxford Companies, Bluestone Realty Advisors, Portfolio Ann Arbor, Invest Ann Arbor, the Law Office of Nicklaus Suino and the ITAMA Dojo.
This is a wonderful admonishment to martial arts students of every variety: kendo, karatedo, aikido, or any-do. It helps to remind us of two of the most important virtues found in budo.
Perhaps the more obvious virtue is courage. It takes courage to face a strong punch, kick, or throw, whether in the dojo or in self-defense. Of course, the real courage we are trying to exhibit is the courage to do the right thing, even when it is scary or unpopular. It can be much harder to calm an angry person or coach a misguided teenager than to block a front kick, but as martial artists it is our responsibility to do the right things, even when they are difficult.
It may be less obvious that martial artists should be loving, but truly, without love we cannot live well in the world. In the dojo, love can take the form of the kindness shown by the teacher to his students, or the bond that develops between training partners. Kindness between those who practice fighting arts is critical to the success of any traditional martial arts school.
This is an excellent question with which to evaluate any training session: "Have I loved enough, have I shown enough courage?"
The Japanese Martial Arts Center would like to thank the many Ann Arbor businesses that support this blog, both martial arts-related and others, including: Network Services Group, Art of Japanese Swordsmanship, Shudokan Martial Arts Association, Budo Mind and Body, Art of Judo, Iaido Dot Com, Lorandos and Associates, Oxford Companies, Bluestone Realty Advisors, Portfolio Ann Arbor, Invest Ann Arbor, the Law Office of Nicklaus Suino and the ITAMA Dojo.
