Given the fact that we celebrated Dr. Martin Luther King Day last week and we are coming up on Black History Awareness Month in February, I felt compelled to write a short article on some of the parallels that I see between these events and the life and philosophy of Gichin Funakoshi (founder of modern day Shotokan Karate), and how karate is a way to continue the efforts for equality and non-discrimination among all people today.
Before I begin I would like to start off with an excerpt from the famous "I Have A Dream" speech Dr. King delivered at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. in the summer of 1963:
"Let us not wallow in the valley of despair, I say to you today, my friends. And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal." I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood. I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice. I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character." Martin Luther King- August 28, 1963
"Let us not wallow in the valley of despair, I say to you today, my friends. And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal." I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood. I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice. I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character." Martin Luther King- August 28, 1963
This speech is certainly one of the most famous in human history, and was an emotional pivot point in the struggle for equality during the 1960's for most Americans. Dr. King also won a Nobel Peace prize in 1964 for his work. What may be less known was that Dr. King visited Gandhi's
birthplace in India in 1959. The trip to India affected
King in a profound way, deepening his understanding of non-violent
resistance and his commitment to America's struggle for civil rights. In a
radio address made during his final evening in India, King reflected, "Since
being in India, I am more convinced than ever before that the method of
nonviolent resistance is the most potent weapon available to oppressed people in
their struggle for justice and human dignity. In a real sense, Mahatma Gandhi
embodied in his life certain universal principles that are inherent in the moral
structure of the universe, and these principles are as inescapable as the law of
gravitation."
And therein begins the basis of my parallel. The movement for justice and equality for all people is one that is part of all of human history, and unfortunately the struggle still continues today. It did not begin with Dr. King, Mohandas Ghandi or any of the people who preceded them. It is something that transcends time. Equality in terms of race, gender, age, religion, nationality, physical ability, sexual orientation or otherwise is something that has eluded mankind so far. All people experience discrimination to a greater or lesser extent in their lifetime. I am not here to judge who has had it "worse", only to say that it is something we all have in common.
So if it is true that we have all experienced it in some manner, then the next question that comes to mind is how many people have done something constructive about it in their lifetime? This does not mean how many people have achieved extraordinary things like Dr. King or Ghandi, but when faced with the human reality of discrimination, how have people risen above it to overcome it?
In his own way, Gichin Funakoshi is another example of someone who worked hard to break down these barriers through the study of karate.
Funakoshi was from the islands Okinawa on the southern tip of Japan. Although Okinawa is a part of modern day Japan, it was a separate nation at one time that was occupied by the Japanese for hundreds of years. It was this occupation that spawned the birth of karate as the ruling samurai made weapons possession by the Okinawans illegal and punishable by death. Therefore karate in a way was born out of a movement of civial disobedience and non-violent resistance like what Dr. King and Ghandi embodied. Many studied in the dark of night or in secret, and this knowledge was passed onto person to person, family to family, generation to generation. They refused to capitulate to ruling samurai at the time, and went with a moral compass of what was "right and wrong" even if it meant the ultimate sacrifice.
This is not the only parallel I see. Fast forward to the 20th Century. Funakoshi was one of several Okinawan karate masters who brought karate to mainland Japan in 1921. This was an ultra-nationalistic period in Japan at the time and this ultra-nationalism eventually led to WWII as we all know. Anything that was not "purely Japanese" was looked down upon. Here was this little 4"11" Okinawan man bringing this new thing called Karate-do that was viewed as a "pagan and savage art". So what did he do? Funakoshi overcame this prejudice and finally gained formal recognition of Karate as one of the Japanese martial arts by 1941. How did he do this? In many ways. He accepted all students who wanted to learn. He used public demonstrations to promote the art. He adopted the Japanese art of Judo belt ranking system and structure to make it more relevant for a Japanese audience from the modern father of Judo- Juro Kano. He created alliances with people like Kano and others of the time. He changed the meaning of kara-te-do from 'way of the Chinese hand" to "way of the empty hand". He adapted, persevered and overcame obstacles. He used mainstream sentiment at the time to his advantage. He lead by example and embodied the meaning of the art.
The final parallel comes from a book Funakoshi wrote in 1938 entitled "The Twenty Guiding Principles of Karate" or the "Niju Kun" which form the foundations of the art of Shotokan Karate. Within these twenty principles, based heavily on bushido and zen, lies the philosophy of Shotokan. The principles allude to notions of humility, respect, compassion, patience, and both an inward and outward calmness. It was Funakoshi's belief that through karate practice and observation of these 20 principles, the karateka would improve not only in their fighting skills but become better people. I encourage you to click and read all 20 Precepts in the Niju Kun. One of the obvious parallels between Funakoshi and people like Dr. King and Ghandi is the 3rd principle- "Karate stands on the side of justice".
I want to be clear at this point, I am not saying that what Funakoshi achieved in his lifetime is equal to the achievements of Dr. King and Ghandi. What I am saying is that when faced with the barriers of discrimination, Funakoshi like Dr. King and many others, worked hard to transcended it and awaken the inner sensibility and goodness in us all. As I mentioned earlier, we all face some degree of discrimination in our lifetime. The question for us all is what will you do about it?
Karate today is a shining example of one way we can see their efforts towards equality rewarded. In the dojo there is no discrimination- we are all equal in our pursuit to become better karateka and better people in the process. In our dojo we use the Japanese term "kazo" or "family" because that is what we are. Things like age, gender, race, religion, physical ability, nationality, sexual orientation or the like have no place or relevance in the dojo. It does not matter how much money you have in the bank or the color of your skin that determines your progression in the art. It solely has to do with the individual effort you put into your study, and the content of your character.
Since 1988, Way Of Life Shotokan Karate has been committed to teaching traditional karate and values for a modern world. Under the leadership of Norman Smith Sensei, Way Of Life Shotokan Karate instructs hundreds of students at our various locations from beginner to advanced levels of all ages that come from across the New York City metro area. Our unique way of combining martial arts training, etiquette and philosophy with the modern concepts of fitness, self-defense and competition is unparalleled. We ensure your training is vigorous, while maintaining a safe and fun learning environment that encourages students to reach their fullest potential.
So if it is true that we have all experienced it in some manner, then the next question that comes to mind is how many people have done something constructive about it in their lifetime? This does not mean how many people have achieved extraordinary things like Dr. King or Ghandi, but when faced with the human reality of discrimination, how have people risen above it to overcome it?
In his own way, Gichin Funakoshi is another example of someone who worked hard to break down these barriers through the study of karate.
Funakoshi was from the islands Okinawa on the southern tip of Japan. Although Okinawa is a part of modern day Japan, it was a separate nation at one time that was occupied by the Japanese for hundreds of years. It was this occupation that spawned the birth of karate as the ruling samurai made weapons possession by the Okinawans illegal and punishable by death. Therefore karate in a way was born out of a movement of civial disobedience and non-violent resistance like what Dr. King and Ghandi embodied. Many studied in the dark of night or in secret, and this knowledge was passed onto person to person, family to family, generation to generation. They refused to capitulate to ruling samurai at the time, and went with a moral compass of what was "right and wrong" even if it meant the ultimate sacrifice.
This is not the only parallel I see. Fast forward to the 20th Century. Funakoshi was one of several Okinawan karate masters who brought karate to mainland Japan in 1921. This was an ultra-nationalistic period in Japan at the time and this ultra-nationalism eventually led to WWII as we all know. Anything that was not "purely Japanese" was looked down upon. Here was this little 4"11" Okinawan man bringing this new thing called Karate-do that was viewed as a "pagan and savage art". So what did he do? Funakoshi overcame this prejudice and finally gained formal recognition of Karate as one of the Japanese martial arts by 1941. How did he do this? In many ways. He accepted all students who wanted to learn. He used public demonstrations to promote the art. He adopted the Japanese art of Judo belt ranking system and structure to make it more relevant for a Japanese audience from the modern father of Judo- Juro Kano. He created alliances with people like Kano and others of the time. He changed the meaning of kara-te-do from 'way of the Chinese hand" to "way of the empty hand". He adapted, persevered and overcame obstacles. He used mainstream sentiment at the time to his advantage. He lead by example and embodied the meaning of the art.
The final parallel comes from a book Funakoshi wrote in 1938 entitled "The Twenty Guiding Principles of Karate" or the "Niju Kun" which form the foundations of the art of Shotokan Karate. Within these twenty principles, based heavily on bushido and zen, lies the philosophy of Shotokan. The principles allude to notions of humility, respect, compassion, patience, and both an inward and outward calmness. It was Funakoshi's belief that through karate practice and observation of these 20 principles, the karateka would improve not only in their fighting skills but become better people. I encourage you to click and read all 20 Precepts in the Niju Kun. One of the obvious parallels between Funakoshi and people like Dr. King and Ghandi is the 3rd principle- "Karate stands on the side of justice".
I want to be clear at this point, I am not saying that what Funakoshi achieved in his lifetime is equal to the achievements of Dr. King and Ghandi. What I am saying is that when faced with the barriers of discrimination, Funakoshi like Dr. King and many others, worked hard to transcended it and awaken the inner sensibility and goodness in us all. As I mentioned earlier, we all face some degree of discrimination in our lifetime. The question for us all is what will you do about it?
Karate today is a shining example of one way we can see their efforts towards equality rewarded. In the dojo there is no discrimination- we are all equal in our pursuit to become better karateka and better people in the process. In our dojo we use the Japanese term "kazo" or "family" because that is what we are. Things like age, gender, race, religion, physical ability, nationality, sexual orientation or the like have no place or relevance in the dojo. It does not matter how much money you have in the bank or the color of your skin that determines your progression in the art. It solely has to do with the individual effort you put into your study, and the content of your character.
Since 1988, Way Of Life Shotokan Karate has been committed to teaching traditional karate and values for a modern world. Under the leadership of Norman Smith Sensei, Way Of Life Shotokan Karate instructs hundreds of students at our various locations from beginner to advanced levels of all ages that come from across the New York City metro area. Our unique way of combining martial arts training, etiquette and philosophy with the modern concepts of fitness, self-defense and competition is unparalleled. We ensure your training is vigorous, while maintaining a safe and fun learning environment that encourages students to reach their fullest potential.
Way Of Life Shotokan Karate Do martial arts school is now offically open at 501 East Boston Post Road, Mamaroneck NY, 10543 serving the local Westchester County communities of New Rochelle, Larchmont, Mamaroneck, Harrison, Rye, Port Chester, Mount Vernon, Scarsdale, White Plains and Yonkers as well as the Bronx and NYC metro area.
