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Posted Mar 7th 2007, 4:57pm
How karate became real
All I can remember from researching about karate during 2001 was that India's bhodhidharma (person's name) travelled to China to teach buddhism (on a particular shaolin temple grounds)which included martial arts, then the Chinese traded their knowledge to the Japanese. After that there were many kinds of kempo (Chinese martial arts) in Japan - but they were kept secret to most people in Japan. Eventually, Gichin Funakoshi was taught Shuri and Naha te(hand - or the region's kempo style) and combined these techniques and called this new style - karate.
Posted Oct 6th 2006, 3:58am
two excerpts from 'The Art of War' by Sun Tsu, translated by Thomas Cleary
"Plan for what is difficult while it is easy, do what is great while it is small. The most difficult things in the world must be done while they are still easy, the greatest things in the world must be done while they are still small. For this reason sages never do what is great, and this is why they can achieve that greatness."
"Deep knowledge is to be aware of disturbance before disturbance, to be aware of danger before danger, to be aware of destruction before destruction, to be aware of calamity before calamity. Strong action is training the body without being burdened by the body, exercising the mind without being used by the mind, working in the world without being affected by the world, carrying out tasks without being obstructed by tasks.
By deep knowledge of principle, one can change disturbance into order, change danger into safety, change destruction into survival, change calamity into fortune. By strong action on the Way, one can bring the body to realm of longevity, bring the mind to the sphere of mystery, bring the world to great peace, and bring tasks to great fulfillment."
'Shambhala Dragon Editions, THE ART OF WAR, Sun Tsu, translated by Thomas Cleary, 1988, TRANSLATOR'S INTRODUCTION, pg 2-3.'
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Posted Oct 1st 2006, 4:33pm
an excerpt from gichin's book - karate-do; my way of life
"I was a fool to challenge you" said the engraver, rising. "The result was obvious from the very beginning. I feel completely ashamed. There's just no comparison between my skill and yours."
"Not at all," replied Matsumura gently. "Your fighting spirit is excellent, and I suspect you have a great deal of skill. If we had actually fought, I might well have been defeated."
"You flatter me," said the engraver. "The fact is, I felt completely helpless when I looked at you. I was so frightened by your eyes that I lost whatever fighting spirit I had."
Matsumura's voice became soft. "Perhaps," he said. "But I know this: you were determined to win and I was just as determined to die if I lost. That was the difference between us."
"Listen," he went on. "When I came into your shop yesterday, I was very unhappy about being reprimanded by the head of the clan. When you challenge me, I was worried about that too, but once we decided on a match, all my worries suddenly vanished. I realised that I had been obsessed with relatively minor matters--with refinements of technique, with the skills of teaching, with flattering the head of the clan. I had been preoccupied with retaining my position."
"Today I'm a wiser man than I was yesterday. I'm a human being, and a human being is a vulnerable creature, who cannot possibly be perfect. After he dies, he returns to the elements--to earth, to water, to fire, to wind, to air. Matter is void. All is vanity. We are like blades of grass or trees of the forest, creations of the universe, of the spirit of the universe, and the spirit of the universe has neither life nor death. Vanity is the only obstacle to life."
With that, he fell silent. The engraver was silent too, pondering the invaluable lesson he had been taught. Whenever, in later years, he spoke about the incident to his friends, he never failed to describe his former opponent in the most glowing terms as a man of true greatness.
As for Matsumura, he was before long reappointed to his former position as personal instructor in karate to the head of the clan.
KARATE-DO;My Way of Life, Gichin Funakoshi, NO WEAPONS;An Important Lesson, Engraver vs. Master Matsumura, pg 21-29.
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