This is achieved through the strict, ritual courtesy and etiquette that all students practice every moment in the dojo. How we wear our uniforms, how we move, how we speak to senior students, how we bow—these are carefully prescribed and followed by all, regardless of rank. In one sense, this refines our manners and makes us more civilized people. In a deeper sense, it serves to ingrain respect into our characters.
Love is another fundamental principle of Seido. It is the most overused and misused word in the English language. Love grows out of respect. In fact, the two go hand in hand. People are very apt to express a sentimental love for another, yet they will show that same person much disrespect. With true love, this cannot be.
We must love our parents, who are our first and most important teachers. Our love for them can grow out of a real respect and appreciation for the sacrifice and suffering they have endured for our comfort. We can then give love to our families in the same way that it was given to us.
Shakyamuni Buddha, the founder of Buddhism, spent his whole life trying to find the cause of human suffering. After doing zazen under the banyan tree in India, he was enlightened. After his experience, he felt compassion for the suffering of humanity. Compassion means a moving of the insides; we feel so much for someone’s pain and suffering that our insides hurt and are moved. Love, founded on a genuine compassion for others, is something that we should train ourselves to extend freely.
New York at twilight, with the Brooklyn Bridge and twin towers of the World Trade Center in the background.
Practicing kata at sunrise. Awosting Falls spillway, Upstate New York.
When we love freely, we can give and share everything. We need hold on to nothing. Our hands can be empty. Karate means “empty hand.”
The samurai loved rectitude, or right action. We should feel the same way. Morally and ethically, in all situations, we should train ourselves to love the just and honorable way of acting. Obedience is the final pillar in the foundation of Seido karate. In the basic sense, of course, it signifies being obedient to the rules and regulations of the dojo and of the organization. This is not out of some blind, military mind-set. Obedience goes with commitment. Students of Seido karate make a commitment to train as hard as they can to develop mind, body and spirit into harmony and balance.
Obedience means obeying one’s parents. Besides being an obligation in which I have a firm belief, it is a way of teaching humility and keeping the ego in check. No matter how old we are, we are still our parents’ children.
We should also be obedient to the laws of our community and society. A good karate-ka is always a good citizen. There can be no duality in this regard. The highest obedience is to the moral and spiritual principles of our conscience, to which our parents have contributed much. I hope that every student of Seido Karate will be able to develop these highest individual principles and better understand him or herself.
Seido karate is growing, both here in the United States and overseas. The future growth of the system will depend on the successful transmission of the Seido principles of respect, love, and obedience through my senior students, in turn, to their students. I have been fortunate in my own training to have had the opportunity to instruct others. Over the years, I have had many outstanding students, of which I am very proud. Many senior black belts have been extremely successful in major open tournaments throughout the world, winning in kata, kumite and breaking. However, each and every one of my students contributes to the Seido organization in his or her individual way. Without the strong support of all my students, throughout the world, Seido could not have grown and developed as it is today.
At Seido, I want to create a secure place for anyone of any age or physical ability to train and learn. This is true at any Seido dojo, no matter where it is located. At Seido, we all train as a family. Cooperation, not competition, is the key word. Those who have more should share with others, giving advice and encouragement. The real competition is with yourself. The only requirement is that you give your absolute best effort at all times.
Ethical and Moral Values of Karate
The ethical and moral foundation of karate-do comes from the samurai. All karate students are expected to make these principles and values part of their behavior, applying them to their conduct in and out of the dojo.
Gi (rectitude)
This means making the right decision in every situation and doing it without wavering. The right decision is the moral one, the just one, the honorable one.
Yu (heroism)
Obviously, this meant something different in feudal Japan than it will in ordinary life. There are many possibilities for heroism in everyday life. Heroism and bravery mean taking risks, perhaps to our position, our status, and our self-interest.
Jin (universal love, compassion)
Compassion means, literally, a moving of the insides as a result of feeling for someone’s pain or suffering. Karate stresses action, and we should always strive to find ways to express our compassion for our family, friends, neighbors and those less fortunate than ourselves.
Rei (courtesy)
Courtesy is a quality the modern world sorely lacks. It is perhaps more relevant now than in feudal times, since courtesy signals respect and compassion for others. It is something that karate students should constantly practice.
Makoto (truthfulness)
Seido means “sincere way.” In all dealings with others, karate students should develop a sincere, honest straightforwardness. This can do much to improve modern interpersonal relations.
Chugo (devotion, loyalty)
One of the cornerstones of Seido is obedience. It refers to this value in the samurai. A student should be absolutely loyal and devoted, first and always, to parents and family. These are one’s origins, roots, and foundation. Secondly, if a student decides to pursue the way of karate, he/she should always remember the importance of loyalty to the organization and to the teachers who guide the student along the path of growth and self-improvement.
Karate: Moving Zen
A famous Zen master, Taisen Deshimaru, has said, “Only two things matter, energy and action.” What does he mean? The practice of zazen, seated meditation, can free us from our small “selves” and from our small “minds” and help us to realize our original natures. In a tangible way, it does energize us, by helping to regulate the autonomic nervous system, by increasing our vital capacity and the efficiency of oxygen exchange, and by calming the mind. But, if we were to sit like monks and become concentrated and focused, what of it? If we withdraw from the frenetic chaos of life to the monastery, is this not delusion also? It is, if there is no action.
Zazen creates energy, or it helps us tap our innate wellspring of energy. Karate trains us in applying that energy to action. Karate is action and movement: slow and fast, soft and hard, small and large, solitary and with others. These are all the types of action that we experience in our daily lives. In karate, we practice them with the energy of Zen. When we walk, it is Zen. When we run and jump, it is Zen. Karate Zen links energy and action. This is what we are practicing over and over, day by day.
When we leave the dojo and
