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Kotowaza, Japanese proverbs, may take the form of a short saying, idiomatic phrase, or four-character idiom like On Ko  Chi Shin 温故知新, “learn from the old to understand the new.”  These maxims express common truths or wisdom as guiding principles founded on concepts or shared experiences, i.e., “learning from those who have gone before.”...

Sincerity ~ noun 1- the quality of being free from pretense, deceit, or hypocrisy. Sincerity is a mix of genuineness and honesty. Being your true authentic self. If you do things with sincerity, people will trust you, students and colleagues will respect you. Along with patience and compassion, sincerity is one of those qualities...

What is motivation? Motivation is the force that compels you to stick with your goals and achieve them. It fuels the desire to get your black belt, run a marathon, excel at your job or school, and more. Without motivation, we would lack the desire for personal enrichment. Many of life’s blessings would simply...

There was a great drought in a province of China. For months there had not been a drop of rain and the situation became catastrophic, famine and starvation loomed large. The Catholics missionaries made processions, the Protestants missionaries made prayers, and the Chinese Buddhists burned joss-sticks and shot off guns to frighten away the...

It’s no big secret that in most sports athletes hit their peak somewhere between their mid twenties and early thirties. But if you step out of the combat-sport competitive environment, the martial arts practice can and will greatly benefit your physical, emotional and mental state right into your golden age. Physical activity gradually declines...

Like so much that is memorized, unquestioned and repeated, when asked what is a dojo, most students reflexively respond, it is the place (jo) of the way (do). Rather than accepting this standard and perhaps narrow definition, we should consider how the term dojo was described by great martial masters.   According to the...

All traditional martial art systems are bound to concepts of Giri 義理(obligation, duty, justice) and On 恩 (a debt of gratitude for kindness given). True loyalty is born of these concepts. Maybe our canine friends understand it best. From Yomiuri Shimbun, English Edition. Noted professor of agriculture science at Tokyo University, Eizaburo Ueno for some time wanted...

The electronic age is changing how we interact with one another. The golden rule and common courtesy are outdated notions. With the internet as a barometer of self-importance, self-worth has morphed into something almost unrecognizable. There was a time when it was unlikely the average person would speak condescendingly or hurl obscenities at fellow...

Martial maxims form the bedrock of budo philosophical concepts. Some popular proverbs include: Nana korobi ya oki (seven times fall, eight times rise) speaks to tenacity and indomitable spirit. Deru kui wa utareru (the stake that sticks up gets hammered down) refers to breaking with tradition, even in the face of criticism. While these teachings...

Mushin 無心, an essential element of martial expression, is defined as an empty or unfettered mind, liberated from thought, preconception or emotion. In a state of mushin, the eyes focus, breathing and heart-rate slow, and we shift into a calm, perfect alertness that facilitates reflexive reaction, i.e. in response to an attack. Beyond this level...