Karate Talk

Karate Philosophy

Adherents to the purely physical approach to Shotokan beware: This post will contain a great deal of fuzzy Eastern philosophy and spirituality!

I read something the other day that fascinated me, and got me to thinking. It hit at a particularly good time, when I was wrestling against going to training. I've been physically tired, I'm beaten up, I've got a swollen knee that is not getting any better. I've got people who are advancing their own agendas in the dojo to the detriment of the atmosphere I prefer, so it's not restful or refreshing but rather a bit combative. I am in a position right now where I "should" go to karate, which is the only reason I'm going some nights. This is not good. This is what leads to burnout, and I am very close to that right now. This is when I need something to remind me of why I do this in the first place, of why it is supposed to be fun.

That's when I saw the article about the origins of Gojushiho. As most Shotokan practitioners know, Gojushiho means "54 steps". Most of us also know that Gojoshiho Dai has 65 steps. Personally, I always assumed that once upon a time, it had 54 movements, and it's just been changed a lot over the years until the counts don't add up anymore.

At least one person who's probably in a position to know disagrees, and pointed out to one of his students that 54 is half of 108. Yes, you're thinking, I can do basic math, who cares? Well, it matters because 108 is extremely symbolic in Buddhist thinking, and because many of the Shotokan kata were developed or really worked on my Buddhists. I knew about the Buddhist connection to early Shotokan, I didn't know about 108.

I encourage people to read up on it for themselves, but the basic principle (as I learned by looking it up after the article piqued my interest) is that in Buddhism, there are 108 defilements, or weaknesses of the human character that we should try to overcome. I looked up the list, it's pretty impressive and I admit to many of them at various times. More than a few are cropping up in my current attitude toward the dojo, and I freely admit I need to overcome them.

How do Buddhists overcome these weaknesses? I don't presume to say. But I did learn that they symbolically include them in many things: The number of steps up to a temple, the number of times a bell is rung, the number of knots tied. As you walk up the steps to the temple, you are not only reminded of the 108 defilements, but you are symbolically overcoming them through the effort of climbing, until you can enter the temple clean. 36 and 54 are also symbolic, as they are precise dividers of 108.

There is a school of thought that says "54 steps" had nothing to do with the number of movements of the kata. Instead, it was like the steps to the temple. Each time you do the kata, you are working to perfect yourself, and symbolically (and literally) overcoming your weaknesses.

I went into the dojo that night with purely selfish motives. I trained only for me, and I tried to regard doing my kata, doing my combinations, as a way to overcome my own laziness and disgruntlement. I didn't succeed fully, but it did give me a new outlook at a time when I needed it, and it reminded me that I've always thought karate was to some extent a personal journey for self-improvement. I'm trying to hold onto that philosophy right now as I battle demons internal and external, to get me back to the place where karate is a joy in my life instead of a burden. It means too much, has meant too much, to lose sight of that.

Dojo Politics

Dojo issues, big and small, are distracting me from pure training these days. I must admit I'm resentful of the intrusions into my dojo time.

The acolyte of the AS, who I've mentioned earlier (okay, attacked earlier) for his behavior to me, has pushed it yet farther. He is, I might have mentioned, a Shodan. His treatment of me, a Nidan, is not appropriate, and very annoying. His behavior toward a 1st kyu and a Sandan go much further, and are of the nature that will create real problems if not nipped in the bud.

He was sparring a 1st kyu, and got tagged on the chin. It wasn't a true hit, it was a tag. Now, the acolyte is a pretty big guy, and he's not used to getting tagged. He's used to intimidating people by his size so they stay out of range. Let the record show that I tagged him a few months back, startling the hell out of him and pissing him off. His behavior to me dates from that time, I have realized upon reflection, so apparently I dented his manliness. However, he couldn't openly go after me, because Sensei doesn't allow the big guys to try to kill me. The other guys don't allow it either. Although I'm relatively strong and quick and hopefully relatively skilled, I'm no match pound for pound. I don't want to be treated like a princess, but I have no urge to get thumped on by an angry thug either, so these boundaries are fine by me.

The acolyte reacted the same way when the 1st kyu tagged him, but in this case, it was "man vs. man", and he didn't hold back. Quite the contrary. In fact, he chased the 1st kyu around the dojo, openly attempting to get in a retaliatory hit. A Sandan watching stopped the match, pulled the acolyte aside, and told him to back off. They started again, and again the acolyte openly went after the 1st kyu. Again the Sandan told him to back off. Again, the acolyte ignored him.

The acolyte, who is apparently enamored of shooting his mouth off to the wrong people, told someone he had ignored the Sandan on purpose because "he was being a wuss". The 1st kyu "deserved to get hit back and to be shown who was boss".

The Sandan approached me and my boyfriend (another Sandan) about the situation, and we assured him we had seen and heard plenty as well. We all agree that the situation must be stopped, and discussed how best to do it. If any one of us three feels that we are on the receiving end of inappropriate behavior, we will not retaliate, but we will demand pushups, and the other two will back us up. Sensei will too, I feel sure, especially if it is inappropriate contact, since that is his preferred method of enforcing his no-contact rule. We will not react by starting yet another pissing contest with this guy who is obviously spoiling for a fight. There is another Nidan who might back him up, but we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. That Nidan, like the acolyte, is operating under an older system of rules which no longer prevails in our dojo or indeed in our region.

I have settled for largely ignoring the acolyte these days. If I have to go up against him in drills, I remind him that I've got a sore knee and make sure everything is moderate speed and power. I have nothing to prove, I don't have to try to be tougher than he is, I'm not going to play that game. That game gets me hurt so I can't train, and perpetuates a stupid and inappropriate competitive atmosphere which is in direct opposition to what our Sensei wants in his dojo, and to what the majority of his students want.