The Journey, not the Destination

I’ve had lots of people ask me why we bow in martial arts.  What I never knew until now was that the commanding word in Japanese that a sensei uses to instruct his students to bow – “rei” – is also the word for respect, the “why” we bow. Dictionary.com states that respect as a noun means “ esteem for or a sense of the worth or excellence of a person, a personal quality or ability, or something considered as a manifestation of a personal quality or ability” or “deference to a right, privilege, privileged position, or someone or something considered to have certain rights or privileges; proper acceptance or courtesy”.  As a verb, respect means “to hold in esteem or honor ”, or “to show regard or consideration for”, or “to refrain from intruding upon or interfering with”.  The kanji character is also translated as “thanking; gratitude”.  This is what we learn bowing is all about – thanking our sensei for teaching, our fellow karate-ka for working out with us, whoever pays

Whoa!  Benevolence is not a word we see on a day-to-day basis!  It brings up images of religious saints, philanthropists, and Boy Scouts helping someone cross the street.  It seems to be reserved for those special people that do not get caught up in the rat race of trying to keep up with the Jones’.  The World English Dictionary defines benevolence as “inclination or tendency to help or do good to others”.  It stems from Latin – meaning disposition to do good.  Similar words are altruism, amity, compassion, generosity, kindness, charity, mercy.  Benevolence is one of the five tenets of Confucius , perhaps the most fundamental.  It has also been translated as selflessness, good will toward humanity, and brotherly love.  The kanji itself is described as a man and the number two – implying the unity of two human beings.     Mencius , a follower of Confucius, sums it up, as “a benevolent man is ever mindful of those who are suffering and in distress”.  Nitobe theori

Bushido Virtue #2 : Yu or Courage The word courage is seen in the media frequently.  Often, stories regarding our troops and their families describe their courage in the midst of turmoil.  Sometimes we focus on a once in a lifetime story of courage such as the “Miracle on the Hudson” when Capt. Sullenberger successfully ditched his airplane in the Hudson River and saved 155 lives.  Most of us will never be faced with such situations where others are seemingly endowed with supernatural courage.  So what *is* courage anyway? Courage is defined in the Random House dictionary as “the quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficulty, danger, pain, etc. without fear; bravery”.  The word comes from Old English, Old French, and Latin – all referring to the heart.  Other words we use similar to courage include:  fearlessness, valor, pluck, spirit, valiance.  One of my favorite definitions is “courage is fear that has said its prayers and keeps going”. Kanji

Let’s face it.  Rectitude is not a word used much in 21 st century America.  So what does it mean? According to the Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary , rectitude is a word that originated from the Latin word rectus, meaning straight, or right.  From here, the definitions given include: moral integrity, righteousness, being correct in judgment or procedure, justice. Inazo Nitobe said in “ Bushido , the Soul of Japan ” that ‘Nothing is more loathsome to him [the samaurai] than underhanded dealings and crooked undertakings.’  He also refers to the analogy of the human body.  He likened rectitude to the human skeleton, for without the skeleton the body has no shape, and likewise, without rectitude, one’s life has no framework within which to live.  Essentially, Gi represents that which keeps one on “the path”, knowing right from wrong – and choosing the right.  It’s like a hiking compass that always points to true north no matter which way you turn while holding it.

If you’ve been around the martial arts for any length of time, you’ve probably heard the word “ bushido ” at some point. But what does it mean? Bushido is a Japanese word that translates to “way of the warrior”. Bushido represents a Japanese code of conduct and way of life – similar to European chivalry. It was developed by the samurai between the 11th and 14th centuries and was born of philosophy and hundreds of years of military training. Many people in modern countries and Japan still strive toward making the values of bushido a part of their everyday lives today. The core of bushido revolves around seven virtues. I will list them, then I will explore each one in detail. The Japanese word is given first, then its translation, then a small description: Gi Rectitude (moral integrity, justice, righteousness) Yū Courage (mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, withstand danger, fear, difficulty)   Jin Benevolence (to do good, act of kindnes