In karate, the terms Gimu 義務, (duty or obligation) and Giri 義理 social obligation, are sometimes incorrectly used to describe the responsibilities or obligations of the dojo population. As much as we would like to proliferate Japanese traditions in the dojo, some are difficult to truly apply. I have heard karateka use Giri before when referring to actions in the dojo or association but this term can often refer to an obligation one does for another, but may not necessarily want to.

I think hokori 誇 is a more proper term as shown by a beginning adult student one evening. After finishing her training, she asked if she could come back in two hours later after yudansha keiko and do osogi 掃除 with the black belts. When I told her that it would be two hours before training ended, she smiled and even more enthusiastically asked again. This young lady came back in street clothes and still cleaned up and down the dojo floor, elbow to elbow with the yudansha and then cleaned the mirrors. 

Her gesture, enthusiasm and smile showed pride and altruism, something that is the foundation of great students. Remember that the dojo is not owned by the Sensei, it is yours. The PRIDE you show ensures a legacy for you and others to enjoy and grow.

In 2008, Joe Wilson Sensei and I were sitting with some of our Okinawan seniors in the Live House where Hanshi Gibu and the Butokukan members were giving our group a kankeigai (welcome party). Nakamura san, who is a sake-in (liquor distributor) came in to join us and brought a case of Okinawan Amamori with him. We were all having a fun discussion when someone asked him what rank he was. Nakamura san shook his head with a smile and said “wasurimashita” (I can’t remember) 

Suddenly, it began to be a topic of great debate and discussion amongst the seniors to what rank he was. Nakamura san had begun karate at the Butokukan in the 70’s and was one of Gibu Sensei’s first students. Finally, the seniors asked Gibu Sensei to join the discussion and he said “Nakamura san is a yondan(4th dan).” Cheers went around the table from those who had won the bet.

Nakamura san seemed only satisfied that the answer had been found and went back into other conversations with no more attention to the matter as if someone seen a bird land outside the window. 

On Okinawa, training is the only thing that matters. When someone goes to a gym in the United States, the only thing that concerns them is to be able to get stronger or more fit. When someone is able to bench press more than they did last month, they don’t get an award or recognition, they set goals to lift more next month and to stay strong. Karate on Okinawa is the same and should be the same in dojos around the world. Rank does not change you physically, it only changes the insecure. Those who only care about training don’t care about the next rank or what rank they are compared to others, they only care about being the best they can be.

“Skill is what counts. With skill, rank is irrelevant. Without skill, rank is meaningless”. – Charles Goodin Sensei

Interesting enough, karate and music lessons are extremely similar. Some students start both of these activities with varying abilities. Some are very natural from the start and some struggle. However, practice outside the music lesson/karate lesson is essential for improvement and proficiency. 

Like a music student must consistently demonstrate a strong knowledge of chords/notes, scales and the ability to play actual songs, a karate student must do the same with kata(forms), techniques, self-defense, sparring, weapons, flexibility/conditioning and terminology. 

If a music student comes to his/her next lesson without practicing what was needed for that session, the teacher cannot move forward and has to waste valuable time repeating what should have been practiced by the student. This compounds over time to the point where there is nothing left that the teacher can do for the student and the music lessons are a waste of time and money. It is the students’ responsibility to practice and be prepared to move forward with their lessons. 

The word “kyu” in English refers to what grade they are in based on their belt. (ex. Yellow belt =12th kyu) So in other words, white belt is kindergarten, yellow belt is 1st grade and the higher belts represent high school/college. Although students all advanced at different rates, if they are not regularly practicing their required material outside of class and not testing once they have reached their required hours more of training at the dojo, then more practice is needed on the part of the student. It is true that some students take longer than others to grasp material as everyone has a different learning style so this means the student will have to practice harder to reach their goals as well as ask the instructor for help.

In a society that seems to think that every child should play on a team, every child should get a trophy, we do not teach false life lessons. There are martial art schools that will gladly take your money and test you or your child whenever you look “close enough or if you have signed up for the best “program.” We encourage and expect our students to earn their goals and reach their potential through their own effort and that is traditional karate. 

In short, we have provided every possible written example, curriculum outline in the dojo and on our webpage(www.shoryukan.com ) to guarantee an upper hand by the student towards reaching their next belt and beyond.

It is my hope that all of our students make becoming a black belt their goal as it is the highest honor a karate student can make and then allows the student to truly begin to learn more and reach new heights and achievements. Like in boy scouts, not everyone makes it to Eagle Scout but the opportunities, instruction and information is there for everyone to, if they take advantage of it. It is the same for the dojo and the karate student.

I recently part of a huge email invitation to a seminar at dojo that was hosting a “master” at bunkai. While this individual is probably a very talented and likeable karateka, this is again an issue that leads susceptible karate students and instructors astray. 
While bunkai has it’s place, we have to remember that it’s applicability mostly lies in the arrangement between practitioners, not combatants. When someone leaves a punch locked out, grabs your wrist, attacks you with a knife (all when you give them the “ok” to start) then anybody can create all sorts of possibilities of physical responses since they are controlling the arrangement. In real life, your opponent controls the arrangement and although there are things that you can do to disrupt it, real life altercations are violent and unpredictable. 

Because of this, dedication to serious training (i.e. conditioning, mechanics, proper technique, etc) is the goal, not stage combat. There are many that use bunkai like a slight of hand magic trick to create the illusion of superiority over other instructors, but on Okinawa, the greatest karate teachers were created by hard training, not smoke and mirrors.