Niju Kun Part 1
by Dan Blackmore
10 Mar 2015
Father of Shotokan, Gichin Funakoshi wrote for his students a list of twenty principles to keep in mind while training karate. These are known as the Niju Kun; “Niju Kun” literally means “Twenty Instructions.” They were first published in 1938 in a book titled, “The Twenty Guiding Principles of Karate.” In the text, each principle is listed as “Hitotsu” or “first,” which signifies that no one principle is more important than the others. Karateka are meant to reflect upon the Niju Kun to discover what karate means to them.
This entry will be part one in a series of blogs about the Niju Kun. It would be too much to present all twenty at once, so I will break them up, in no particular order:
- Karate is not only dojo training.
- Don’t forget that Karate begins with a bow and ends with a bow.
- In Karate, never attack first.
- One who practices Karate must follow the way of justice.
I will discuss my interpretations for each principle. These are not the definitive interpretations, just some ideas to get some thoughts flowing. Everyone is encouraged to reflect on what the Niju Kun means to them as they train.
Karate is not only dojo training.
Several ideas come to mind when considering this principle. First, the lessons learned throughout your training are carried with you outside of the dojo. Yes, we all gain skill through training that may be applied in real life, but we may also gain some insight about ourselves that may be applied in a number of situations. We may gain confidence in ourselves and a healthy sense of pride in one’s abilities. We can increase our physical condition and flexibility, which can lead to better health. We build relationships in the dojo and build a sense of kinship. Such personal development, both in the body and mind, will always stay with us.
This principle can also mean that one’s development does not solely come from within the dojo. One must also be both introspective to discover what karate means for him/herself and extrospective to use resources outside of one’s own dojo to gain perspective. Of course everything starts in the dojo with the training, support, and guidance you receive from your sensei and fellow students, but as you grow, you gain more independence. Nowadays there are many resources available to feed curiosity and nurture that independence – books, articles, and editorials to read, training seminars to attend, many videos found online or distributed on DVD to watch, and sometimes other dojos to visit to observe, chat, and participate. These resources are especially helpful as you make the transition to Shodan, and beyond. They can supplement your dojo training and help you in your personal development.
Thirdly, the idea that karate is not just a belt/uniform that can be put on and removed; it should always be present in oneself both inside and outside the dojo. If karate were a switch, it should never be turned off. Not to say that one must be always on “high alert” as we go through life, edging on paranoia. Let’s say that karate is more like a dimmer switch where the intensity can be raised or lowered, but it should never be turned off. Be aware of yourself and your surroundings. Pay attention to the world around you as you walk/run/travel – try not to deafen yourself with headphones and too-loud music, and keep your eyes focused ahead and not preoccupied on a phone, for example. Be cautious of treacherous/slippery ground. Be alert when walking at night, and avoid secluded, closed-off areas. Also, watch out for others, whether to avoid suspicious individuals or to keep an eye out for friends, family, and passersby that might need a little vigilance. Being aware of yourself and staying alert and connected to the world around you, is the first step in self-defense.
Finally, looking at the bigger picture, a karate/martial arts dojo would not exist in your area without support from a larger network/community. A considerable amount of preparation and organization has gone into each dojo that exists, from the big to the small. The content, or “dojo training” taught in a dojo may be different than another – Shotokan, Aikido, Judo, Jujutsu, Kobujutsu, etc. – but each dojo must face similar logistics problems and investments of time and money to come to fruition. Thus, it is crucial for the leaders of the art to consider more than just the content. For the art to persist into the future, there must be a means or structure to train the next generation of instructors and organizers to take the reigns. If everyone focuses only on the dojo training without regard for educating the future dojo leaders in the organization and governing processes, everything would come to a halt when the current leaders stop. Without a mechanism for renewal, a dojo will eventually perish.
Don’t forget that Karate begins with a bow and ends with a bow.
To me this is a reminder of dojo etiquette, and that whether training or competing, the bow is a sign of respect and recognition that the dojo floor or tournament mat is a place where you give your complete focus and attention. While down the road the goal of training and competing is to simulate real aggression, there should be no hard feelings harboured among students, competitors, and sensei.
In the context of a class, the bow signifies mutual understanding that the student is here to be open and receptive to learning, and that the sensei will do his/her best to teach. In the context of a partner drill, or competitive fight, the mutual understanding is that each person will be fully focused and controlled while engaging in the exercise/bout. Generally for exercises, the attacker adjusts him/herself to the level of the defender by starting off slowly and the intensity/speed increases as progress is made. Deliberately punching/kicking off-target does not help you to better learn proper control, focus, and distance, and it does not allow your partner to learn how to properly defend. It all breaks-apart if you are at all hesitant about executing a technique. You will not gain confidence in your skills if you train without trust in yourself and your partner. The bow is a sign that everybody is participating equally for their own development as for the development of their peers. At the end of class, exercise, or fight, the bow signifies the return to reality, where there are no “enemies” – we can leave any drama behind and reflect on any lessons to be learned from the experience.
In Karate, never attack first.
Philosophically speaking, this is a lesson that the skills learned should only be used in self-defense; never as an instigator. To strike first is to become a bully. In the original “Shotokan” – the house of Gichin Funakoshi – only kata was trained. There are still some groups today, such as the Shoto-kai that maintain the philosophy that kumite has no place in karate. The main reason is because kumite is seen to encourage both competitors to chase and defeat the other, leading to aggression. Also, kumite is seen as artificial because the competition rules do not permit the use of any dangerous or lethal moves. While I can respect these positions, I believe that kumite and competition can be great tools for one’s development. Even though one is limited to a set of acceptable techniques in kumite, the same senses of distance, timing, synching-up with your opponent, and application of footwork are still required. It’s a safe arena for karateka to gain some live experience with many different people to further their skills in these areas. Additionally, the rules of competition can be made to assign an attacker and defender to more clearly distinguish that, in the end, karate is all about self-defense.
Tactically speaking, this principle reminds us that we are vulnerable during the transitional phase of our attacks. This is because we are entering into the range of our opponent, and we do not know how he/she will handle our advance. Meanwhile, we have shown our hand and committed ourselves to an action. By attacking first, we have given the advantage to our opponent; he/she can detect our path of travel, shift out of the way, and counter. If you move-in first you are less likely to land a strike and more likely to receive one (or two, or three, or more). Takano Sazaburo was a sword master from the 19th Century that said, “Don’t win after having struck, but strike having won.” In the context of sword fighting, random motions can lead to death. More often than not, the stakes are lower with karate than with live sword fighting but the lesson is clear: you either land a strike or you don’t, and a prepared opponent will most likely not be there when you chase with attack.
One who practices Karate must follow the way of justice.
This is not meant to say that you become a form of super hero after taking some karate training. No, to me this is a statement that while anyone of any age can train karate, karate must be reserved to individuals who are decent citizens that can control their tempers. No dojo of any credit will keep supporting the training of students who are violent troublemakers. Some dojo are non-profit and some are for-profit, but all have the right to refuse membership to individuals who act as thugs or criminals, in or outside the dojo. In the same breath, I believe in second chances, and individuals who have shown reform after having been expelled due to behaviour may be accepted back in the dojo – it depends on the situation.
For us good citizens, this instruction is a reminder that although we are gaining skills in something violent in nature, we must keep our heads. There may be situations where we might have to defend ourselves, or even feel that we could help someone in trouble. We must do all we can to prevent a situation from escalating to violence before having to resort to it. Avoidance, talking, or running are alternatives to fighting; use your better judgment, and always call the police when it is appropriate. If a fight cannot be avoided, then one must not be hesitant to defend him/herself. While defending yourself, always do what is necessary, but refrain from use of excessive force. Perhaps you’re facing a violent child – still a threat not to be taken lightly, but would any adult be looking to knock a child out with fists? Maybe there is no call to pummel an attacker’s body and face if they can be thrown or controlled to the ground. Once an attacker is subdued, that should be the end of the fight – seek an opening to escape and get out of there.
Here’s an anecdote from the book “Moving Zen” by C. W. Nicol that I think is relevant to this topic: Nicol recounts the three years he spent living in Japan and training karate full-time. He points out that at the beginning of his journey, he was quick to anger and less likely to turn away from the opportunity to fight, and has since mellowed himself and lost some of his foolish pride. After having earned his black belt, he came to realize that he can do more damage than he could before and that he must be more responsible in controlling his impulses. His method to steady himself when facing any rude, belligerent men was to imagine the full consequences of using his new skills to punch the guy out – the broken bones and blood, the calling of the ambulance and police, having to go to the police station to file a statement, to be in a holding cell overnight, having to go to court, spending time in prison, being away from loved ones, and losing their respect – and ask himself if it would all be worth it. The answer was always to seek another way to deal with the problem, of course, and never to pick a fight.
These four points are enough to think about for now. Be sure to reflect upon these, and the rest of the Niju Kun during your own training. Stay tuned for Part 2 at a later date.
