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Andrew Carr-Locke
Andrew Carr-Locke's picture
Dojo Kun (Shotokan)

Another post got me thinking this morning... What does the Dojo Kun mean to you?

These 5 areas were outlined by Gitchin Funakoshi as the way to go about training in the Dojo to develop proper karate and karate-ka. 

1. Seek Perfection of Character

2. Be Faithful

3. Endevour

4. Respect Others

5. Refrain From Violent Behaviour

This is the list as I know it, and as I was taught it. I thought it was just a thing to get the kids in class to call out, and learn some basic rules for the club. It wasn't until years later revisiting it that it began to have meaning for me, much like how Yoga became so much more than just stretching. 

Now as I googled the list another set or interpretation comees up as: 

Seek perfection of character Protect the way of the truth  Foster the spirit of effort  Respect the principles of etiquette and respect others Guard against impetuous courage and refrain from violent behavior. 

I'll use the first one when I reply to this, but use the one you know, or feel comfortable with. How would you define each topic, or what does each mean to you [in training]? Remember this was a guideline for inside the Dojo.  

ky0han
ky0han's picture

Hi Andrew,

I can highly recommend three podcasts from Rob Redmond a.k.a. 24 Fightingchickens that cover this topic.

http://www.24fightingchickens.com/2007/01/28/the-dojo-kun-1/ http://www.24fightingchickens.com/2007/02/03/the-dojo-kun-pt-2/ http://www.24fightingchickens.com/2007/02/27/the-dojo-kun-pt-3/

Andrew Carr-Locke wrote:
These 5 areas were outlined by Gitchin Funakoshi as the way to go about training in the Dojo to develop proper karate and karate-ka.

Mhh... Where did he do that? I think it is an "invention" from the JKA. I never saw anything like that in Funakoshis writings, except his six rules that Iain opened another thread for.

Rob Redmonds gives a good insight into japanese culture and what the japanese understand when they read the dojokun. He also gives a much better translation than your first one. The second one is very close to Redmonds translation. See here http://www.24fightingchickens.com/files/pdf/dojo-kun-translated.pdf

Hope that helps. :o)

Regards Holger

Gavin J Poffley
Gavin J Poffley's picture

Ah the much misinterpreted and mistranslated shotokan dojo kun.

As a professional in this field (obscure Japanese translation) I have particular issue with how the second precept is most often translated. In English we most often see "Protect the way of truth" or something similar but that is down to a fundamental misunderstanding of Japanese contextual semantics.

The verb "mamoru" used here is indeed most commonly used to mean protect or defend but when the subject is a kind of rule or tradition it actually takes on the meaning of to follow, maintain or adhere to. Why one would need to protect a personal way of life and moral code from others is beyond me and is a very awkward concept. 

The translation of "makoto no michi" as "the way of truth" is also far to literal for my liking and dosent really carry the nuances of a "correct", "honest",  "proper" and "noble" way of behaving that is tied in here.

Thus my preferred translation of the second shotokan dojo kun precept is "to always adhere to the righteous path" .

 

Whether people actually follow the spirit of these dojo kun in their training and personal lives is another issue entirely... 

Gary Chamberlain
Gary Chamberlain's picture

Gavin J Poffley wrote:
Whether people actually follow the spirit of these dojo kun in their training and personal lives is another issue entirely... 

Fair point well made.

Previous (admittedly cynical) post deleted

Gary