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miket
miket's picture
Instructors, what's your 'Dojo Kun'?

I got to thinking recently of all the time we spend as karateka haggling over what Funakoshi or Itosu might have meant by a single turn of phrase.  While there is undoubtedly wisdom to be had there, I got to thinking that it is just important, perhaps more important, to establish what we think OUR dojo kun is.  Here is a first draft at my own, I would appreciate other instructors posting there own:

  1. Honor the past, but do not be constrained by it.
  2. Master the fundamental basics before attempting to surpass them.  ‘Mastery’ itself is mastery of the basics.  Eagerness is human, be patient and disciplined about your practice.
  3. ‘Do’ lies beyond ‘jutsu’ and is revealed through ‘jutsu’.  Combative training builds character, but to do so, it must be combative, not a pantomiming of combat.
  4. Going back to Chinese roots, ‘kung fu’ is simply ‘hard work’— personal ability devoid of secrets; and developed without shortcuts.
  5. Train deliberately with a clear goal for improvement in every practice and drill.
  6. Surpass your own limitations with every iteration and every practice.
  7. Training must balance safety with realism, application with technical form.  ‘Technique’ itself is simply economy of both motion and physical effort.
  8. Practice does not make perfect.  Perfect practice makes perfect.  Application of perfected practice is another matter.
  9. You must learn to learn.  Make ten new mistakes instead of repeating the same one thoughtlessly.
  10. Growth is a progress of baby steps which are sometimes too small to see.  Keep training.
  11. Test everything to develop your own empirical understanding
  12. Eventually, training must become ‘self’ centered:  self- aware, self-sustaining, and self-directed
  13. A tree with solid roots doesn’t care from which direction the sun shines.  Take every quality opportunity that comes along to further your understanding.
  14. There are no superior systems, only superior individuals.
  15. Combative training is always context specific.  Know the fight you are training for.
Zach Zinn
Zach Zinn's picture

These are either from Terou Chinen, the Jundokan, not sure....this is what we use loosley

Be humble and polite

Train considering your physical strength

Practice earnestly with creativity

Be calm and swift

Take care of your health

Live a plain life

Do not be too proud or too modest

Continue your training with patience

One thought Mike, I really think what you have there is fantastic, but might it be more effective with the language pared down and simplfied a bit? I think of Dojo kun as mantra-like stuff, some of these are truly excellent but the verbosity might be a bit much for some people?

michael rosenbaum
michael rosenbaum's picture

Mike Mine would be:

Train hard, be kind to others, respect all styles and never consider yourself a master.

ky0han
ky0han's picture

Hi gents,

mine are not so detailed thus rather general.

o do respect other people o do cutivate your manners o do train your body and mind o do strive for knowledge o do follow these rules

Regards Holger

Th0mas
Th0mas's picture

Mine would be...

Stop sitting around reading the Kun and start the warm up please... smiley

Black Tiger
Black Tiger's picture

We have adopted this one

We will train our hearts and bodies for a firm and unshaking spirit. We will pursue the true meaning of the martial way so that in time our senses are alert. With true vigour we will seek to cultivate a spirit of self denial We will observe the rules of courtesy respect our superiors and refrain from violence. We will follow our religious principles and never forget the true virtue of humility We will look up towards wisdom and strength not seeking other desires All our lives through the discipline of karate we will seek to fulfil the true meaning of the Kyokushin way

miket
miket's picture

Thanks for the replies to date.  @ Zach, yes you're right of course, this isn't very 'mantra' lik,e and is obviously too long for that.  I had in mind more Funakoshi's '20 precepts' (or Itosu's 10) when I was writing it, and was approaching it from the perspective that it was almost an instructional 'core values' statement.  But, like most things I do it is too wordy and the criticism is valid. smiley

@Th0mas, yes, that's a "like". smiley

As a mantra, I liked some combination of Mike R.'s and Th0mas's... short, sweet and to the primary points.

Please keep them coming, it's interesting to me what poeple choose to focus on.

Zach Zinn
Zach Zinn's picture

Special request Miket, can you repost your updates as comfortable?

Alot of that is stuff I try to keep mind myself/instill in training partners as well, but I have never tried it in a 'saying' or kun form, I try to cover it in class by teaching context, purpose etc...but I think in that form it also can get over-wordy and many people's eyes still glaze over. If you come up with some short, succinct ways of saying some of that stuff it would be golden!

miket
miket's picture

Sure Zach, if I come up with a shorter version when I circle back to it, I'm happy to repost.

Edit PS:  headed on a two week vacation so It won't be any time soon.

miket
miket's picture

OK, Zach, as promised, here's a second crack.  Since I'm not approaching this as a mantra to be recited, more as a written 'articulation of philosophy', this is as short as they are likely to get; and I cheated by turning some into two lines, but your original criticism was valid.  smiley  Here's the digest.

  1. Honor the past, but do not be constrained by it.
  2. Master the fundamental basics before attempting to surpass them.
  3. ‘Do’ lies through ‘jutsu’.
  4. ‘Kung fu’ = ‘hard work’:  personal ability without secrets and without shortcuts.
  5. Train deliberately and with clear purpose.
  6. Make ten new mistakes instead of repeating the same one thoughtlessly.
  7. Surpass your own limitations with each iteration.
  8. Training must balance safety with realism, application with technical form.
  9. Simply, ‘technique’ = 'economy', of both mechanical motion and physical exertion.

10.  Practice does not make perfect. 'Perfect practice' makes perfect.

11. Progress is sometimes too small to see. Life happens. ...Keep training

12. Test everything to develop your own empirical understanding

14. Eventually, training must become ‘self’-centered: self- aware, self-sustaining, and self-directed

15. Take every quality opportunity that comes along to further your own understanding.

16. There are no superior systems, only superior individuals.

17.  Know the fight you are training for.

18.  Become a student of violence, anatomy, history, and especially, the human animal. 

19.  Beware liturgical pantomime.

 20...  Space Reserved for Future Use-- because you can't have "19 principles", even if that is a prime number, how is that going to look in an ancient manuscript that is haggled over in internet chatrooms for generations to come?!?  smiley  (Plus, if I publish a total of 21.5 elsewhere, even on the back of a No. 10 envelope, then future adherents of my art can rediscover the 'lost' secrtets)... sigh... only funnin.  smiley