People who are in the know, the knowin of martial arts and karate have all heard of Itosu Sensei’s ten precepts. I have read a few of them and I say a few because the translations differ. It wasn’t until I heard a vBlog by Iain Abernethy Sensei about his translation. His was unique because of two things:
1. He nor any other martial artist did the translation and
2. the person or persons who did translate it were far removed from any martial art or karate and were professionals recommended by another profession translation service who couldn’t translate the older version of the language.
It didn’t occur to me until Abernethy Sensei simply said, as I well understand, that martial artists performing translations even if they are really proficient and knowledgable in translating Japanese into English can and often do suffer from Martial Biases through confirmation biases. This seems pretty important to me and makes me wonder about my personal translation but I also know consciously that my translations are shifted to reflect the “possible” martial connections.
What follows will be somer “personal (not Abernethy’s or others but mine alone) comments” on Abernethy Sensei’s translated ten precepts. It is my attempt to connect, biased like, to my belief system on karate of Okinawa.
The article Abernethy Sensei wrote begins with, “What we refer to as "traditional" in the martial arts often isn't traditional at all.” This goes with my theory that what we have learned here is America is the Educational version. I believe that we have taught and passed down that version and only in the last decade or so has an effort been made to bring out the more “actual tradition” of karate.
It is interesting that Abernethy Sensei indicates how the original masters and practitioners of the “pure version” of Okinawan karate might not recognize our karate today as the same or similar to theirs. It just makes me think that all of us are guilty of natures human bias and dissonance. We WANT it to be “traditional” so we shift, change and morph our information and facts into what makes us feel good, gives us status and brings our dojo membership into a state of solidarity, etc.
Another fact that I started promoting a while back is that we shouldn’t be ensuring that what we are taught must NOT be changed for the honor of the creator or master of our style. As I have mentioned before this seems to stagnate and hinder the evolution and progression of a martial discipline. I like his idea that true tradition, as indicated by the inferences of the past masters and practitioners, is one of change because I truly believe that as we humans evolve and as revolutions like the industrial and internet all create new environments that differ from the past making it imperative that we evolve in all things to continue our survival.
He stated, “The true tradition has been one of constant change and it was only ever the core concepts that were supposed to remain constant.“ I see the core concepts as what I personally promote as the fundamental principles, the three cornerstones of karate of kihon, kata and kumite (not sparring but paired or multiple drills patterned etc.). These remain steady becuase like the principle of physiokinetic’s where we have traits like structure, balance and alignment literally don’t change, ever, because humans as to physiology are bi-pedaled standing engines of physicality.
Abernethy Sensei states in his article, link to follow, that to teach in the school systems, educational changes for young adulst was necessary, i.e., Itosu said, “teaching kata without their applications so that the children could gain the physical benefits of kata training without irresponsibly giving them knowledge of the violent and brutal methods the kata were created to record.”
I would theorize the idea that since Itosu Sensei created the educational version for the Okinawan school system that, as an expert karate-ka, realized that distinctions were necessary to both the educational version vs. the practical traditional system he studied and mastered. Abernethy states, “Itosu intend to foster two types of karate: the original combative karate and the new children's version.” It is thought, and I would agree, that when in training and practice the practitioners MUST distinguish between the various forms of karate and martial arts taught today especially from the majority to that part, the smallest part today, that is meant for self-protection.
In my view there are:
▪ Sport, Philosophical, Fitness, Health vs.
▪ Self-protection vs.
▪ Combative.
Sport, philosophical, fitness and health are all more esoteric version taught and practiced today, i.e., they embrace the more Zen-like, Buddhism-like and “The Way” that speaks to self-improvement, etc. Self-protection is that version that teaches the more traditional, as indicated in the article as Itosu’s Way of karate, for the discipline of self-protection adhering to the legal and social requirements of self-defense defense. This comes closer to the last which is combative, i.e., those systems taught strictly under the rules of engagement when military forces, as individual combatants, who are forced into a hand-to-hand combat with the enemy.
Because there are vast differences between each instance and their intent we as practitioners MUST distinguish in our training, practice and applications what is required for each one to “get-r-done.” Abernethy Sensei, in his articles and vBlogs, speaks eloquently to these distinguishing differences as to other self-protection professionals who teach through martial arts, etc.
It is also nice to see that one of my theories about the educational children’s version is the one taught to the early occupiers of Okinawa after the war, during the fifties. Most would argue otherwise but when the system I studied is scrutinized a bit more you can see some connections with the contracts made to teach the military stationed there and the hard times after the war where eating and surviving were prominent then I can see how the teacher in my system would find teaching the educational version of benefit. Simply because most assumed they could and would earn a black belt before leaving so a system and syllabus had to exist that would allow them to perceive progress and accomplishment with a goal of black belt in about a year, the typical tour of duty.
When I look back on what and how I was taught and trained by my Sensei I can see how many things were missing, as indicated about the educational version created by Itosu Sensei, that are now being brought back and reinstated into karate practices, somewhat. I say somewhat because today’s market for martial arts, commercialism if you will, seems to dictate to many a need to water things down, make them easy to test and classify and to promote on a set schedule the road to the coveted black belt, mostly.
Abernethy Sensei simply states and I believe wholeheartedly, what we were taught and what we passed down to today’s karate-ka, “was a "de-clawed" version of karate that was popularized.”
Note: Just an aside, this new version translated by non-martial arts translators, with no money on the bet, as disinterested parties doing a job makes it, for me, the best reference to traditional karate I have found to date. This clarifies things I have felt and thought to be true of our karate history and it provides a solid window, until something better comes along, to the traditional karate that gave birth to our modern versions.
Abernethy Sensei provides his insights of the importance of this document, i.e., “This letter gives us an insight into karate as it was coming out of the shadows and beginning its journey to becoming an art practiced by millions.” I am, as a karate-ka, proud to have finally come across this translation so that I can use confirmation bias to fact check my theories, ideas and beliefs, yea I said confirm-bias because we all are going to do it and for those who believe different they will confirm their version and say this is just another effort to debunk their beliefs. Hmmmm!
Now, as an exercise in study and learning for me, me alone, I will be reading each precept then commenting on my perception according to my current state of understanding through my studies, practices and applications to experiences. This is NOT Abernethy Sensei’s version, thoughts, ideas or beliefs, etc., but mine and mine alone from reading his commissioned version of the precepts.
I agree wholeheartedly that karate at its core had nothing to do with all the trappings added to it over the years such as supposed connections to Zen-buddhism or Confucianism, etc. I believe in order to achieve more mystic or mystical aspects to attract the uninitiated to their dojo to sign up, paying customers, the commercialized communities began adding in all this so that it had more substance and gave them more “points” to analyze, evaluate and test, all points of commercial income generation, for rank, status and other factors needed in modern karate.
Traditionally, with out fluff and bling added, it seems Itosu Sensei considered traditional karate as a means of self-protection. Since the times we such that people had to have some form of protection, seemingly without weapons per say, the only model left was the human body, i.e., hands, feet, knees, elbows, etc. I also believe that due to their commercial industry of trade and their strong connections to China that in those exchanges the Chinese Chuan Fa or Kung Fu or Chinese Boxing became apparent and of interest to the Okinawan’s. This led to one indigenous system of empty hand, or just hand, exposed to the boxing version then collated and morphed into the unique system later renamed to karate.
Even today’s modern karate with all its bling and fluff is taking a turn toward the more applicable and traditional form that Itosu Sensei felt was traditional, a karate bare-bones meant to protect and defend both the individual and their family from what was then traveling ruffians or brigands who preyed on others for their livelihood/incomes. Even today, in our modern times with plentiful weaponry of all kinds must resort to self-protection through the proverbial empty hands.
This is true because with modern progressive, or so we think or feel, societies the rules of protection have become complicated and even complex making the use of weaponry under strict boundaries very, very difficult leaving most subject to legal ramifications even when that protection is actually defense and defensible.
As to the second precept there is this part, taken from the precepts context for this comment, “The purpose of karate is to make the muscles and bones hard as rock and to use the hands and legs as spears.” This one has been taken out of context, in my view and perception, to validate the changes and efforts to enhance the product of proverbial McDojo promoting their self-defense or competitive beliefs and teaching models. It strikes to the machismo and status you see when karate-ka use the makiwara to build callouses that have become a badge of honor or symbol of a black belt.
Granted, the use and development of the body through karada-kitae and makiwara training along with many of the modern forms of fitness and body conditioning do make the body stronger, stable, conditioned, etc., in case one has to resort to physical means to defend and protect but alone it leaves a lot to individual perceptions and biased cognitions that may not be true to the discipline of karate and martial arts.
For self-protection we do want our bodies and “Minds” to achieve a toughness and both actual and metaphysical hardness, toughness and enduring qualities so when confronted by certain types of aggression and especially violence we are able to trigger appropriate conditioned responses and actions that will actually protect us and allow us to properly and appropriately defend ourselves and others.
Karate, emphasis of the traditional form indicated by Itosu Sensei, is something one cannot learn quickly even when self-protective methodologies can be learned quickly. It is one of those natural learning conditions of the human species toward conditioned responses to stimulus of a certain nature. Karate to become properly conditioned and understood takes time likened to music that has rhythms, cadences and sounds that make music, music. In all things human to truly learn and condition ourselves to replace or enhance natures natural survival conditioning over time and through certain types of conditions and conditioning.
Karate takes dedication, due diligence, a focus on intent and intentions and persistent ongoing repetitive creative training and practice to master or become expert or simply proficient.
Empty hands is the entry point to understanding karate for it is through the use and manipulation of our hands and feet that provide principled based multiple methodologies and appropriate force levels to achieve success in self-protection. In the fourth precept we can see how Itosu Sensei points toward certain physiokinetic principles such as, “stability, structure, balance, centeredness, alignment, breathing, etc., that are critical to proficient application of karate for self-protection. Itosu Sensei wrote, in part extracted from precept context, “drop your shoulders, open your lungs, muster your strength, grip the floor with your feet, and concentrate your energy into your lower abdomen” In order to do this one must learn, understand and condition the mind and body to achieve proficiency in applying physiokinetic principles (some refer to this incorrectly as body mechanics).
In the sixth precept Itosu Sensei makes reference to the practice of techniques that, in my mind, most think is technique-based techniques where one blocks this way to defend against this type of technique, etc. This, in my mind, is awesome as a novice, children’s educational way as created by Itosu Sensei, but a hindrance to practitioners who want and need self-protection. I lean toward adhering to what techniques teach us, i.e., basics later put in patterned practice called kata to the protection drills of creative and modified to fit persons and their body styles and shapes along with varying creative situations in self-protection. This goes way beyond a technique-based teaching model.
As I said, it is more a novice level introduction prerequisite necessary to condition the mind and body to certain traits and principles so that when one moves into the creative state or level the mind and body has conditioned memories to work with and modify into multiple principled based methodologies such as, “impacts, drives (pushes), pulls, twists, takedowns/throws and compression.” The goal for my mind is to remove static level technique to a more robust creative methodology that creates appropriate situational actions and responses necessary for the chaos of violence. The sixth is necessary for the novice to create a data-bank of memories to extract and draw from to create methodology-based creative and spontaneous technique(s) for self-protection.
One of the trappings and blings adhered to most karate self-defense training is the art of the “bunkai.” Yes, there is appropriate and reality-based bunkai in karate but most dojo teach non-realistic self-defense technique-based bunkai. Here again, from Itosu Sensei’s precepts we MUST distinguish the intent of what we practice to relate conditioned memories to appropriate actions.
Precept Seven is a direct, to my mind, validation of how one must train, practice and apply karate skills toward one way or the other distinctly, i.e., karate as a way to self-improvement and/or sport competition OR as a way to apply violence as a last resort to defend with self-defense. It seems clear and concise in that meaning for me, what do you feel it means is important.
Eight, for me, tells us to focus on our intent for practice and so so using visual-imagery but I would add for our modern times and understandings a reality-based adrenal stress-conditioned model of training and practice to get us closer than previously in modern practices to the actual environment that we may or might encounter if attacked. Using this as a guide then applying the dedication, intensity and “spirit (define this outside sport, etc.)” of character and personality that fosters a mind-state and mind-set conducive to self-protection against the worst, a predatory surprise violent attack. This will not make you “ready” but it will get you closer so you can take that step across the chasm of one environment of safety and security into the realm of aggression and aggressive violence. Remember, “distinctions are critical in this.”
The modern commercialized distinction of karate brings with it a type of embellishment of excess in expression such as the red faced, blood vessel pulsing and muscling muscular tension beyond healthy and normal that the uninitiated and untested think is karate but in truth speaks to the ninth precept in that they are internally exhausting energy best conserved for use in actual effective methods of power and force generation for self-protection. In short, as Itosu Sensei states, “be careful to control your training,” excess in training leads to excess in application of karate for defense thus leads to rapid loss of energy and therefore endurance along with adequate power and force to stop damage.
Precept ten for me is simply understanding that training and practice at appropriate levels of energy consumption and intensity will lead to health, fitness and mindful practice leading to longevity. Longevity without our health, fitness and mindful well-being means our bodies and minds will deteriorates and die long before their time. Karate combats this as it combats violence for protection, security and safety. In short, precept ten speaks eloquently for itself in regard to benefits of karate practice for what ever intent as long as done properly.
In closing, these are my thoughts as they are in this moment of writing them down, circa Wednesday June 27th in the year 2018 at the hour of 09:42 hrs. As with the traditions of karate as we study, learn and increase understanding this may change, hopefully for the better, and this set of precepts is best as meant, to be a guide for the practitioner. One other precept that I make my own is to understand that regardless of one persons understanding and meaning each of us has to rely on ourselves in any interpretation so that we can make karate and our precepts our own, unique to each practitioner toward growth, evolution of understanding and evolution/change of application(s).
You can read or listen to Abernethy Sensei thoughts and beliefs of Itosu Sensei ten precepts at the following links:
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