Thought for the Week (February 4th, 2002)

Set Aside Emotion

On the deck we are encouraged to train with spirit, without malice and with a
karate face without emotion. Kyoshi teaches us in the green book (Building
Warrior Spirit) "during the heat of the fight, even a fraction of a second
is too much time to waste on emotional thoughts" and that at the moment of
battle our opponent should be an object to us. We should not allow an
opponent's emotion to impact our reactions.

As with all other areas of our art form we must develop this skill through repetitive training so it is instinct when it is needed. Also as with all other aspects of our training this is a skill that can lead to better personal choices and a more enriched life.

"Karate is self-training in perfection, a means whereby a man may obtain that
expertise in which there is not the thickness of a hair between a man and his
deed. It is a training in efficiency. It is a training in self-reliance.
Its rewards are here and now, for it enables a person to meet any situation
with exactly the right expenditure of effort, neither too much nor too
little, and it gives him control of his otherwise wayward mind so that
neither physical danger from without nor rampant passion from within can
dislodge him."

Grand Master Shoshin Nagamine
The Essence of Okinawan Karate-Do

Domo Arigato -

Teresa Knight, Ni-Dan,

East Meets West Karate of Northern
Virginia