When you teach karate you do not have to talk.

You do not need to explain things or describe moves. You can just do the movement and the other person can copy it. Then you can move together for a while. When the time comes for the person to learn a refinement or an adjustment of the move then you can stop, slow down and repeat the move a few times, demonstrating the refinement. Then you can continue to move. You do not have to translate the move into words for the student, and ask them to turn the words back into movement. Let them see and copy you.

The words are just extra, most of the time.

On September 11, 2001 I was at the jail, waiting to enter the secure area. One of the people that worked there told me “The first tower is down.” It sounded like a problem. It sounded like one of the radio towers that police, fire and EMS use to respond to calls for service was not working. There had been a problem with the radios that week.

One of the things you can count on in jail is a TV being on. People were staring at it.

That night on the dojo schedule was a class for the advanced group. People had been on the phone all day, or watching the news. I opened the dojo not expecting to see anyone. But everyone showed up. I went to the front of the room, where I begin the class. No one said anything, they just waited. I took a ready posture which everyone there recognized, and they could see what I had in mind. Everyone took their ready position too.

We began to move. In silence. First in the sunset. Then in the moonlight. We moved in unison for the whole training period. Without a word. And without a word the class ended and everyone went home.

We speak to make a connection with other people. To share a feeling or an idea with them. There are times when our ideas and feelings do not need to be translated into language to be conveyed to other people.

There are times when silence is plenty.