There are qualities and attributes, which need to be part of the character of the wearer of the black belt, becoming more refined as progression through the Dan grade ranks is made. From Shu, repeated copying of basic techniques, one begins Ha, developing your own skills, adapting to suit your individuality, striving to get nearer to the elusive Ri, the mastery of the do.

It is hard to prioritise these qualities and attributes, as they all bear great importance in the complex make up of the character. The rank must be held responsibly and with maturity.

The first quality necessary is humility. On being awarded the black belt, my initial reaction was feeling the immense weight of responsibility, embarrassment and unworthiness. Understanding that this is just the first step to the way, that it is from now the learning begins, is vital. Humility means not boasting about your prowess, realising that there is always more to learn about yourself and the way, accepting your own difficulties, knowing that wearing the black belt is not a statement of worth but rather of marking the start of your journey to the way.

The second quality is dedication. Many students on being awarded the black belt cease training in the belief that they have reached their goal. In truth, from now the training and practice becomes relentless and continual. I cannot imagine a waking hour without some thought of practice, or a day go past without some training. Dedication is this, never giving up or becoming bored, constantly trying one’s best, repetitive practice. With dedication comes self discipline, not allowing emotional weakness to divert you from the path.

The third quality is strength of spirit or courage. Without this you will always fail. Through understanding your own weaknesses and dealing with them you find inner strength. It is not necessary to have physical strength to meet a challenge, it is strength of spirit, determination and courage that see you through. The hardest battles can often be with yourself to overcome personal difficulty and this is where you need to be strong in spirit and courageous not to give up but to push yourself to your limits.

The fourth quality is honesty. This is total honesty with yourself rather than total honesty to everyone, as it is often necessary to protect someone with mistruth (would you tell someone bleeding that they might die or that they will be alright?). Only by being honest with yourself and admitting your own failings will you learn to overcome them. Understanding that it is not weak to have difficulty, the only weakness is to pretend.

The fifth quality is equality. It is one of the hardest things not to judge another person on face value but to be open minded and accept that it is the differences between us that make us individuals. I do not mean equality in the sense that everyone is the same, but rather that differences are allowed and catered for, that everyone has the same human rights and there should be no prejudice against race, colour or religion. Perhaps this is the most important quality in society and definitely the most lacking. Along with equality comes compassion and understanding. These are qualities of humanity.

Another quality is respect, for everyone including perhaps most importantly for yourself. Respect is displayed in the etiquette in the dojo and courtesy in everyday life. ‘Manners maketh man’ being a useful motto, as is ‘politeness costs nothing’.

The next quality is loyalty. This is not just to yourself, but to your family, friends, colleagues and fellow man. Without loyalty you are alone, fighting for yourself rather than taking care of others. In training you must be loyal to your training partner, protecting their interests as well as your own.

A vital attribute must be control, of both yourself and of a situation. Without control, practice becomes considerably dangerous, especially when teaching or supervising children. You must have developed a degree of accuracy, focus, control of speed and an alert mind, eliminating risks in all areas of life as well as practice. It becomes tied into this control that the ego must be subdued and respect shown towards others.

One of the attributes needed is the ability to pass on knowledge to others, to teach competently the basics necessary for a student to progress towards their own black belt. In modern society one hopes never to need the samurai ethic of acceptance of death, but instead part of the purpose of practice becomes to pass on skills to the next generation of students, developing sound characters in others towards a better society. By teaching others, you can find out new things about yourself, as well as learning patience and practicing equality. It is therefore necessary to be able to perform the basic techniques with some degree of proficiency to be able to demonstrate to others, also to explain the finer points that make up techniques and consequences.

Another attribute needed is that of constant development, continually exploring kata searching for the purpose behind the movements and techniques, contemplating the reasons why the masters have passed these sequences down to us. It is necessary to be able to perform kata with a degree of proficiency for any further development to be possible. This development is also through all training and practice as it is at this stage that individuality can be shown as the student adapts techniques to suit their own strengths.

The development of Ki, Kime and Kokoro will be at its greatest at this stage. It is necessary to begin to understand the theory behind the do to proceed with learning and to control the tremendous Ki power available within oneself. Use of meditation and breathing to clear the mind and strengthen the spirit, Kokoro; to show total concentration and commitment, Kime focus and to feel Ki power, throughout practice.

Another attribute is understanding Maai, distance, Mittsu-no-sen, three methods of timing, this understanding being reflected in practice. Without distance and timing all techniques are of no use.

It is necessary to show how techniques learnt in basic kihon can be put into practice against an opponent in both the do and the jutsu. Being able to connect to reality and adapt to real scenarios shows the stage of Ha. Being alert to your surroundings, controlling distance and developing response speed is a constant part of training.

All karate techniques are ineffective unless on a specific target and it is at black belt level that these targets become refined. Rather than aiming for non specific areas chin, neck, throat, ribs, stomach, groin etc, the specific vital points become targets. The possible damage to the body and to life must be comprehended and control must be seen to be shown at all times. A serious attitude towards the safety of your partner must be taken when approaching attacks to these vital points and at no time must heavy blows be made to these targets. It is also important to learn the emergency aid required in case of accident in the dojo. A black belt must be responsible for the welfare of other students (and the public) especially during forms of kumite, randori or any practice with a partner.

Do

The way, the path to enlightenment, do as opposed to jutsu, the art implies a continual journey, seeking both physical and spiritual. The spiritual seems to often be lacking amongst modern martial practitioners, who appear to concentrate on physical strength rather than strength of mind and spirit. There is no need for huge muscles, the ability to perform extensive upper body strength exercises, when, although there is a necessity for flexibility, suppleness, fitness and refined musculature; relaxation, heaviness and speed are what makes the techniques effective, rather than huge biceps, triceps, deltoids, pectorals etc. In fact these enlarged muscles, restrict movement, burn up the body’s energy faster and soon tire. These students who place so much emphasis on physical strength seem to have missed the point, that the way is followed with heart, mind and spirit, kokoro, with life force, ki not by the ability to bench-press huge weights or run a marathon carrying a 40 kilo bergen. It is not to say that conditioning the body is not necessary, of course fitness is vital with a toned, supple physique.

My path involves self motivation, dedication and study. Through my own personal difficulties I have found inner strength and determination and I know my spirit is strong. I cannot imagine giving up the journey at any time, even though at some times I feel useless and weak, this self doubt is overcome by spirit. Aggression has been replaced with focus. Practice is continual and takes many forms, from physical training, mental practice, learning and developing.

One of the hardest questions to answer is that asking why do I practice martial arts? Unlike the practitioners of old, I do not have to enter into battle and be prepared to ‘do or die’, or do I? Part of the purpose for me is the internal struggle, to always do my best, no matter what kind of day it has been, to have good manners and respect for my fellow man, to tolerate and not discriminate, to show compassion and be confident. The repetitions of techniques and zanshin mind practice conditioning my reflexes, the physical exercises increasing my flexibility and endurance, together with alertness, intuition and confidence produce effective self defence, another part of my purpose. This again could be comparative to ‘battle’ in so much as perhaps having to fight (not necessarily physically) to survive in a violent situation. At this point commitment to ’do or die’ could well prove the deciding factor. Preparing the mind for instant decision of fight or flight, analysing a situation and accepting the consequences of action is part of practice.

On my path to the way, I feel it is necessary to look at other concepts, other martial arts and other opinions and review them, taking any ingredients that prove useful and adding them to my own practice of Budo. Having a closed mind restricts learning. I have found great benefit from the study of Karatedo for spirit, focus, control and effective striking techniques, Judo blending, balance, throws and holds, Jujutsu locks and chokes, Iaido concentration and commitment, Aikido body movement, Kendo timing, Tai Chi relaxation and breathing. Study not necessarily physical but also through reading and observing. The study of Chinese arts in its many forms, as the predecessor of karate must surely add to practice including that of ‘pushing hands‘ teaching timing, how to feel rather than look for the weakness in the opponent.

I find that aspects of practice reflect into my everyday life, for example how many people are bunched too close in a queue, unaware of their surroundings, not alert to possibilities of danger. Intolerance, aggression and bullying become painfully noticeable along with bravado often causing unnecessary conflict. Some of the modern social problems like ‘road rage’ reflect man’s inability to control himself and his lack of understanding of cause and consequence. Today it is not ‘cool’ to be a thinker, a reader, a studier but we are judged on our material possessions, our appearance, our social status. Perhaps part of the reasons that students of the arts begin and then leave after achieving their black belt is that so much emphasis in our society is placed on what you possess not what you are. For those of us who have a physical disability it is maybe easier not to see appearance as important as we have overcome looking different at an early stage. Our self worth is not what we see in a mirror, but what we see inside ourselves. Following the path needs character, spirit, mind and diligence.

Do can also be looked at from a spiritual perspective as the path to enlightenment. Zen teaches us to find balance within ourselves. The practice of mocuso is a form of buddhist meditation, controlling breathing, feeling the flow of ki around the body, mushin clearing the mind of unnecessary thoughts, finding inner peace. Zen buddhism teaches simplicity and harmony, surely two vital elements of the martial arts. Throughout history, the martial arts have had a strong spiritual connection and this ‘soul searching’ is part of the path to the way. .Zenshin, whole-mindedness gives us perception and is coupled with buji, sensitivity heightening awareness. Zanshin gives us constant alertness and kime no kokoro focusing our power with the mind.

There are several lucid descriptions of mind/spirit which are worth contemplating - ‘tsuki no kokoro‘, mind like the moon implying that as the moon shine equally on all thus by seeing the whole, one is aware of any weakness in the opponent and ’mizu no kokoro’, mind like water implying that the mind must be calm like the surface of still water reflecting all thus giving immediate perception and response.  

My path involves developing sensitivity to my surroundings. There must be a reason that many of the great budo masters were also composers of haiku (poetry), calligraphers and artists. Miyamoto Musashi, the master swordsman is immortalised in his own drawings, the names of the karate styles of Shotokan and Shotokai derive from the name used by Gichin Funakoshi in his haiku compositions (’shoto’ whispering pines conjures such a vivid image). The stillness of the pine-wooded samurai cemetery on Mount Koya in Japan, the freshness on Pen-Y-Fan, the warmth of the sun in Skaithos, the power of the Atlantic waves, all these experiences increasing my sensitivity and inspiring my spirit.

WRITTEN BY PAULA SCADGELL

Waza is spontaneous, like the dancing eagle in the sky, and be free.

Kokoro is fearless, like the whales of freedom in the garden of the sea, and be peaceful.

Ki is infinite fire like shining stars in the universe, and be harmonious.

Dr Tesshin Hamada, 1999