Framing a Japanese Language Learning Project

As many of you reading this blog know, the International Chito-Ryu Karate-do Federation (ICKF) will hold its Tri-annual World Championships "Soke Cup" this year in Kumamoto, Japan. The championships will take place on August 12th and 13th at the Kumamoto Prefectural Gymnasium (Pictured below).

(2010 Chito-Ryu Karate-do Soke Cup, Kumamoto, Japan)

I have been very fortunate to have competed in this tournament representing both Canada and Japan and it has been an honour to compete alongside of my good friends and fellow karate-ka each and every time. This event was originally scheduled to take place in Kumamoto last summer. However, it had to be postponed due to the devastating earthquake that hit Kumamoto hard in the Spring of that year (see "Reflection on My Changing Perspective" for more information on the earthquake, there are also Internet sites provided on the page which offer detailed information).

Although I qualified for the Japanese National Team by winning the Grand-championship award at the ICKF All Japan National Championships (see "Focusing on the Goals not the Results Changes Everything!") and was looking forward to competing one last time for Japan last year, I have since decided to retire from competition. I will focus my time and energy to helping strengthen the relationships of the international membership.

I have been appointed to the position of Chief Liaison of the Public Relations Division of the All Japan Chito-Kai and as such am a member of the organising committee for this year's Soke Cup. I have been charged with the responsibility to coordinate a staff of translators for the event and am excited about the opportunity to help members of the Chito-Ryu community communicate more effectively with each other to develop and strengthen friendships with one another. This responsibility has caused me to consider ways to facilitate better communication and in this respect I would like to use this blog to help people who may be thinking about preparing for their trip to Kumamoto by learning some Japanese.

Over the next few posts I will provide you with some helpful Japanese language learning materials. In each post I will share with you something beneficial that I have found useful in my own language studies, but I  recommend that you perform your own online searches as well. From personal experience I suggest focusing on learning applicable phases and practising the correct pronunciation of the phrases you are learning. With regards to vocabulary building I recommend focusing on verbs.

When learning any language there are some simple steps that one can take to increase success and sustain motivation. There is an abundance of information online that can help you frame your learning approach, but the bottom line is that as a language learner you must do the work. Therefore, motivation plays an essential role in the success of your studies. I believe that we can maintain our levels of motivation by knowing the purpose of the endeavour. Understanding the purpose also helps us form more effective goals.

(Japan image from mrwallpaper.com)

In this post I will introduce you to the following information on how to learn a language in 7 days written by Ed M. Wood and presented by multilingual twins,  Matthew and Michael Youlden. Unfortunately the support site, Babbel does not offer study guides for Japanese so I will try to relate the tricks to our goal of using them to learn Japanese as the study tips may help to frame your study approach. Visit the site in the link below to view the video or read the 7 tricks in more detail:

https://www.babbel.com/en/magazine/learn-any-language-in-your-hometown

7 Tricks To Learn Any Language In 7 Days (From The Superpolyglot Twins Who Did It)

Trick 1 - Get to know why - The tip here is to clearly define your goal(s) at the very beginning and then plot a route towards the achievement of your goal(s). In this case, your time line would start today and lead to your trip in August. As you continue your studies and practise of the language you should develop proficiency and confidence which will peak during your time in Japan, very similar to your physical and mental preparation for the competition.

Trick 2 - Get Sticky - They recommend mapping and labelling your immediate environment in the new language as the very first physical step to learning. This builds and reinforces passive associations without drastically altering your daily routines. The visual stimulus will help you familiarise yourself with the vocabulary however, since Japanese is a 漢字 kanji (character) based language there is a debate regarding whether it is better to label in romanji (alphabet) or kanji. Either way I recommend that if your goal is to develop communicative competence you should worry less about spelling and more about phonetic pronunciation even when labelling.

Trick 3 - Get a Partner - "There are few better motivations than a peer with the same goal." I totally agree with this statement. Whether you are training for competition, studying for a test, or learning a language, the importance of a training partner is massive! With a partner it doesn't matter what your motivational trigger is, i.e., competition or a sense of responsibility, the mere presence of a training partner will add the type and amount of intrinsic pressure needed to 'force' yourself to do the work even on those days when you are tired or don't really feel like it (sound familiar? I'm sure you have experienced those days when you didn't really feel like going into the Dojo to train, but you got that phone call from your training partner who persuaded you to go and that night becomes the best training session of the week. Thank you Fabian Massol for those times you called me!).

Trick 4 - Prepare Mini Motivations - It is now March, 5 Months out, you need to create "landmarks" on your route towards your over all goal. The article suggests that these "landmarks can consist of small challenges" such as real like interactions in the target language which force you to prepare areas of vocabulary to overcome them. They state that "gratification will come with the completion [and] will serve to spur you onto even greater heights."

Trick 5 - Eat the Language - They suggest finding ways to tie everything you are learning together. You could surround yourself with the food, music, movies, etc. "so that even in your down time you can prime your mind towards the language and... trigger further areas of interest and motivation." In hind sight, this is exactly what I did when I was a high school student. My room was filled with anything and everything Japanese. Looking back, my interest in Japan at that time was obviously an obsession, but I do think it all contributed to my Japanese communicative competence. (A more detailed example of how to use this trick is provided below)

Trick 6 - Use What You Already Know - Don't wait for perfect mastery and try not to think of the subject matter; Japanese Language and Culture as something totally foreign. "Find pleasure in drawing parallels and making comparisons between the language(s) you already know and your new language." This would be easier for someone who is already bilingual or multi-lingual, but Japanese is still tricky because of all of the perceived cultural differences. Try not to focus on the differences, rather look a little harder for the similarities. Being Karate-ka there is already a lot that you know about Japan. Focus on building upon this base and deepening your understanding of the Karate-do related concepts.

Trick 7 - Variation is the Spice of Life - These tips can help you to frame your study plan, but remember to try new things as well. Your new language could open doors to finding out new things about yourself. A new language, a new culture can be an opportunity to develop a new you.

I have spent almost half of my life in Japan and I know that my experiences here have and continue to affect me deeply. There are somethings that I can only use Japanese to express my true intent. These experiences have made me think that if this is the case than communicating true intent is more important than the language we are bound to.

We need to free ourselves from the bounds of language and develop our communicative skills so that language becomes what it truly is; a tool that we use to express our intentions to others in an attempt to create a condition of shared understanding. So, use what you have learned together with your training partner(s) and beyond. Example of Trick 5: 

Go to the Asian market on Saturday morning and use the Japanese phrases you've learned to buy some produce to make a Japanese dish that you will prepare, maybe okonomiyaki or sushi, or something not as common that you have recently come across in your studies, with friends or other memebers from your dojo, who you will invite over to watch a Japanese movie and drink Japanese Beer or Sake or some kind of Japanese juice or tea if you are under age or don't drink alcohol. The movie can be old or new, I recommend all "Kurasawa films" and the original "Ring,” but I am sure that you could find more modern productions online, in the genera of your personal interest. In this case, karate related videos may be preferred. The point is use what you've learned in an everyday context to submerse yourself in the language and the culture and celebrate what you have learned by using it to do these things as naturally as you can. The people around you will recognise your enthusiasm and react positively to your passionate approach to learning the language!

Access is becoming less and less of a problem, but you still need to do the work. 頑張りましょう！

(Fuji San and Sakura image from 999photos.com)

In the next post I will introduce some tips on how to approach the dreaded and confusing Japanese sentence structure. until then try applying the tricks mentioned in this post and build up your vocabulary and motivation to take the next step and bring your language learning to the next level!

初心 Sho Shin; Having a Learner's Mind Means Having an Open Mind

In the last post ("A Change in Perspective Can Reveal to Us Our True Teachers") I talked about how changing our perspective can have a positive impact on our training and our lives and how this change in perspective can help us see the lessons all around us. In this post I would like to share with you a quote by the late Dr. Wayne Dyer. A quote that has helped me to change my perspective and thus has already positively impacted my life this year. As the title of this post suggests this quote has to to with having an "open mind" I am relating this to the "beginner's mind" and how being in such a state can have positive impacts on how we approach such things as goal setting and the pursuit of set goals. The quote is as follows:

Have a mind that is open to everything and attached to nothing.

Like many things that Dyer wrote in his many books and said during his many public speaking appearances, many of which you can view on youtube.com, this quote is simple, easy to remember, but very profound and applicable in a wide range of areas with regards to training and in life.

In this post I would like to share with you my interpretation as I deconstruct this quote and give you some examples of how applying this quote in my life has enriched my experiences this year. Applying this quote has also allowed me to let go of things that, in the past would have caused me a great deal of stress. One may even say that this quote is somewhat serendipitous in nature. Let me explain why.

We are all familiar with the concept of having an "open mind." But, open to everything? Being open to Everything seems like a pretty difficult state to be in all of the time. I consider this quote to be reflecting the Asian philosophies, and concepts of the importance of having 初心 Sho shin, a 'beginner's mind' which is rooted in Zen Buddhism. I have discussed such concepts in previous posts (See "Emptying your Cup and Filling it with Greatness" and "The Trinity of Proficiency in Karate Do: Technical, Cultural and Linguistic Ability").

(初心 Sho Shin Calligraphy by Author, 2017)

This idea of having an open mind is often likened to being modest and humble, while 'soaking in information' in a learning setting. I do believe that there is a humility needed in order to maintain an open mind in the sense that we must be aware that we do not know everything on any given subject and closing oneself to hearing other points of view is limiting. But, this humility in no way makes me feel subservient to any one who I am engaging with. I believe that every experience, every conversation, and especially every opportunity to reflect is an opportunity for growth. In our Karate-do training we often become very focused on the goals we set. In our focused state we often become very invested in our approach to achieving the goal. Sometimes we may even feel a sense of desperation in our pursuit of that goal, especially when we think that we are close to achieving it. This, that is to say that we want to reach the goal as fast as possible. I have come to realise that this desperation may actually be deterring us from achieving our goals.  In my personal experience as a school teacher, karate-do instructor, and a father of two this phenomena of becoming invested in the approach; the things we do to achieve the outcome, doesn't seem to occur in small children. They seem happy just experiencing the journey and are sometimes even upset by coming to the end of it. In this case, I am using the example of a small child to represent the pure sense of an 'open mind'.


I am not saying that we should not be invested in the pursuit of our personal goals, but I do wish to strongly suggest that the try to enjoy the process a little more and not try to rush it. The process of self-review and self-assessment are very important in this pursuit. We have to be constantly assessing and re-assessing what we are doing to make sure that we are moving in the right direction, doing the appropriate things that will continue to lead to successful outcomes and always remain open to trying new things; different approaches along the way. Children exemplify this mental flexibility in play. (Golstein, 2012) discusses this in Play in Children's Development, Health and Well-Being where he states, "... play during early childhood is necessary if humans are to reach their full potential" (p.3).

This brings us to the second part of the Dyer quote; developing mental flexibility to be able to detach from our preconceived outcomes. Just as improved physical flexibility allows joints to move more freely and with increased range of motion. Moreover, it has been proven that improved physical flexibility prevents injury to muscles and joints. Similarly, mental flexibility increases our potential for growth by moving more smoothly through our experiences and may even prevent injury. Let us consider in what areas improved mental flexibility will impact our lives?

One way, that I have found, to increase my mental flexibility has been to simply let go of what I expect to happen and live in the moment of the experience. Whether I am practising in the Dojo lifting weights in the gym, or cross training, I am always in the moment, but I also make it a point to reflect after every session and look for ways to improve. In this respect, I am not attached to any one exercise or approach to training more than any other. As a student I try to remain open to whatever is being taught and try not to form my personal opinion on the subject prematurely. But, the area in my life where I have really felt a positive impact after applying the principal of this quote has been in my relationships. I have found that I am the most stressed when I am trying to control the situation to the point of forcing it. In situations like this I can now feel myself becoming rigid, in my body and in my thinking. Have you ever felt this way? I am not suggesting that we totally give up taking control of all situations especially not when the flow of leadership comes to us naturally or when we are protecting the lives of others, but in these cases such control never seems forced, quite the opposite, it seems to flow even more smoothly. I am talking about having the capacity to assess when it is time to let go. When we develop this level of inner reflection and self-control, in my experience, the successes are still achieved, but with much less stress. It is in this way that someone with this capacity just seems to be in the 'Right Place' at the 'Right Time'; serendipity.


It is a difficult concept to grasp; achievement through letting go. In his best-selling book Man's Search for Meaning, Viktor Frankl wrote about the pursuit of happiness and success, he very eloquently wrote:
Don't aim at success - the more you aim at it and make it a target, the more you are going to miss it. For success, like happiness, cannot be pursued; it must ensue, and it only does so as the unintended side-effect of one's dedication to a cause greater than oneself or as the by-product of one's surrender to a person other than oneself. Happiness must happen, and the same holds for success: you have to let it happen by not caring about it. I want you to listen to what your conscience commands you to do and go on to carry it out to the best of your knowledge. Then you will live to see that in the long run - in the long run, I say! - success will follow you precisely because you had forgotten to think of it.


I will leave you with this. I really feel that I have a lot to think about and my changing perspective regarding my current life goals has brought with it many questions to consider. All I can do is search within and around me for answers and, as Frankl suggests, "listen to my conscience" and carry on.

A Change in Perspective Can Reveal to Us Our True Teachers

I know that for most of you reading this blog, karate-do is more than just a hobby. I know that it has and continues to teach you many things that reach far beyond the walls of your Dojo into every aspect of your life thus changing your perspective of the world around you. I know that you are a different person now than you were before you started practising karate-do. I know this because I most definitely am. I can say with certainty that I would not be where I am today if I had never began practising Karate-do. I can also take this statement one step further and state that I would not be who I am today if I had never began practising karate-do. I believe that this change is a direct result of the shift in my perspective that the various experiences I have had caused within me. A great deal, if not all of my life changing experiences have been a result of my relationship with karate-do.

Perspective
When our perspectives change they sometimes allow us to to learn very important life lessons from common things in our everyday lives. Things all around us and even our mundane experiences become our teachers. In this post I would like to discuss one such example of this phenomena looking at a hidden message within Chinese and Japanese characters; Kanji. In this post I will share with you one example from separate kanji and ask that you consider how this hidden message may influence and enhance your training.

The picture above is a very famous perspective test often used to illustrate how we can go back and forth in our minds regarding what we see and perceive to be true.

An Important Aim of Karate-do
One of the core aims of karate-do is the enhancement of the quality of the lives of its practitioners. We strive to strengthen our bodies and minds in an attempt to improve ourselves ideally leading to happiness and contentment. There are as many different definitions of the term 'success' as there are people who have ever contemplated its meaning. I am not trying to define success here in this post or even in this blog. I believe that all of the various definitions presented to describe the process to attainment of success and the state of being successful are important and valid because we each are striving for our own form of success.


In our training we learn the important lesson of もう一同 Mou ichi dou, One more time. Of 諦めない Akiramenai, to Never give up. This is quite possibly one of the most profound lessons in this and other martial arts because it is this drive that we develop within ourselves that pushes us to do one more push-up, to take one more step, to try one more thing, one more time, that in the end leads us to our goal. This message is exemplified when we compare the following kanji:
Most people Stop; 止まる Tomaru just before they get it Right;  正しい Tadashii.


Sometimes it only takes One more step あと一歩 Ato ippo. One more try あと一歩 Ato ippo.
When you think about it, the process of karate-do training is really a long and studious one of building upon all that we have already done in order to be prepared to take that one more, most important step; あと一歩 Ato ippo.
Please take another look at the two kanji written above, if you haven't already noticed, 正 and 止 are very similar. The only difference is one very important stroke of the brush; Just One Line changes the meaning from "Right; correct; proper, or perfect" to "Stop; halt; to stay in one place."
Sometimes it only takes One Thing to make All the Difference!

(Change Same Signpost from bing.com image search)

Let's look at another couple of kanji and compare them in the same way to see if this isn't just a fluke. This time I will take two kanji that are juxtaposed in their meaning: 辛い Tsurai which means painful and is often used to describe suffering. But, with just one more stroke of the brush 辛い becomes 幸せ Shiawase which means "Happiness; good fortune; luck; and blessing." By simply taking one more step あと一歩 Ato ippo, and writing one more line in our life's story, we can change our suffering into a blessing. I believe that this is one of the major lessons that kartate-do is trying to teach us through its process. A process known as 達成感 Tasseikan; the process of achieving fulfillment.


I look forward to 2017 being a productive year for us and that our unique perspectives will help us to see the important lessons all around us more clearly, allowing us to grow in leaps and bounds as we actively participate in our own personal development throughout the year.

Looking More Deeply Can Help Us to Let Go

年末 Nenmatsu, the end of the Year, is a very busy time in Japan and stressful, too. But, the stress that people are feeling usually has little to do with Christmas shopping or other Christmas related stress that you may be familiar with at this time of the year. In fact, if Christmas doesn't fall on a weekend it is business as usual in Japan. The following photos are of a white board in one of the classrooms of the senior high school where I teach in Kumamoto City, Japan. Written on the board is the schedule for December. Do you notice anything, or rather the lack of anything?

(Photos taken by the Author, shows 課外 Kagai, Extra curricular lessons run from the 21st to the 28th with a 休み Yasumi, one day Break on the 25th. No mention of Christmas other than the fact that it is written in Green and Red)


People here are too busy, it seems, to celebrate Christmas the way a North American would expect. Busy with what you ask? Well, the list is long and it depends on where you are in life. If you are a student, the end of the year is time for exams; either 2nd semester mid-terms (because the academic year begins in March and ends in February), or preparing for the dreaded university entrance exams known as the センター試験 Senta (Centre) Shiken. If you are working, 社会人 Shakai jin, it is income tax time! There are also many year end meetings. The list goes on, but I will save you the burden of having to read through it. I just want to stress that, 'Fun, fun, Happy Holidays', doesn't really come to mind when reading through a list of responsibilities of Japanese people at this time of year. There is also a kind of 'mad dash' to get everything done in time for the New Year, 新年 Shin nen so that a relaxing, お正月O Shou gatsu, may be spent. I have talked about my O Shou gatsu experiences in previous posts. I have been saddened by this disattachment from the Christmas that I experienced as a child growing up in Canada. However, there is something special about this time of year in Japan and, personally, it has helped me through some pretty tough times and positively contributed to my growth and development in karate-do as well as the quality of my life in general. I am talking of the custom of 忘年 Bou Nen. Simply translated this means "forgetting the hardships of the old year" (JED-Japanese English Dictionary-Google Play, 2016). But, there is nothing simple about letting go of past hardships. I would bet that many of you reading this are still holding on to things from years past that are still affecting you negatively. If not for this custom of Bou Nen, I would be carrying around a lot more hardships with me, this I can say with confidence. It is not an easy thing to do, but necessary things in physical and emotional growth never are.


The facade of Bou Nen is extensive drinking parties with co-workers, friends, and maybe even family and extended family members, i.e. your community.

(Copyright (C) 2016 NEWSY Inc.. All Rights Reserved.)

But, the drinking parties are merely a facilitator to something much deeper; a time to reflect, 反省 Hansei. This is the time when you take to reflect upon and address all of the burdens and stresses of the year, done on to you and caused by you, inflicted on those within your community in the aims of letting go, forgiving, and moving on! For me, this has played a significant role in deepening my understanding of my place here in Japan.


It is a process that is very personal and seldom talked about and therefore, may seem just like another party where the total aim for some seems to be just to get drunk. This may be the case for some, but for others it is yet another opportunity for deep intrinsic growth. I like to think of my life's journey as if I am on a path and there are many roads set out before me, my growth and development, my successes and failures are all determined by which path I choose to take; which road I go down and how far I follow it before venturing down another. I'm sure you've heard analogies like this before, even the title of this blog hints, very loudly, to this analogy. The term 空手道 Karate-do further illustrates this frame of thought. So, during the time of extensive drinking parties and all the stress surrounding this time of year, what path, what road will you go down? And for how long will you follow it?

(Photo retrieved from, http://www.stunningmesh.com/2011/04/awesome-roads-and-paths-making-the-art/)

Questions like the ones above, we must ask ourselves whenever we set out on another one of our life's journies. But, at this time of year, according to Bou Nen custom, we are urged to double check what we are carrying in our 'packs', dare I use the metaphor. We have to assess what we really need and what is simply weighing us down, physically and emotionally. It is at this time that we can let go of all that we no longer need. Perhaps it served its purpose or maybe it has been holding us down for way too long. Either way my advice to you is the same advice that I try to follow, during the Bou nen and before the Shin nen, let it go.

(Photo retrieved from, http://www.spytx.com/)

I'll leave you with this final thought. Continuing with the metaphor of the 'empty cup' (this time I used the image of a 'back pack', but it is the same metaphor) If we do not let go of the things that we no longer need, the things that are only taking up valuable space within ourselves, we will have no room to successfully tackle the new year's resolutions that we intend to make!

No Hacks in Karate Only Responsibility

In this post I would like to have a dialogue regarding some of the things that have been on my mind lately. As I unpack my thoughts, I aim to shed some new light on some deeper concepts, specifically不動心 Fudoshin; an immovable spirit and 鍛錬 Tanren; forging, disciplining, training. This new perspective may also provide further insight to other important concepts which I have discussed in earlier posts. These concepts are often the topic of debate when trying to find a definition that adequately describes them in English. As we grow our perspective changes allowing us to see things in a different light. Therefore, revisiting concepts such as the ones discussed in this post is important as it may help us to better understand them.

The more I consider various philosophical concepts on my journey in karate-do, the more I see that everything is connected; All of the deeply rooted principles of karate-do are grounded in the human condition. However, in this modern world where everything is getting faster and faster the slower pace of growth and development in the martial arts may seem discouraging to younger practitioners. Contrary to what is being sold to us on the Internet, there are no "shortcuts" or "hacks" in karate-do. It takes time to process our experiences. I believe that our experiences are what shape us. In this frame of mind, it may be said that our karate shapes who we are, but I offer to this discussion that who we are is what is shaping our karate. This kind of growth and development cannot be uploaded into us like Neo in the Matrix.

If we try to approach our karate training by looking for shortcuts, the karate that we develop will be hollow and our character flawed. I suggest that, instead of looking for quick fixes, we pay careful attention to the details in each and every experience both in and out of the dojo. In order to do this there are some things that we can do to change our perspective and get the most out of our experiences. First, I strongly feel that we must understand that there is no "one true style of karate-do."(A statement of false pride that I have often heard uttered by instructors in various Ryu ha and Kai ha referring to their style as the "one true style of karate) No one style is any better or worse than any other. There is only karate-do and our personal interpretation of the karate shown to us based on our individual experiences. So, I say, respect all styles, cross the boundaries, live in the moment and get as much as you can from each and every experience.

As I continue down this path, I consider that there are some things that only come with age, but adulthood is not one of them. Physical maturity is often mistaken for adulthood. However, in my opinion, emotional maturity is what truly displays whether or not someone is an 'adult'. There is one specific trait that displays emotional maturity in someone and it all begins with taking responsibility. By taking responsibility in three major areas of our lives we will grow more emotionally mature and assume the level of adulthood that I am talking about. the following three areas are the most important areas to take control of in order to effectively contribute to personal growth, they are:

Taking responsibility of our own Thoughts

Taking responsibility of our own Feelings

Taking responsibility of our own Actions

I first heard about this concept of taking responsibility of our thoughts, feelings, and actions in Jack Canfield's Success Principles and this concept changed everything for me. The moment I took responsibility of these three things in my life everything changed. This is the key to introspective reflection because with out taking responsibility of these we will always have the potential to be manipulated by outside forces. Consider this concept for a moment and you will see clearly that our thoughts are controlled by our feelings and our actions are controlled by our thoughts. In short, taking responsibility of our thoughts, feelings, and actions is the key to 不動心 Fudoshin.

Often translated as, "an immovable spirit" as mentioned above. This translation is limiting and  leads to a serious misunderstanding implying a steadfastness or a rigidity that is not  only limiting, but also misleading.  The following has been built upon, taken from a previous post from this blog titled "不動心 (Fudoshin) an Immovable Spirit is Not about Not Moving at all."

The first kanji 不 Fu also pronounced as Bu in Japanese is where some of the confusion may lay with regards to this concept as a whole. Adding Fu to another kanji, such as 合格 Goukaku Success, to pass (e.g. exam) would change the meaning to the opposite; 不合格 Fugoukaku (examination) failure, rejection. In this case of Fudoshin the kanji 不 Fu is placed in front of  動 Do; Ugo (ku), which means to Move (physically) and changes the meaning to a negative or the opposite, as is the rule, becoming 不動 Fudo Immobility, Steadfastness. However, there is another perhaps more appropriate translation for the second 動く Ugoku which is to Stir, Change, or Move (emotionally), it may also be translated as Confusion. This is very important to note in this context because the third kanji; 心 Kokoro (Shin), suggests that  the translation of to be 'moved' or 'stirred'; affected or influenced by something seems to be more appropriate. You can see that it is in this context that Fudo should be interpreted in this way. By deconstructing the three kanji and understanding how they work together we can see that Fudoshin may be interpreted to mean 'to be unmoved by external influences'. Furthermore, the 心 Koko/Shin is often closely related to and interconnected with 気 Ki, life's energy which is always moving as it vibrates. Sometimes the vibrations make us happy, at peace, and content, but other times it can move us in negative ways, if we let it, leading to pain, anger, depression, and some even argue physical illness. Developing one's immovable spirit is simply another way to suggest that one not be moved in the wrong or negative (unhealthy) way by the ki which is all around and within us. It is in this context that I consider thoughts and feelings within us moving us to action. If we allow someone else to affect us so deeply as to change our feelings about something affecting our thoughts and changing our actions we are giving up such an important innate power and this is the ultimate of sacrifices. I believe that this is why this is such an important concept of the martial arts and karate-do training; a training method which teaches, above all else, self control.

This training in self control is referred to as 鍛錬 Tanren; forging, disciplining, and training. This, too is often misunderstood as having to be a hard external disciplinary training experience. however, the true tanren occurs within us and begins with taking control of the emotions that move us, the ability to remain cool-headed even in the most stressful of circumstances. The human, physical approach to achieving this state of mind may be through repeated sessions of gruelling training experiences, but the state will never be achieved until something clicks within us. This thing that clicks is not physical, it is very emotional and constitutes a paradigm shift of perspective.

We use the word mastery when we discuss the growth of martial artists, i.e., he practised hard and became a master in that karate style. Here I am suggesting that the growth in karate-do is something more natural than this, not forced rather realised, developed not externally, but rather internally. Very similar to the growth of a child to adulthood.

So, I say to you, there are no shortcuts or hacks only intrinsic epiphanies on this path that we call karate-do. We shouldn't be looking around for the latest app or hack to speed up the process, but rather look within ourselves to release the limits that we are setting upon ourselves, to live fully and experience deeply each moment and grow...

Thank you for reading and for your continued support of this blog. I apologise for taking so long between posts. This has been a very difficult year in Japan and around the world. A year of Tanren  that I am sure will lead to profound growth within humanity.