One for all

Most of KARATE players might begin to learn KARATE to be strong, so I am. 
And soon you realize many gifts from learning KARATE: improvement of body’s ability by training, perseverance by standing in pain, knowing about history and traditional of Japan and Orient.

Training, routine, drills, sometimes you may feel it is boring and unreasonable.
But someday your body will be remodeled to weapon, in that moment, you will experience a great excitement that you realize that the strength− you believed which was under the control of DNA hereditary for most of living thing, can be overturned by acquired.

As the word “strength” sounds so fundamentally−yes, it is one of most fundamental factor of human existence, people is under the impression that the strength is destined in born. 
Thus, the people who is weak, often uses negative word “violence” instead of “strength” for their pride.

Once I’ve talked with an very strong arm-wrestler at the body building gym. He said, “It’s a pity, I have no one around me to play arm-wrestling against me. They don’t comply with my request as if it was indifferent to them.” I guess it must be disagreeable for them to lose.

I suppose Their feeling has something in common with the feelings of children who dislike run a race. 
Especially, any boy has some traumas by force. As they know that they can’t conquer it by their own force, they try to justify themselves with some handy reasons.

This justification is supported by Japan-Ideology after the war. 
But, now, the social problem aside...

Soon, KARATE training removes the misunderstanding, upsets your notion−that the strength is hereditary. 
I hope it will be much easier to talk about strength if people would know that strength can be acquired. 
I won’t say it is easy, but you can get it by your own will.

However, on the other hand, here the question to be asked is: ”The strength is relatively. It changes nothing in our circumstances if all the people would be strong”. Admittedly, strength is relatively, and this situation like zero-some game.

“However,” I say.

KARATE improves your nature. 
If you take this meaning as a profit for elevation of the quality of your life, KARATE training is an action which pursues individual profit. 
Now, think about the idea of free economy: Pursue of personal profit works for the public benefit. 
I think this theory holds in BUDO also. 
The point is, whether this kind of pursue works positive or negative.

Well, Suppose, here are 3 men.

One, is constructive, no trouble with around him. We call him “Good man” for the present to understand the story easily.

Next one, is sometimes in a good effort, but sometimes lazy, almost good man. We call him “Ordinary man”.

The last one, is destructive. In other word a pre-criminal. We call him “Bad man”.

Of course, these 3 men are stereotyped to make the story simple.

Then, how about “Strong man” for “Good man”?

He doesn’t care about “Strong man”, just treats as others. Naturally, “Good man” has no trouble with other men.

For “Ordinary man”?

He pays a little attention to “Strong man”. He hesitates to pick up a quarrel with “Strong man” unnecessary, when he is drunk. But nothing in trouble particularly.

For “Bad man”,

“Strong man” is undesirable. If he try to threaten or swindle money out of “Strong man”, It is too risky. 
“Strong man” can be a menace for “Bad man”, though he is neither good nor bad for “Good man” and “Ordinary man”.

In short, increase in population of “Strong man” makes the world hard living for “Bad man”. There is an incentive to have much “Strong man” in the world.

And besides, through the training, you can benefit something in reward for enduring pain. 
And you can touch the principle of mutual understanding that you realize other’s pain after you experience the pain at blows. 
You will pay much attention to accidents and injury. 
You can cultivate your sensitivity to the body and life.

Though you have begun KARATE for your selfish reason, consequently it is good for everyone as a result. It is great, isn’t it? Training yourself is beneficial to all.

But, we have to pay special attention to the single exception: “Bad man” becomes “Strong man”. 
In this case, “Strong” will change to “Violence”. 
We must not allow it absolutely. 
If you understand what I’m saying, and take it for granted, you are quite right. 
But I dare to say it because, in this present world, the matter of cause is not matter of cause.

Once you learn KARATE technique, you have power to kill people. 
The greatest care must be taken in dealing with this point, when you(and me) teach KARATE.

KARATE consists of great ideas by admirable precursors: Self-defense without weapon, Wishing for peace. 
This spirit is common to all KARATE schools, however different the expression may be.

Be strong to be kind. It is KARATE-DO.

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