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Shu, Ha, Ri: by O'Sensei Brian R. Fey
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From the outside looking in, karate can appear violent and aggressive. Yet from the inside looking out, karate serves to quell violence and to instill inner peace and tranquility. This philosophy has been long in the making and to some it has remained indiscernible, but it has existed all along. Two intrepid and tenacious fighters faced each other. They were tired, but not broken. Each had an equal zeal: not a determination to win, but rather...not to lose. They exchanged many kicks and punches throughout their brilliant clash. Some were blocked or evaded, while others reached their targets. On this occasion, a draw seemed imminent. Yame (stop) was called and the fighters yielded to one another's individual honor. The contest over, the men faced each other and bowed with mutual admiration. Each knew that he had done his best to prevail and yet neither had lost. each had won deep esteem. Blowshad been exchanged, but so had respect and humbleness. Although it is true that karate is a way of killing and avoiding being killed, it is concurrently an art form more inclined toward avoiding these circumstances. Examining karate's history beyond a chronological tracing of it's centuries-old roots, there is a startling metamorphosis. Modern-day karate has developed from acts of pure survival into a civilized art form that develops the mind as well as the body. History often moves in circles. The present becomes part of the past and the future. This truth can be observed in karate's own development, in the Japanese belief of shu ha ri. Believed to have originated in China and stemmed from Buddhist beliefs, in essence these are the three stages in which one learns develops. The first stage, shu, is to learn and maintain an obedience to tradition. The second, ha, is to break away from tradition. The third, ri, is to transcend tradition. |
Shu: Learning and Maintaining Tradition Most historians agree that what we now call karate was born from the religious teachings of the Buddhist monk Bodhidharma from India in the early sixth century. In an effort to spread Buddhism, Bodhidharma is said to have crossed over the Himalayan mountains and into Southern China. After wandering about the Chinese countryside, including a nine-year seclusion and meditation in a cave, he came upon the emaciated monks of the now famous Shaolin Monastery of Hunan Province. It is here that Bodhidharma quickly initiated a series of health-giving exercises based on a unique system of self defense. This aided the monks in defending themselves against the numerous bandits of the time. yet Bodhidharma was not content with improving the monk's health; he also sought to enlighten them with his insights on Buddhism. As such, Bodhidharma's portrait often hangs in a position of great honor in traditional Japanese dojo. The physical exercises and mental discipline of peace spread throughout China and to all the Chinese colonies in Asia. It was Bodhidharma's great influence with the monks that influenced their lives toward his strong Buddhist beliefs and nurtured the beginning of learning and maintaining tradition: thus, the concept of shu took root. Ha: Breaking Tradition. The point of ha, or breaking tradition, is best viewed in the last three centuries, when the Ryukyu Islands became a focal point of karate's continued developments. So much so, that Okinawa, the largest of the Ryukyu Islands, became the cradle of many violently effective karate styles know today. |
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