Lessons From the Dojo: Learning the Art Does Not Earn You the Belt.

Every week, during class, our sensei likes to impart some wisdom for thought.  These lessons typically apply in the dojo, but also can apply outside the dojo.  This week he told us a story about a student who became upset when they were unable to perform a technique on another student, simply because the other student knew how to counter the technique.  The enraged student is a high ranking student, but sensei talked to us about how it is not just how well you know the technique, but how you act, especially in the face of failure, that truly determines when you are ready to test and increase your rank.  Testing is just a formality to obtaining your next rank, but it is the time you spend in practice that is the real test.

You can be a great swordsman in technique alone, just like Miyamoto Musashi was, and still be defeated time and time again.  Being a great swordsman, or great martial artist, for that matter, is first mental and secondly physical.  Musashi won over 60 duels because he won the battle mentally first; either by upsetting his opponent by arriving late, or somehow frustrating them.  When you allow anger or frustration to set in, you lose focus on the battle at hand.  If your opponent stays focused, they can and most often will defeat you.

Having a high rank in martial arts is not just a testament to your skill.  It is also a testament to your maturity and personality.  You must strive to uphold the seven virtues of Bushido.

義	Gi	Rectitude
勇	Yu	Courage
仁	Jin	Benevolence
礼	Rei	Respect
誠	Makoto	Honesty
名誉	Meiyo	Honor
尽忠	Chugi	Loyalty

Rectitude
Moral uprightness or righteousness. Making correct judgements.

Courage
Being unwavering in the face of danger.

Benevolence
Kindness or generosity.

Respect
Hold others in high esteem or honor.

Honesty
Truthfulness and sincerity.

Honor
Glory, having a good name, a high reputation.

Loyalty
Devotion or attachment.

These 7 virtues are common among all martial arts. In feudal Japan, if a Samurai failed to uphold the laws of Bushido, he was disgraced and was forced to commit seppuku. In the United States, we do not have that sort of tradition, but the ideals of Bushido are still important. With a higher rank comes more responsibility. If a student is unwilling or not ready to accept that responsibility, they are not ready to receive the rank. Martial arts training is not just training the body to perform the correct movements, but also to train the mind. Without the discipline it takes to embody the seven virtues, one becomes nothing more than a thug. Martial arts instructors do not usually wish to teach their arts to students who are going to go out and abuse them.

As sempai (a senior student) you are an example. You are to embody the virtues that your sensei has tried to teach you. By refusing to embody the virtues, you are in a way stating that you think your way is better. It is an act of disrespect to defy your sensei, and in Feudal Japan you would either be cast out of the dojo, forced to commit seppuku, or killed by your sensei for such disgrace. When you learn an art from a teacher, you carry with you their legacy. To continue their own legacy and maintain their honor, you too must be honorable and embody the virtues.

While in modern day dojos your sensei is not going to kill you, if your offense is great enough they can refuse to teach you. Another tool used is to simply refuse to allow you to advance until you have matured to the point needed to take on the responsibility of your next rank. This is why martial arts is not just physical training, but mental training and growth of ones self.

In strategy your spiritual bearing must not be any different from normal. Both in fighting and in everyday life you should be determined though calm. Meet the situation without tenseness yet not recklessly, your spirit settled yet unbiased. Even when your spirit is calm do not let your body relax, and when your body is relaxed do not let your spirit slacken. Do not let your spirit be influenced by your body, or your body influenced by your spirit. Be neither insufficiently spirited nor over spirited. An elevated spirit is weak and a low spirit is weak. Do not let the enemy see your spirit.

~Miyamoto Musashi, Book of the Five Rings

The Book of the 5 Rings, written by Miyamoto Musashi expresses the ideals that a battle is won first mentally and second physically. By unnerving your opponent, you can win the battle, even if you are a lower rank. For this reason, you must remain strong in your virtues to become a great warrior.

A great warrior does not have mastery over others, but mastery over ones self. ~ BrokenBokken