IOGKF Dojo Kun

The Dojo Kun is a set of statements repeated at the end of each training session.  These statements are intended to guide not only our training, but also our everyday lives.  Each statement is preceded by the Japanese number 1 - Hitotsu.  This may seem odd but this reminds us that each statement is equal in importance.  The IOGKF Doju Kun is written by its Chief Instructor, Higaonna Sensei.

CHILDRENS CLASS

Hitotsu                          Respect others

Hitotsu                          Be courageous

Hitotsu                          Train your mind and body

Hitotsu                          Practice daily and protect traditional karate-do

Hitotsu                          Strive to teach the essence of Goju-Ryu

Hitotsu                          Never give up

 

ADULTS CLASS

Hitotsu                           Reigi o omonzuru koto
                                         Respect others

Hitotsu                          Yuki o yashinau koto
                                        Be courageous

Hitotsu                          Dento karate o mamori hibi no tanren o okotarazu tsune ni kenkyu                                                     kufu o suru koto
                                        Practice daily and protect traditional karate-do

Hitotsu                         Shinshin o renmashi Goju Ryu karate no shinzui o kiwameru koto
                                        Train your mind and body .  Strive to teach the essence of Goju-Ryu.

Hitotsu                         Futo fukutsu no seishin o yashinau koto
                                       Never give up

What does the Dojo Kun mean to us?

Respect Others
We are all aware the importance of showing respect to our fellow karate-ka in the dojo, this respect should be sincere and not just a show of going through the motions. Respect should transcend our actions in the dojo and spill over into our everyday lives, this will help in our daily routines at home, work or school.

Be Courageous
We need courage in the dojo in equal amounts to the courage we need to face situations in our day-to-day lives. If we don't face these situations using our courage and hide from them, then we are not developing our sense of courage or ourselves.

Practice daily and protect traditional karate
Daily practice of karate obviously will bring better and stronger technique whilst at the same time bringing discipline and order to each day. It is very hard to practice every day in our hurried modern lives but even a short time found to stretch or practice Sanchin kata will be beneficial.

The protection of the karate handed down from Chojun Miyagi Sensei to An'ichi Miyagi Sensei in it's original form is what Higaonna Sensei meant when he wrote this line of the Dojo Kun. The kata and unique traditional aspects of the system should be kept intact for future generations.

Train your mind and body.  Strive to reach the essence of Goju Ryu karate
In the dojo we all learn to kick, punch and block to the best of our abilities. In karate-do we also strive to train the mind to make us better individuals.  "As supple as a willow, as solid as Mount Tai" this line of poetry taken from Miyagi Chojun Sensei's Okinawan Goju Ryu precepts epitomises the ideal of Goju Ryu. The connotations of this line regarding our training are that we should train to achieve power (Go) but also strive to be flexible and soft when needed (Ju). There are many ways we can interpret Go and Ju. The Goju karate-ka should be aware of the Go and Ju in everyday life, for example having a strong opinion on something but understanding the opposite, try to achieve a balance.

Never give up
Spirit is of utmost importance, when our Sensei pushes us to our limits we should try to endure, be it in exercise, kata or kumite. The reason behind them pushing us does not seem clear at the time, but many karate-ka have said that without 'spirit training' they would have gone on to fail in challenging mental or physical situations outside the dojo.