Me-gami open hand and closed fist:

As put forth by leading practitioners the Me-gami has significance the reaches beyond the mere form we see in the patch every day. You only have to do some research to realize all the parallels between the esoteric and exoteric qualities of our style with what is signified in the Me-gami.

Examples:

1. Tiger in the headdress (Earth), representation of the spirit and matter. Tiger is yin and the dragon yang.
2. Dragon/Serpent lower body, is to keep your true strength hidden. We as practitioners can be as fierce as a dragon.
3. The turbulence of the water indicates danger/evil which is always present.
etc...

Then there are the two that I would like to suggest another meaning from my readings on Japan and Buddhism.

In our Me-gami the right hand is close to represent the hard aspects of our style. It also suggests that we have the ability to defend ourselves if required.

The Me-gami also has the left hand open to represent the softer aspects of our style. It represents peace and tells us that we have no weapons and we strive to avoid trouble.

In the book, "Japan: Strategy of the Unseen", by Michel Random the quote I am referring to is as follows:

"The open palm of the Buddhas represents the Extended, the Infinite. A closed fist represents only itself."

I would like to suggest that this meaning is also a part of our style. The open palm as stated above tells us that our training is not a goal but a life long endeavor that is never over or you could say infinite in its nature for training and practice takes us all the way to our transition to the Tao.

We can also suggest that the "do" of our style, if one practices beyond just the jutsu of Isshinryu, that the lessons we learn from this singular form of practice of the art of karate then we can say the lessons are also infinite and that learning never ends. We come from this knowing that if we ever find ourselves with the feeling that it is over that we have lost the way and must find it again.

The closed fist represents only itself might suggest that lost path, the closed mind, the trap that our ego puts on our mind and thus into our bodies. If we close our minds to the possibilities of what life and practice have to offer then we close ourselves to the possibilities that are afforded to us in our journey to enlightenment.

The open hand and closed fist also represent the "in-yo" or dualism of nature that must become one or the Tao of life. All things begin and end with one.

I guess we can also say that the open hand represents the state of mind we must all maintain in our practice as well as in our lives. To keep our minds open to all of life's possibilities and use the singular practice of the way of the empty hand as our guide in reaching out to the stars.

Like I have been told, don't just reach for the moon, extend you reach to the stars and beyond! The universe is such that if there is nothing of significance out there but empty space then it is such a waste. Then again if we think of the universe as a huge void then we can equate it to the circle which represents symmetrical reality which is all points of life are of equal distance to the center.

"That which unites also separates, that which separates unites." - Echoes of the Unseen

Bibliography:
Random, Michel. Japan:Strategy of the Unseen. England: Crucible; The Aquarian Press, 1987