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In a long ago movie about the Japanese Yakuza a character responds to an inquiry on the meaning of giri as, “The burden hardest to bear.” In addition, addressing concerns by the other character he states further, “If you don’t feel it, you don’t have it.” Little did I know that such things went far beyond any type of Japanese/Asian cultural beliefs.
Obligation is one of those survival things humans need, pretty much required for social cohesion and survival, for humans have a drive to survive and various things like obligation are necessary for the very survival of the human species. No other species takes this concept to the levels as humans for other animal life rely on more genetic triggers for their survival simply because they don’t reason at the levels of humans.
As martial artists we are all, at a minimum, familiar with the term giri and in case the reader is not sure here is my translation and interpretation of giri.
Giri [義理]
The characters/ideograms mean "duty; sense of duty; honor; decency; courtesy; debt of gratitude; social obligation." The first character means, righteousness; justice; morality; honor; loyalty; meaning," the second character means, "logic; arrangement; reason; justice; truth."
Often we hear of giri in martial arts circles due to the influences of the samurai legends of old Japan. In one quote it was said that giri is the burden hardest to bear. If one does not feel it, then one does not have it. It is looked upon as a debt that can never be repaid. Looking at the definitions for the characters/ideograms it is no wonder why it takes on such a meaning.
It is defined as "to serve one's superiors with a self-sacrificing devotion" by Namiko Abe. It is tied closely with the more feudal era culture and beliefs that have remained steadfast to present day.
Giri is difficult to translate adequately into western English cultural belief terms. It has been romanticized in movies and books such as "The Yakuza," where giri is a major factor in the story.
In the study of martial arts one cannot truly understand all the cultural nuances be they Japanese, Okinawan or Chinese. All three have connections and the final Japanese cultural meaning of giri is born of all three although now unique to the Japanese.
Giri goes both ways as well. Giri is a matter of two sides to one coin or as one might assume as yin-yang. For one to feel it requires the other or recipient to feel it and vice versa. If either one does not feel it then it is diminished even tho the one side can still find themselves bound to the other through giri regardless of the others feeling for giri.
Anytime there is a relationship involved the two personalities coupled with cultural beliefs and individual perceptions, etc. make it a most difficult part of any belief system.
Giri in a general sense may be related to better understand the concept to group or tribal survival dynamics. It can be related to social associations whereby loss can equate rejection and/or dismissal from the group or tribe.
Favors, concessions and obligations are all survival principles of humans for it is these and other principles, rules and/or social conditionings that are all from long, long, long ago when we were still cave dwellers who by our very physical limitations required to gather into tribes or clans just so we could survive the dangers of those ancient environments with all those predators both human and animal.
Giri is just another way to express that humans must adhere to the rules where favors, concessions and obligations that are mutually beneficial to the group, tribe, or clan for everything and that includes their very survival - even in modern times with literally no danger from any great plains wild life. Note: for some, that danger if still very real; for some, hunters often put themselves into such dangerous environments with at least the knowledge they get to go back to proverbial civilization when the hunt is done.
In my karate for self-fense, as it should be in any form of self-fense training, this type of knowledge is a way to self-arm for the use of persuasion toward influencing a possible adversary or opponent toward avoidance and deescalation. Dr. Robert B. Cialdini, PhD, wrote an excellent book on the subject that explains the system of principles and rules better than me. I suggest you take a read, study it a bit, read it again and then analyze that along with other self-defense literature to synthesize a new way to avoidance and deescalation. Beware tho, if you miss your mark as with almost any other effort in this vane you will find the repercussions to be devastating. Also, beware that nefarious duds can also use this same trigger device to get you to do things that you wouldn’t ordinarily do as well, the sword cuts both ways (yin-yang sub-principle to Philosophy principle).
Bibliography:
Cialdini, Robert B. PhD. “Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion.” Harper. New York. 2006.
Bibliography (Click the link)
“In order for any life to matter, we all have to matter.” - Marcus Luttrell, Navy Seal (ret)
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