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In the martial arts and karate communities practitioners are prone to express their spirit while not really defining what spirit may or does mean, i.e., to them; the the others in the dojo; to the sensei leading the dojo; to the style or system or to whatever organization manages and leads the dojo and its members.
We all assume, and are hesitant to ask or speak up due to perceptions of others, that we know what it means to have the “karate spirit.” Some assume is is a religious oriented meaning while others simply assume it is sport oriented.
Let’s set the stage with the following breakdown:
Martial Art/Karate: various sports or skills, mainly of Japanese origin, that originated as forms of self-defense or attack, such as judo, karate, and kendo; Asian system of unarmed combat using the hands and feet to deliver and block blows, widely practiced as a sport. It was formalized in Okinawa in the 17th century and popularized via Japan after about 1920. Karate is performed barefoot in loose padded clothing, with a colored belt indicating the level of skill, and involves mental as well as physical training.
Isshinryu: A system of Okinawan Karate developed over time and named in the 1950’s by its creator, Tatsuo Shimabuku Sensei.
Spirit:
- those qualities regarded as forming the definitive or typical elements in the character of a person, nation, or group or in the thought and attitudes of a particular period.
- a person identified with their most prominent mental or moral characteristics or with their role in a group or movement.
- the quality of courage, energy, and determination or assertiveness.
- the attitude or intentions with which someone undertakes or regards something.
- the real meaning or the intention behind something as opposed to its strict verbal interpretation.
Fighting spirit: the willingness to compete or to do things that are difficult.
Competitive Spirit: (drive to win; desire to succeed and be the best) Those who have a competitive spirit are enthusiastic about the competition and often they seek this type of competitive atmosphere in whatever they do. These people are often seen as being very confident and always up for a challenge. A fine line exists between a competitive spirit and being aggressive. If healthy competition is developed, advantages in many different areas of life, such as career advancement, self worth respect from others, can be obtained.
When a practitioner is said to have, “martial spirit” it is often left up to arbitrary standards set by, one, the individual; two, the senpai; three, the sensei; four, the dojo, i.e., owner/operator who may or may not be its dai-sensei; the association or governing body run by other than dojo members, i.e., dojo is member of association, etc.
We all assume that spirit in this use means:
- demonstrating in application a high effort of greatest energy;
- demonstrating enthusiasm;
- a competitive spirit as to the sport side;
- demonstrating moral turpitude, etc.
Even these are assumed understood for how one defines effort, energy, enthusiasm, sport spirit or morality. No where, to date, have I found anyone who truly lays out what it really means to have martial spirit, i.e., that spirit that speaks to the very essence of the system or style, how it is affected in training, practice and application regardless of the applications overall intent. It is often mistaken and misunderstood by shouting as if your going to burst a blood vessel and performing in large, excessive and muscling-it type of dynamic tensioning with exaggerated moves, etc. In short, a performance of no real substance vs. one of substance (now, how does one define substance or is that also assumed?).
In the end, it is and will always be an arbitrary perception as to whether a person has martial or karate spirit or not. This is where things can become discerning and disappointing because an individual can feel a spirit-like feeling when in training and practice while an observer, especially when it comes to evaluating one for rank, etc., may see it differently to the detriment of the observed. Oh, and yes, this can cause the same in reverse too.
In the end, it is about “who” decides its defining traits. Spirit is a fundamental to all Asian Martial Disciplines for those who are directly involved in them in one form or another have heard, wrote and spoken the words, “Body, Mind and Spirit!”
Note: There is a book out titled, “Shin Gi Tai—Karate Training for Body, Mind, and Spirit,” written by a noted martial artists, Michael Clarke Sensei, that helps the martial artists and karate-ka to understand concepts of shin-gi-tai or training/trained body, mind, and spirit.
Clarke Sensei, at a minimum, makes reference to shin, spirit, as either or a combination of human traits developed and enhanced through training, practice and especially applied in life as, “character, personality, and maturity of the individual is how we determine, develop and observe in the practitioner their “spirit.” He refers to the process of shin-gi-tai as, shin is a way to achieve a polished spirit.
Since that is the definition I tend to lean toward it begs me to ask people, “just how does one whose perceptions, experiences, maturity and personality + character observe, perceive and assess another spirit?” I ask this because what that person perceives and believes as spirit and/or character/personality, and/or maturity measure up to that persons reality over the observers own reality. There is bound to be disparity and disagreement except in rare cases for even in families there is found a chasm between such traits.
In the end, when we want to acknowledge and commend another practitioner we might say, “I see your spirit!” in lieu of saying, “He has spirit,” would better serve all parties. The other person must then evaluate their beliefs as to spirit then ask of themselves if it matches up with what they observe in the person passing along this compliment to compare then, as one person told me long ago about dealing with other cultures, that if in doubt as the other person. It begs the next question, “Sensei, how do you define and determine a students spirit?”
I quote, “One persons character, personality and maturity, may be another’s lack of character, personality and maturity.” - cejames It is best to use such statements as a compliment without adding qualifiers such as, “He has an Isshinryu Spirit.” Why? Because trying to attribute a persons spirit to a thing, a discipline or a philosophical meaning leaves room for disparity and disparaging remarks, thoughts, beliefs and thinking.
Pay the compliment, “I see the persons martial spirit and feel it to be awesome!” Leave it generic as a compliment rather than be perceived as an evaluation of that persons character, personality and moral standing.
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