Mizu no Do (michi) [水の道]
As with previous writings on water, the readers are aware of Sifu Lee’s saying, “Be like water my friend.” You are also well versed on most of my efforts to explain the relationship between water and its characteristics as they apply to martial disciplines like karate-do.
Mizu-no-do or Mizu-no-michi, meaning the way or road or path to water in a martial sense, philosophy and application as to the practical defensive aspects of martial disciplines.
The following is my humble effort to explain my perception and perspective on this way or concept.
I will take each and follow with an (just one, just mine) explanatin …
- Emotionally, water can symbolizes profound depth, changing feelings, or sadness. Water is also a universal representation of life since no plant or animal can live without it. Spiritually, water invokes ideas of purification, rejuvenation, and transformation.
Most can readily connect these traits to our practice where from basics to multiple methodologies we can perceive and see how each can inspire a creative way of applying such things in a myriad of ways.
It makes sense when we study the mind, thus the body and into our spirit as parts of a whole that opens the flood gates of inspiration as well as creativity.
Because of this martial triad we purify our minds and bodies to fuel our spirits to achieve the myriad of things in life faced …
We seek through our meditative movements to achieve dominance of ego, a calmness and serenity, as well as a capacity and capability to achieve not just reaching out to touch the moon but out and beyond to the very stars ✨ in the heavens above and around us.
Water has depth, meaning it’s practically endless
Our capabilities as well as the fruit born through our training, practices and practical applications do we find its endlessness and great depth.
water is essential for all life—nothing can live without water. Because of this, it’s often used to symbolize growth and vitality.
Like water, we feed our drive, knowledge and understanding as a seed planted and water grows with vitality to be a great oak.
Water is constantly moving, and how it moves can symbolize specific emotions or feelings in literature. “Having a ripple effect,” which depicts that one action can cause other things to occur.
Actions give results but only when applied with movement with connectivity to apply our spirit to methodologies that “get-rich-done,” in the face of all adversities.
Like water 💦, our movement can slide us around, under and through all means and manifestations of obstacles encountered as we walk the walk and talk the talk.
Water is used to clean things literally and spiritually.
One’s spirit requires cleaning or us taking out the garbage so our humanity rises up to choose the righteous and correct path to achieving one’s goals and objectives.
symbol of renewal, rebirth, and enlightenment.
The martial artist to achieve expertise and mastery often go through a rebirth of self through self-reflection as well as changing attitudes which is part of the road toward self-enlightenment which is self-renewal, or letting go of things and changing within.
energy, water is commonly used to symbolize health and invigoration. water has magical properties that can heal any ailment, even age.
Energy as in Ki/Chi or that nature’s energies that permeate and connect to all things of us, earth and moon as well as the entire universe. The combination of movement of the body through moving meditative practices invigorates the trod that is mind, body and most critical, the spirit.
Water is a mirror of self-awareness. Water is reflective; a person’s ability to change
To achieve the lofty goals and objectives of training and practice one must, first and foremost, turn our third eye inward to that we call the self. To master the arts one must first master themselves. We look inward as we would the reflection on water and reflect on what appears and even more critical, that which lies underneath and hidden by such things as ego and the monkey brain. Once we can truly see what lies behind waters surface to the depths and darkness that hides and obscures that which we must shed and discard we cannot change to make room for ten calm, serenity and fruitful abundance of our true potential
Water is a literary metaphor for the subconscious mind. Like deep water, the subconscious mind is a mystery—no one knows what lies underneath. It’s unpredictable, vast, and ever-changing, making water a perfect representation. Subconscious thoughts and behaviors can bubble up without recollection, similar to how anything can surface beneath the waves.
Letting loose the dogs of psychological warfare to break through the barrier of reflection found on the surface of water to reach, embrace and become, “Like Water my Friend!”
the sea represents the churning, beautiful, and maddening concepts of the human psyche
As is often spoken of metaphorically, stop the chatter and interference of our monkey 🙊 brai so calmness reigns true making a serene, present and mindful state of being. For the monkey uses churning, maddening and confusing efforts to keep one distant and separated from the joy and beauty of nature’s life. Be the force that calms the sea to allow the meditative ebb and flow of the waters th tech us the true way toward tranquility, peace and serenity.
symbolizes metamorphosis and change.[12] Water has 3 forms: liquid, solid, and gas. The element has the ability to transform and move between all 3 in the right conditions.
This phenomenon mirrors your ability to change and transform your own life as long as you have the motivation.
water is a symbol of knowledge and truth; represent universal wisdom
Wisdom is according the inevitable changes of the universe so we can learn its teachings to achieve understanding bypassing the facade of falseness that artificial life, monkey, places to chain us to that which stagnates us to the anxieties and obstacles born of our ignorance.
symbolize quiet strength and determination; Even though it seems gentle and soft, water is one of the strongest elements on earth; water finds a way into even the most sealed off spaces; If there's an opening, water will get through; This trait of water mirrors the idea of perseverance and determination; water relentlessly follows its path, finding a way no matter the obstacles; When facing challenges, as water does, one can find ways to overcome and reach their goals; linked to sensitivity, intuition and depth; water symbolizes the power of persistence and achieving aims despite seeming gentleness or obstacles.
This my padawan, explains it all leaving room for each one’s creativity!
Note: for my Isshinryu brethren, it becomes clearer why Tatsuo-san chose the Megami as the symbol for his “One Heart Way” of karate-do. Kampai Shimabuku Tatsuo Sensei!
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