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Teaching Karate-Do
Interview with Kaicho Tadashi Nakamura,
founder and Chairman of the World Seido Karate Organization
By Christopher Caile
Caile: So how do you teach karate-do versus regular karate and what do you emphasize?
Nakamura: So the way we call dojo, it means a place you find out about yourself, place you find enlightenment, place you find your way, your sincere way. It's not a gym, club, a place of socializing or getting a date, but place to study own self, to learn techniques but also gain spiritual and mental knowledge. I hope each student studies karate, their dojo is also like a second home. Each time you come you feel so comfortable, but also appreciate and feel more serious too, similar feeling to when you go to church, or when you go to special ceremony place. You feel like, kind of dignity.
It's also very important, the way as teacher to make a good program, what we call curriculum - it means the way you study. You have to make sure you have a good system. Each level has a certain amount of material a person has to learn, step by step, instead of all right way. In some systems right away after you a little bit understand basics, you begin fighting. The dojo is not just to produce fighters. The karate dojo is not like a factory for producing strong fighters. This way so often people get injured, they get discouraged or uncomfortable, then discontinue training. That's why it's very important, way you set up the system the proper way so people continue. Then everyone can benefit.
Karate is not just fighting but also how you control your mind, which is your temper, your discipline and your morals. We request student have to take meditation class. At end I give a simple lecture about karate-do attitude, spirit, practice or way to live. In these classes students learn and have a better chance to understand themselves, to look at themselves, more inside and see what they are, what is missing, and reflect also on other people. Maybe they realize, "I'm still immature and that I have to grow and to continue to polish myself." As a teacher I am concerned individually because each student is physically and mentally different. Conditions not exactly same for everybody, and some physically not well. But karate should be for everybody, so especially in Seido we open to everybody, even mentally learning disabled people, homeless children, deaf students, blind people - there is room for everybody, even some domestic violence situation people. Still they can study karate to develop more inner strength to take care of your life.
A student taking a written exam as part of her promotion. Students are asked to write short essays explaining what they have learned, such as: "Why do you study Seido Karate?"; Why do we bow and say "OSU'"?; or for a discussion of the meaning of a particular Japanese saying or phrase.
So in the Seido system during promotions we ask students to write down their thoughts on training, our organization and philosophy, and what they have learned. At the black belt level, students talk to other students and teachers about essays they have written. We expect their words to be genuine and sincere and to come from their heart. We also stress etiquette, not just in the dojo but extended to everyday life too. It teaches respect of others, and it is also mental training toward a way of the spirit. Those who have difficulty with etiquette show their difficulties inside, maybe ego, lack of self-respect or other problems. Courtesy and manners require self-control, discipline and sensitivity to others -- what is necessary to change one's self, what is necessary to take control of one's life and future.
Way I believe, to study karate-do is the way of your life, but as karate-ka each karate-ka has responsibility to be more open, to use whatever you learn from karate-do to apply in your every day life - the way you control your emotions, your temper, morals, discipline, how you behave. To the extent you are using, you are becoming more true karate-ka. That means a strong, true karate-ka is not just how many tournaments you compete and how many times you get to be champion, first place, or grand champion. It is not. People think, "How many times I have received Grand Champion, that's why I am a great karate-ka." Sometimes people feel like this. But how strong you are inside which means how you dedicate your life, how you carry on your discipline, that is important. That's why it is so important to maintain and show discipline in the dojo. Especially in Seido, we have so many different types of people, handicapped people, learning disabled, all different, but still those people seriously learn karate. Then we all more realize and appreciate what we have and how lucky we are.
Caile: What about spirit?
Nakamura: Through study of karate students can develop a non-quitting spirit. It doesn't matter if you are a woman, your sex or age, but as long as you study karate you can develop a strong spirit, a non-quit spirit. This because throughout our life there is always something happening, but each time something happens you take it as a challenge, and even if you fall down you take it as your challenge. You say, "This is a way I can grow. This way that I can enrich myself." Then with positive attitude, can face problems, can face obstacles. You can kind of fight back. You develop an attitude as how to carry on and live life. A good punch is fine. A good kick is fine. But what really is really important is your strength inside. That is what allows to meet life's challenges. That is what people respect -- how you dedicate yourself, how you dedicate you life.
Full story at:
FightingArts.com - Teaching Karate-Do
About the Author Christopher Caile
