Niju kun
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Niju kun is an Okinawan martial arts term which literally translates to twenty (20) rules. Created by Gichin Funakoshi in the late 1800's[1], the kun refer to twenty principles (or precepts) by which all students of Shotokan karate are encouraged to live, practice, and teach to others.
[edit] History
Funakoshi trained in shorei-ryu and shorin-ryu from an early age. He ultimately developed his own martial art which he believed leveraged the benefits of these two and began to teach his art, principles and philosophies to selected students in Okinawa. Gaining the attention of a larger audience, Funakoshi later ventured to disseminate his art throughout mainland Japan[2] and created the niju kun to assist his karateka in their training.
[edit] Published Precepts
While it has been suggested that the kun were documented by around 1890[1], they were first published in 1938 in a book The Twenty Guiding Principles of Karate[1] in the form below:
- Karate-do begins and ends with rei
Karate-do wa rei ni hajimari rei ni owaru koto a wasaru na - There is no first strike in karate
Karate ni sente nashi - Karate stands on the side of justice
Karate wa, gi no taske - First know yourself, then know others
Mazu onore o shire, shikashite ta o shire - Mentality over technique
Gijitsu yori shinjitsu - The mind must be set free
Kokoro wa hanatan koto o yosu - Calamity springs from carelessness
Waza wai wa ketai ni seizu - Karate goes beyond the dojo
Dojo nomino karate to omou na - Karate is a lifelong pursuit
Karate-do no shugyo wa isssho de aru - Apply the way of karate to all things. Therein lies its beauty
Ara yuru mono o karateka seyo; sokoni myomi ari - Karate is like boiling water; without heat, it returns to its tepid state
Karate Wa Yu No Gotoku Taezu Netsu O Atae Zareba Motono Mizuni Kaeru - Do not think of winning. Think, rather, of not losing
Katsu kangae wa motsuna; makenu kangae wa hitsuyo - Make adjustments according to your opponent
Tekki ni yotte tenka seyo - The outcome of a battle depends on how one handles emptiness and fullness (weakness and strength)
Tattakai wa kyo-jitsu no soju ikan ni ari - Think of the opponent's hands and feet as swords
Hi to no te-ashi wa ken to omoe - When you step beyond your own gate, you face a million enemies
Danshi mon o izureba hyakuman no teki ari - Kamae is for beginners; later, one stands in shizentai
Kamae wa shoshinsha ni atowa shizentai - Perform kata exactly; actual combat is another matter
Kata wa tadashiku, jisen wa betsumono - Do not forget the employment of withdrawal of power, the extension or contraction of the body, the swift or leisurely application of technique
Chikara no kyojaku tai no shinshuku waza no kankyu - Be constantly mindful, diligent, and resourceful, in your pursuit of the Way
Tsune ni shinen ku fu seyo
