by Sean Wong
The poem, Oku Myo Zai Ren Shin is displayed at the Hombu dojo in Okinawa, Japan for all to see. It is like a mantra that my Sensei often repeats which means if you are a good person and train diligently, any secrets that lay hidden will eventually reveal itself. Within the context of a dojo setting, such a saying suggests that only a person who is kind and hard working could reap the wisdom of Karate. The original shodo was put to pen by a well-known calligrapher in 1952 when the dojo was first opened and it has become an enduring motto within Meibukan since.
Many Karate aficionados will do their homework and research the different aspects of Karate in order to reveal these hidden strategies and tactics. Whether one wishes to be a coach, an athlete, a historian, a Sensei, a student, or simply a spectator, Karate offers anyone with passion a lifetime of discovery. Not just about Karate but about life. As a teacher and former athlete, I have learned the hard way that being proficient at one or two is possible but being good at all of them at the same time is not. After a quarter of a century, my efforts in due diligence have provided me with a good understanding, albeit a singular point of view, of Karate. My confidence is high that I don’t reflect the image of a bad person but if the motto holds true, I find myself questioning if I am ‘good’ enough for a secretive reveal and that I would be arrogant in believing that I am worthy enough to be in ‘good’ favor with the Karate Gods.
One thing is for sure. I have experienced days when I have listened to advice on one day and completely disagree or misunderstood it. While on another day, hearing the same advice would yield a completely different take on its message. Perhaps this is an example of the saying, “When a student is ready (in this case – good), the teacher will reveal itself.” If this is my personal experience, it is probably why repetition is a vital exercise for my students to fully understand my meaning and why Sensei continually repeats his mantra. Alternatively, how many different ways must a Sensei deliver a message in an effort to cater to the different learning and character personalities.
Our art has branched out to meet the needs of students and society throughout the world in just a few decades. It is very likely that one day, there will be dedicated experts in a specific fields of Karate. Evidence of this is happening right now. There is already a distinction between Okinawan and Japanese Karate, children and adult, as well as sport and combat. One could practice each of these in a lifetime and still continue to learn something new. Even in sport there are Open and Traditional tournaments. Therefore, a student can start at 4 years old and stay within the Open sport circuit until old age while never even realizing that Karate came from Okinawa or that Karate kata does not have to include 20 kiais. It would be certain that the secrets that reveal itself in combat are different than those in sport. Who is to say that one is more right that the other and if we were so blasant to do so, do we still remain in the ‘good’ books.
When the Oku Myo Zai Ren Shin was written for Dai Sensei in 1952, there were no organized tournaments or non-Japanese Karate. I will never know what it was like to train with the late Chojun Miyagi nor have I experienced the devastation of war. Today, just a generation later, there are new paths that Karate has taken. Therefore, secrets today are relative only to the path and this path is determined by the dojo and its Kancho. In fact, with so many different interpretations of bunkai, I have come to believe that my secret reveal of Karate is not in technique at all but rather in the ability to adapt to and improve society. After all, does it really matter if I can punch a man in 25 ways when he is holding a gun 5 feet in front me? Maybe I’ll never be good enough to know but I will certainly appreciate the quest for the answer and thus bettering myself on this colourful journey.
Please Note: The calligraphy above is found on Sensei Brock Vickerson’s website www.meibukankaratedojo.com.
