The Twenty Guiding Principles of Karate

I was given a book at Xmas regarding the Twenty Guiding Principles of Karate as written by Gichin Funakoshi.* You may wonder what relevance these will have for fencers but let me detail them for you and see what you think....
1. Do not forget that Karate begins and ends with respect
2. There is no first strike in Karate
3. Karate stands on the side of justice
4. First know yourself, then know others
5. Mentality over technique
6. The mind must be set free
7. Calamity springs from carelessness
8. Karate goes beyond the dojo
9. Karate is a lifelong pursuit
10. Apply the way of Karate to all things. Therein lies its beauty
11. Karate is like boiling water: without heat, it returns to its tepid state
12. Do not think of winning. Think, rather, of not losing
13. Make adjustments according to your opponent
14. The outcome of a battle depends on how one handles emptiness and fullness (weakness and strength)
15. Think of the opponent's hands and feet as swords
16. When you step beyond your own gate, you face a million enemies
17. Ready stance is for beginners; later one stands in natural stance
18. Perform kata exactly; actual combat is another matter
19. Do not forget the employment or withdrawal of power, the extension or contraction of the body, the swift or leisurely application of technique 
20. Be constantly mindful, diligent and resourceful in your pursuit of the way   

So there you are, the guiding principles as specified by the founder himself. The relevance to fencing of some of them is obvious, others not so. I will leave them with you to ponder for a while, then I will return to the subject in subsequent posts......


* "The Twenty Guiding Principles of Karate - the Spritual Legacy of the Master" Gichin Funakoshi. Translated by John Teramoto. Kodansha International 2003