Shu Ha Ri

Shu Ha Rei

Shu Ha Rei is the Japanese martial concept that describes the stages of Mastery. It is roughly translated as “first learn, then detach and finally transcend”. It’s a hard concept to present because so many instructors actually avoid the idea and some, less well meaning instructors, actually see it as a negative because they may lose power and control over a students.

Shu is the first stage and it actually means to “Obey” or “protect”. In this phase a student learns the traditions, techniques, fundamentals and principles of a style or tradition. Students in this phase should be listening and practicing very hard to master the concepts of the style. This does not mean that everyone will look the same, but it does mean that the training and traditions will be mastered by the students.

Ha is the second stage and means to “Detach” or “Digress”. Students break from tradition and start to experience things outside of the tradition, they separate and explore the ideas of the tradition personally. They have integrated the dogma and ideology as well as the techniques and now they are moving to integrate and challenge the ideas and see what works for them. This period can be hard on students as they start to think for themselves about the art they are training in, they find holes and things that are missing. But soon they realize that it is not the art that has holes in it, but the instructors ability to transmit on a personal level to them.

Ri is the last phase and it means to “Leave” or “separate” from the core. Not meaning they actually leave the style. This is far to often the misinterpretation of the “Ri” phase. It means that they are now thinking for themselves and forming ideas of their own. They are transcending the Dogma and have really began to understand the physical side of training and have began to formulate their own ideas. Their understanding is beyond the proverbs and basic ideas and now transcending that, they are becoming the style more and the style is personal to them.

Their normally is no real corresponding rank for the phases of mastery known as “Shu-Ha-Ri” but a loose representation would be those Kyu levels are firmly in the Shu phase of training, still trying to learn the fundamentals of the system and engrain its teachings in themselves. Lower Dan levels should be moving into the Ha phase and working both inside and outside the style to build their understanding, then around 5^th to 6^th dan one can say they should be in the Ri phase were their teachings become part of them and their own.

However the ranking levels do not often correspond with the phases of mastery. I know of a few seniors that have never gotten out of the Shu phase and teach Dogma without knowing the true meaning of several of the things they teach and I also know a few juniors that are well ahead of others in the phases of mastery and have yet to make their Shodan. I think the saddest part of the whole process is seeing people that feel they are beyond the level they are truly at. I mostly see this with Brown belts that seem to think they understand more than they do. The inability to continue learning or to try and go to the next step before they have completed their learning is much more sad than a senior who is stuck as a student.

I know of a few students who refuse to learn from others and simply want to teach or get a good work out but won’t let go of ego. They think it is because of their knowledge of Karate, but really it’s the lack of knowledge that leads them to this issue!

So, how do you apply Shu Ha Ri to your own training and why should you do it? Well you should try to apply it because you will gain an even richer understanding of Karate and make it more personal. The how is much harder. First off you have to cast off your Ego and say “I am here to learn”, and doing that at a 3^rd, 4^th or 5^th Dan can be very difficult. You have to realize that even Funakoshi, the creator of Karate…Nakayama the innovator of Karate and all those other masters…were still students at heart! That is true magic! You have to say, even if I think I know this…I have to go back and see what I was taught for what it is and really study it! Look into it, understand it and then move beyond and apply it to other studies you have had or other experiences. You need to realize that Karate is only a small part of who you are, and you can bring so much more to the table once you are past the Shu part. Move into the Ha part with an open mind and apply things that may compliment your training. Learn how to teach or learn more about the body. And then Ri…well that happens all by itself.