The Dojo Kun; History and translations

hitotsu, jinkaku kansei ni tsutomeru koto

hitotsu, makoto no michi wo mamoru koto

hitotsu, doryoku no seishin wo yashinau koto

hitotsu, reigi wo omonzuru koto

hitotsu, kekki no yū wo imashimuru koto

You hear this “Chant” at the end of each class in my Dojo, flowed by the English version, but many people don’t know the history or that the translation they are saying may or may not be as accurate as we would think.

We take it for granted that Our instructors are teaching us the right translations, I mean after all we don’t speak Japanese (most of us anyway) so we take it for granted that we are saying the right things after we repeat the Japanese. Hell we take it for granted that our Japanese is not “Take my money and kick me in the fanny”. But here is the horrible truth for those of us that train in my club…we are not saying the right translation…we are saying the one we like the best however!!!

Lets start off with “what is the Dojo Kun” and move forwards from that point. The Dojo Kun is the set of moral and ethical principles and context in which we need to be practicing the Martial arts we are training in, and some of us fail this greatly on a daily basis…but I digress. The concepts are very basic and general in nature and force you to interpret what they mean whenever you really think about them. I mean “Be faithful”….to what, to whom, how? They make you think about your actions and how you present yourself and can be as dangerous and manipulated as they are positive and reaffirming of human goodness can be.

Okay, so it’s a set of principles set out to really define the ethical confines acceptable for training in Karate…who put them forwards? Well, history is a bit shaky on this one and I think most of us are guessing when we say “this is the answer” so I am going to say straight out…this is my guess and my reason for guessing this!

Most history books suggest that Funakoshi Gichin or Itosu Anko wrote out the Dojo Kun for his students to really drive home the idea of ethics in Karate. But the truth is that he probably just repeated an activity that his instructor had for him and his peers and that his instructor’s instructor did for his students to follow. And it’s not unique to Shotokan…by any stretch…but I am getting ahead of myself.

If history teaches us anything, it teaches us that its often written by those that make half of it up and warp it to their own needs for the other half. The only way to get a clear view of what actually happened would be to take multiple sources that have no bias and work forwards…and in a subject as limited in interest as Karate…we often only have a few very biased sources to work from…and some of my newest research has really opened my eyes to this.

The truth is that the Dojo Kun was probably created by the great Sensei Sakukawa and not Funakoshi at all, Sensei Funakoshi simply was repeating a trend or action that his instructors instructor did to help his student remember that Karate should only be practiced in a specific way, with specific intent. Sakugawa Kanga (spelt different, but same dude), was a Karate instructor in Okinawa in the late 1700’s and early 1800’s who taught Matsumura Sokon and worked for the Okinawan government. He was also a student of Kang shi Wa and Takahara Pechin and very well educated in Chinese philosophy and the Chinese classics, unusual for a person in Okinawa at that time.

Sakugawa set out a list of ethical confines that his students MUST follow for him to be a true warrior and man of “Bushido” (I use the “” because I am not sure that Okinawan people would have used this very Japanese term, but the intent is what I am getting at). Sakugawa apparently wrote out a set of ideals that we should strive for as Martial arts practitioners, which are now lost to history…anyone saying different is drinking some strange cool aide or selling it. However it is suggested that the Bushido code is a form of Dojo kun and that Sakugawa had interactions with Samurai at the time that taught him this.

Some say that the Bushido tenants (Gi, Yu, Jin, Rei, Makoto, Meiyo and Chugi) were originally or later translated into a form of Dojo Kun. The tenants translate as Rectitude, Courage, Benevolence, respect, honesty, honor and loyalty. The Bushido code is simply put written so those that don’t know how to read can memorize the important parts. But it could serve as a basis for Sakugawa to build a dojo kun off of.

Okay, So Sakugawa wrote a Dojo Kun and then he passed it onto Matsumura who in turn taught it to his students…now one suggestion that I followed for the longest time is that Itosu passed the Dojo kun down to Funakoshi…hell I taught it to my students as such, but I am now rethinking this point and want to clarify a bit. ITOSU was not a student of Matsumura for a long period of time. Apparently Matsumura did not like Itosu and felt he was all about power and not speed…so he was not nice to Itosu and Itosu eventually left to train under Nagahama Chikudun of Naha (according to Choki Motobu) and when Nagahama passed away he left and trained with Gusukuma of Tomori (according to Funakoshi Gichin). Neither of the masters that Itosu trained under were known to use the dojo kun however.

It is more likely that Funakoshi Sensei was passing on the traditional use of Kun from his first instructor Azato Anko and a student of Matsumura and good friend to Itosu Sensei, I am putting together a bit of a history of Itosu for my next blog to cover the weird things I learned while reviewing non-shotokan history tid bits to explain my change in views.

Regardless of history the translation we use for the dojo kun is as follows;

• Strive for completion of character (or Seek perfection of character)

• Be Faithful

• Endeavor (to excel)*

• Respect others

• Refrain from violent behavior

This is the common translation used by the ISKF, JKA and many of the JKA derivative clubs around the world, the * Denotes an add on that Dingman Sensei put into the Dojo kun to make it more relevant and understandable for us. This translation is not much like the bushido code, but its close. It still encompasses the same feelings that should be sought when training and the “true of heart and action” that Funakoshi’s predecessors had in mind when creating the martial ways code of ethics.

Our translation is not the only one out their however, a much more long winded and more “English friendly version does exist, I have never seen it used however but its goes like this;

• Each person must strive for the completion and perfection of one's character

• Each person must be faithful and protect the way of truth

• Each person must endeavor (fostering the spirit of effort)

• Each person must respect others and the rules of etiquette

• Each person must refrain from violent behavior (guard against impetuous courage)

As you can see its much more “wordy” and while it strives to create a more direct and understandable link what the intent is, it loses the magic of the JKA version of the Kun. The magic of the Dojo kun is that its not a “paint by numbers” version of the Dojo kun, it makes you think and interpret, rethink and reevaluate the whole thing when you say it. If you don’t want to think to much about it you don’t, but introspective students will use this as a way of searching for answers in their training and really benefit from asking questions and looking for answers. The more “THIS IS WHAT WE MEAN…DON’T THINK ABOUT IT” Kind of Kun that we use…the less quality it presents in my opinion.

Now I did say that other styles us a version of a Dojo Kun right. Well, styles like Goju and Ryu-Te both use similar Kun to drive home ethical standards that a true martial artist follows and they are similar to both the Bushido code and the Dojo Kun.

Goju Ryu

• One thing: Be humble and polite.

• One thing: Train considering your physical strength.

• One thing: Practice earnestly with creativity.

• One thing: Be calm and swift.

• One thing: Take care of your health.

• One thing: Live a plain life.

• One thing: Do not be too proud or modest.

• One thing: Continue your training with patience.

Ryu-te

• Strive for good moral character.

• Keep an honest and sincere way.

• Cultivate perseverance through a will for striving.

• Develop a respectful attitude.

• Restrain physical ability through spiritual attainment.

Both would of course look and sound different in Japanese, but the translations show that the typical Kun outline is being followed in creating these Ethical guidelines for martial practice. But here is were the train goes off the tracks…how many people realize that Funakoshi and his masters all LIVED these rules and would not train those that did not follow the rules or ethical standards…well they would if pushed but they would often toss students out that were not following the right ethical path.

Choki Motobu was known as a bit of a bruit. He would go to the red light districts in Okinawa and test his skills against Gangsters, thugs and drunks and often beat them up very badly. He was the son of Lord Motobu Choshin and a decedent of royalty. Choki was the last of three sons and as such not entitled to an education in the family martial arts style. However he had a vast interest in training in Karate (then known mostly as Tode or Te) and began training on his own. He went to Matsumura sokon and even Anko Itosu and pushed his weight around (being a powerful family has its benefits) and also bribed instructors or black mailed them. Itosu is known to have taught Motobu but did not like him and Matsumura disliked him even more but was forced to teach him as a member of the royal family.

The point is that we need to, as instructors and students, relearn the Dojo kun and start figuring out the intent and how we can all learn from it. Should we be taking in ALL students and teaching them all the same or should we be focusing on teaching only select students. Is it our jobs to evaluate students ethically or should we be turning out students and building a business?

For me, I am going back to restudy the Kun and try to make sure I am adhering to the ethical limitations that the Kun puts on instructors and students and from now on I am going to use a more trained eye when teaching students and watch whom I associate with and whom I train or train with. I think what is lost when you don’t study the dojo Kun is greater than most understand!



Hyoteki!!!!!!

When you are in class you have lots to keep in mind when doing Karate. You have stances, hip use, keep your shoulders down, keep your eyes forward, rotate your wrist at the last second, draw back hand, bend the front knee (Front stance), use the back leg to push, keep your head straight…don’t turn with your shoulders, warm up right, keep moving, kiai….all the moves in your kata, don’t get hit, block right and not to hard, counter right away….the list goes on and on! And Im going to add one more….Hyoteki!

You need to have good and proper Hyoteki in all of your training, Kata, Kumite and Kihon. Its is an element that brings it all together! In imparts realism, usability, real world application, proper form, and without it you are just a flailing mass of human spaz out! Like the MANY videos on line of people “Doing Kratty” if you don’t have Hyoteki then you are not doing Karate! You can build the strongest front kicks, the most powerful and fastest Reverse punch…but without Hyoteki you are just wasting your time, my time and any one that trains with you…their time!

So, what is Hyoteki? TARGETING! Like a Missile launched to save the world, if your Tsuki is off course and lands poorly you won’t save anything and chances are you may tick off your partners…..or worse your attackers! Hyoteki is the difference between a powerful/fast but flailing technique and a perfectly executed technique. Its also the difference between getting into a slug fest and applying Ikken Hitatsu or “one punch, end of fight”(Made that sound nicer).



When I teach Karate I mention target in an amongst the other things that I teach (Distance, speed, angles, proper form….) But I don’t give it much of a second thought when teaching, I brush over it and I may say “don’t miss the target” but I really don’t explain that and I don’t really push the whole Target thing beyond what you hear me saying in class. However, Hyoteki has saved my butt in real world situations and also its something that I studied a great deal while in University…..yes, they kind of teach that in university…its called Anatomy labs!

All of your training should be done with Hyoteki in mind. When you do Kihon waza, be it line work or drills you should be kicking for a specific target and punching for a specific target, that spinning back fist best land on your imaginary opponent in the right spot or you are hardwiring in a bad target! Your Kata should not look like you are engaged in a fight with a giant or a dwarf! You need proper targeting during un-partnered training to hard wire in proper form and targeting. When you do Kumite you must…..Must…..Must show proper target or you are now reinforcing the lack of target under pressure which means you will miss if you ever need to use the techniques in stressful situations…like a defensive situation.

During Kihon and Kata we say you are working with an imaginary opponent that is your same height, weight and build. You are training with a mirror image of yourself. So, when you get up to test and you punch a inch above your own head…is this wishful thinking or bad Hyoteki? You need to work with a mirror at home to make sure that the target you THINK You are aiming at is actually the target you need to be aiming at! There is nothing worse than watching the last two moves in Jion or Tekki Shodan and thinking “Do they realize they are shorter than this?” Work on targeting in Kata and Kihon and your Kumite will improve drastically.

Kumite Hyoteki is way more obvious at the junior levels. Three step sparring and one step sparring puts Hyoteki under a microscope. If you miss target during one step or three step (or the dreaded 25 step sparring) your techniques will show a miss in movements. The focus of a perfect technique, off target, is like looking at a copy of the Mona Lisa…with a.. mustache drawn on it…perfect to a point then horribly wrong. You can hide bad form a bit and horrible targeting in free style to some extent but you need to be on target and practice being on target for effective self-defense….which after all is one of the points of training!

As we begin in Karate we start with a general area for targeting (Jodan/Chudan/Gedan) but technically as we get higher in rank we should be narrowing that scope. Most practitioners are only taught the three target AREAS and we don’t narrow the scope, but we should be. Good Hyoteki comes only when you also learn Seigyo….Control of form and or techniques. If you have great targeting but bad control then you will hurt people, and I think that is what most people are scared of. You have to develop both Hyoteki and Seigyo together.

Hyoteki and Seigyo are pretty much essential for good Karate, but they are kind of mutually exclusive in some peoples minds. Some people develop great control and don’t need it because they punch off target all the time, and some people have great target but horrible control. You need both to build solid Karate, but this Blog Article is about Hyoteki not Seigyo.

So, as a junior we teach the three “Areas” for targeting, a “Rectangular set of areas that encompasses the Face, Chest and Lower stomach/Groin area that we call Jodan/Chudan/Gedan. These very general areas are meant to make Hyoteki easy for juniors…kind of like “get it in this general area and you are going to get a check for correct”.

But this generalization is important up to about Green belt to teach that there is a general area. Three simple “spots” to aim at when doing drills, sparring and doing Kata…but we also want to have perfection in targeting to some extent during testing, if you hit the “lower Chudan area” and we want “upper or middle Chudan” some instructors will get mad and fail you.

The Junior Hyoteki areas MUST be very general in teaching and in training to help build the ability to throw a good technically correct Waza and build on self-confidence as well as form and functionality. We teach students to punch UP, middle or Down…but they have so much more to learn that this is as specific as we can or should get.



Around Green or purple belt we normally start intimating that there are different targets and we narrow the scope to the tip of the chin for Jodan, Solar plexus for chudan and the groin for Gedan. The more specific targeting tightens up the points that we accept as targets and we like to see them in Kata, Kumite and Kihon. While we normally start with Solar Plexus at white belt we expect greater accuracy in Kata and Kihon at this level with all Waza.

The general area is narrowed to within a few inches to show an increased control factor as well as to assist in a real life situation. The intermediate student still will have to rely a lot on power and speed and hit the target “Area” very hard to effect proper self-defense, but you will note that the use based on better Hyoteki and an understanding of technique over just flailing and trying to get with in a two foot area. As instructors we have to teach intermediate students the form and functionality of techniques first, then we can look at hitting the “area” properly.

At Sankyu you are seen as an advanced student, not an advanced practitioner....but an advanced student. The 3rd Kyu students almost always slide back to Jodan/Chudan/Gedan because they are ramping up and getting more power, speed and explosiveness, suddenly throwing a brick at a target area is much more important than being a sniper hitting a specific target with pin point accuracy…and this is as it should be. True Brown belts are bruts and work on muscling techniques out. They are not fun to spar with because they are a tad wild and focus on explosive action over finesse!

“Bakuhatsu-Ryoku”! Explosive power does not give a lot of time to finesse and target or Seido Hyoteki! A brown belt is a slide back in this area but the power and explosiveness comes up a notch.



Now at Shodan the Jodan/Chudan/Gedan makes way for a re-commitment to the targets of Ago/ Suigetsu and Kinteki (Chin, solar plexus and groin). The targeting begins to be more and more accurate and focus is given to these three targets pretty much exclusively….to a fault. Most people in Karate end their Hyoteki training here. The advancement from practitioner to intermediate and advanced practitioner depends not on sport ability (which is a false path in Karate) but on studying deeper into Hyoteki and finding a next level of targeting!

Intermediate practitioners, Nidan students should begin to study Kata for Hyoteki to assess the different Atemi points on the body. This is the start of moving up the path to advanced students. You should focus on different areas, different weapons to hit that point with and find a way to harden your hands and go back to all the Kata and learn variations on the striking components of the Kata, only then will you make that leap to the advanced practitioner with multiple targets to select from, points that will cause pain, some that will cause unconsciousness and others that lead into even more devastating results and by now you will have the maturity to realize when to use them and when not to.



When you spar it is expected that your accuracy will step back a level. Those at black belt levels that can pin point specific Atemi points will suddenly be relegated to bigger area targets. Those that can nail a Chin/Solar plexus/ Groin area shots in One step or in drills are now working with Jodan/Chudan and Gedan targets. And those that are relegated to the broad general areas tend to now be flailing at big wide areas of the body. The key to training is to tighten this up again so that you have the one punch ability to end a fight.

You can flail and hit someone 5 times in a fight or nail them on the button once and end the fight. You can work hard or you can work smart. The point of Karate is to end a fight as quickly and as safely as possible, but also to give yourself options in a fight or a situation, Training Hyoteki in your sparring will make this possible.



With so much to worry about we tend to shove this to the back of our heads and not focus on targeting, but it will bring relevance to your karate and help you build on past training success to move to the next level.