Secret Teachings of Karate

There are many parts of karate that I can and do teach here on my blog as well as in my children’s picture books. Some aspects could be also taught in videos. But many of the secret teachings of karate cannot be transferred in those ways. Many lessons must be learned by doing, by being there. Much of the untold wisdom of karate has to be learned by the deep recesses of your heart. I will list out my top nine of these secrets even knowing that you may not learn them all. I have learned them by walking for many years on my dojo path. Yet I know that other paths can teach these things as well.    

9:

You are important! As Barney says, “You are special.” But this is one of those elusive things that you must learn. It must be proven to you in ways unique to your reception in order for you to truly understand. This can be proven to you by your dojo family and senseis, if you are ready to accept it.  

8:

Community is okay! In this day and age it’s often “me first” and “I’m too busy,” (looking at screens by the way). There is also the problem of polarization that is evidenced when we do branch out into the wider world. We have largely lost a sense of community. Dojo involvement teaches you that community is okay. More than that, community is a blessing and community is important.

7:  More on Community, One of the Secret Teachings of Karate

The good of the group is a priority! Even though you are extremely special and important, remember that community is important too. And it involves many other important people as well as yourself. If you, for whatever reason, put your community at risk, they are going to have to prioritize the community over your special self.

6:

You can be good or bad and this depends on your actions every day! I see this as a good fit to follow the paragraph above on the secret teachings of karate. We all have good and bad inside of us. Our actions show our heart and make us what we are. We are constantly creating ourselves. Your actions every day determine whether you are good or bad.

5:

You can control yourself! Referencing the secret teachings of karate above, you can control your own actions and do good things each and every day. You can control yourself and act in healthier ways each and every day. It’s the little choices made every day that over time have a big impact. Not only do you have the ability to control yourself, you have the responsibility to control yourself. As Napoleon Hill said, “If you do not conquer self, you will be conquered by self.”

4: More on Your Decisions and the Secret Teachings of Karate

You can choose to have a positive attitude! No matter the circumstances in one’s life, you always have the choice of your attitude. As I have learned from my karate mentors, a positive attitude is an asset that we all can cultivate and hold for ourselves. It is sometimes talked about, but this one of the essential secret teachings of karate is best learned from the example of a strong mentor.

3:

What goes around comes around! Newland Kyoshi often referenced attitude when talking about this the law of sowing and reaping. If you put out a bad attitude, people will throw a bad attitude right back at you. If you instead put forth a good, positive attitude, you will find that coming back around to you. This one of the secret teachings of karate is not 100 percent. Just like sowing seeds won’t get you results 100 percent of the time. But whatever you consistently put out into the world, you are due to get a harvest of like kind.  

2:

Your choices and actions create your life! In case you didn’t gather this from all of the above about your decisions and the secret teachings of karate, I had to put this out there. And it’s true even for those who don’t do karate. This is true for everyone and especially for adults. So if you are able to recognize this, you can harness the power that you have in your life. Because whatever you choose and do (or don’t do) today is creating your next moment. Your life now is a result of your choices and actions in the past.

1:

You have the power to improve yourself and your life! Hopefully this is no surprise after reading the secret teachings of karate above. But, if there’s one thing I’ve learned from my karate training, it is that the power for each of us is in our own two little hands. As I have advanced in rank and ability, I have grown to know and exemplify this more and more. Being able to spread this knowledge to others (so they can truly, deeply know it in their bones) is one of the reasons I love teaching karate.

Maybe you are learning these secret teachings of karate on your dojo path. Or maybe you are learning them in other experiences. Many of these are parts of modern philosophy that can be learned in karate and can help anyone who truly learns these lessons.

-Jenifer Tull-Gauger