No10 JIKC Opening Class Ceremony

When I began to study martial arts (budo) in Yokohama, Japan at age
12, we were taught primarily the competitive aspect of budo ,
which was to win. For those of us who learned karate in those days,
the primary focus was on the physical, rather than the mental part.
However, the “real” meaning of budo is the way to stop fighting,
which unfortunately has not been given much emphasis. When a new
dojo opened during those days, often times a high ranking sensei
would say a few words about this “real” meaning of karate. But for
most of us young men, we viewed ourselves as combatants and
warriors rather than peacemakers. We thought that what he said
sounded noble and the proper thing to say at an event like the
grand opening of a a new dojo, but we never questioned our purpose
for the long hours of training we endured – to fight and
to win!

The JIKC dojo precepts are as follows:
Uphold The Principles of Propriety and Courtesy
Cultivate The Spirit of Effort

Perfect A Mind of Patience
Live The Way of Truth
Do Not Lose Self Control Or Act in A Violent Manner

Many dojo have precepts similar to those above. Patterned after
other “dojo kun” , I began to use our dojo precepts around 1965.
Sometime after that, one of the older students in one of my classes,
Mr. Maekawa, who was the chief buyer at Star Market told me that
thinking .about the dojo precepts gave him a better understanding of
why he was a student of karate. This made me think of what direction
and attitudes I wanted JIKC students to have. So I made the dojo
precepts the basis of our opening and closing class ceremonies and
underlying philosophy . In addition, I made the following as part of our
credo:

Three Principles of Mental Strength
Seriousness
Try Hard
Never Give Up

Three Principles of Mental Attitude
Initiative
Responsibility
Pride

Three Principles of Relations with Others
Appreciation
Consideration
Unity

These have been the basis of the character of JIKC for over 40 years
with little change.

By Souke Kiyohisa Hirano.

*Translator; Thomas Muraoka
Karate 3dan Since1982