ORIGIN OF KARATE DO
"All things come into existence ,
And hence we see them return .
Look at the things that have been flourishing ;
Each goes back to its origin .
Going back to its origin is called peace ;
It means reversion to destiny .
Reversion to destiny is called eternity .
He who knows eternity is called enlightened .
He who does not know about eternity is running
Blindly into miseries . "
Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu
Once primitive martial arts had reached the Far East , they took root and began the gradual process of diversification into a number of sophisticated branches . Unfortunately there is very little evidence beyond myth , hearsay and speculation that relates to the early growth and spread of the martial arts .
There are very few such documents in the early history of the martial arts. The belief is based upon a legend that relates how there came one day to the Songshan Shaolin Temple
and monastry at the foot of the Songshan Mountains in the Kingdom of
Wei in China ,a monk from India called " Bodhidharma" .
He taught a new , more direct approach to Buddhism that involved long
periods of static meditation. There is some evidence that in the year
AD 520 Bodhidharma , born in Kanchipuram , near Madras , travelled to
the city of Kaung where he was granted audience by Wu Ti , the emperor
of the Liang Dynasty .
He is said to have sat facing a cave wall
for nine years , and to have instructed the other monks in the same way.
It is believed from his teachings was born the dhyana or meditative school
of Buddhism , called Ch'an by the Chinese and Zen by the Japanese. The
fighting art is known as Shaolin ch'uan fa or Shaolin Temple Boxing is
is held to be based upon these exercises . Many Japanese and Chinese
fighting arts are thought to have evolved from this tradition . If the legend
of Bodhidharma is true and he did visit the Songshan Shaolin Monasrty , he
is doubly important in the history of the martial art , for not only did he
establish Shaolin boxing , but he is also the first patriarch of Ch'an
or Zen Buddhism.DOJO KUN
"GINKAKU KANSEI NI TSUTOMERU KOTO( Work to perfect your character.)
REIGI O OMONJIRU KOTO
( Always act with good manners. )
KEKKI NO YU O IMASHIMERU KOTO
( Refrain from violent and uncontrolled behaviour.)
DORYOKUN NO SEISHIN O YASHINARU KOTO
( Cultivate a spirit of endeavour and perseverience.)
MAKOTO NO O MAMORU KOTO ".
( Have fidelity in seeking a true way.)
Karate trains the body : it builds mascular strength and agility , coordination and endurance . But Karate is an Original Martial Art and as such is influenced by Oriental Philosophy which stresses traning to become a better person. As important as the physical traning , therefore , are the Dojo Kun , the "Notions for Traning " which are shouted in union during the closing ceremony after each practice .
