誰も一人で戦うことはありません
Dare mo hitori de tatakau koto wa arimasen
Nobody fights alone
Martial arts training teaches us to be less jibunkatte (自分勝手) or “selfish.” In the beginning of one’s training, it is easy for students to think that they kogunfunto (孤軍奮闘) or “fight alone.” After all, it’s easy to think that since they and they alone have to defend ourselves. Sometimes, Japanese people refer to selfish people as being too katte (勝手). Interestingly, the word katte can mean selfish but it can also refer to one’s right hand which pulls the bowstring back or in this case it means to pull too hard. Every person is inherently selfish. However, in martial arts training, we learn to be a little less selfish so that when the time comes, our training enables us to set aside our selfishness and act selflessly. As students become more experienced and get promoted in rank, they become senpai (先輩) or “senior students.” In a dojo, the senior students are required, as part of their training, to take care of their kohai (小廃) or “juniors.” In my dojo, nothing makes me madder than when the students, especially the seniors, act selfishly. The reason why I get mad is because a dojo is only as good as its senpais. If the seniors are bad, then the dojo is most likely bad. A dojo cannot survive if everyone acts as they please. It will only survive as a community of people who care for one another. In a dojo, it is said that “everything is your responsibility.” We care and so we make everything our responsibility. Within our selfishness hides our egos. Our egos are inescapable, but training gives us the wherewithal to be selfless even if it is for just one moment. Sometimes all that one needs to find O’Sensei’s philosophy of masakatsu agatsu (正勝吾勝) or “the true victory is self victory” is just one moment of selflessness. From that one moment, we can build many moments of selflessness and come to realize O’Sensei’s philosophy and with that mindset dojos can become wonderful places. It is a myth that we fight alone or accomplish anything alone for that matter. The only way for us to get to the top of the mountain is to get there as a group and that can only be done when we act a little less selfish.
Today’s goal: What can you do to act a little less selfishly?