Warriors are supposed to be trustworthy. In martial arts training, we are trying to become tanomoshii (頼もしい) or “a person worthy of trust.” Trust might be one of the most crucial elements in any relationship in not only combat but in life as well. If we cannot trust the person standing next to us to protect our flank, then we will surely perish. That is why a warrior cultivates themselves and tries to become as reliable as a shinraidekiru ken (信頼できる剣) or “trusted sword.” A martial artist is supposed to be an upstanding person and every day in class, we work on becoming trustworthy. On the mat, our partners trust that we won’t intentionally hurt them and we, in turn, don’t breach that trust by purposefully hurting them. Off the mat, we clean up after ourselves and treat each other respectfully. The more we act appropriately, the more other people trust us. Our actions on and off the mat dictate to others our true character and indicate whether or not we can be trusted. In the old days of the martial arts, training wasn’t open to everyone. A teacher would only accept a student by recommendation or if they were from a “good” family because there had to be some accountability. A person or family’s good name was at stake if someone they recommended acted inappropriately. Interestingly, in Japanese, to gain someone’s trust is futokoro ni hairu (懐に入る) which translates as “to get in someone's pocket” but it’s also the term used in Sumo for getting close to one’s opponent. Someone once said, “Trust takes years to build, seconds to break, and forever to repair.” In the martial arts, it is the same way. In the martial arts or in life, the worst thing is to be thought of as untrustworthy. The Japanese say, “Cherry blossoms among flowers warriors among men.” A martial artist is supposed to be a person of character and that’s why they are trustworthy.
Today’s goal: Become a person worthy of trust.
Watch this video to better understand trust.