The best martial artists are generous sometimes to a fault. Generosity means “showing a readiness to give more of something, as money or time, than is strictly necessary or expected.” Ninkyou (任侠) or “generosity” is the one samurai quality that is rarely talk about because it is a given. Remember in the Hagakure, it states, “If a warrior is not unattached to life and death, he will be of no use whatsoever.” What that means is that a samurai generously offers up their most prized possession - their life. Therefore, the samurai is generous to a fault which means that they will give themselves 100% “even if it means that it brings them harm or discomfort.” A samurai’s generosity is true generosity because it comes without the desire for reward. This samurai generosity is carried over into the martial arts. Most don’t realize that a traditional martial art runs on generosity and I don’t mean from a financial point of view. In a traditional dojo, the teacher is supposed to give 100% of themselves to the development of the student and to the proliferation of the art. For instance, the teacher is always supposed to arrive earlier than the students and is supposed to prepare the space and create an environment that will optimize the student’s development. Teaching the class is the tip of the iceberg and few people see exactly what the teacher does in order to create the opportunity for the students to learn. From the standpoint of the student, it might seem as if their only job is to show up and learn. On a certain level that is true, but the student is also supposed to give 100% of themselves. Like a samurai, a student is supposed to learn how to be generous with their prized possession. Each day in class, students “give” their bodies so that other people may reach the pinnacle in their training. This generosity is given at their own risk and so it should not be abused or taken lightly by the teacher or the other training partners. The founder of Kyokushin Karate, Mas Oyama once said, “Personal greed and egoism are things that cause human beings to forget respect for others and violate rules that have been established for the sake of peace and friendship.” Understanding this, a true martial artist respects the generosity of others and never takes advantage of their kindness and is in turn generous sometimes to a fault themselves. In addition to meaning generosity, ninkyou also means “helping the weak and fighting the strong.” Therefore, the practice of generosity prepares us for the ultimate sacrifice of giving ourselves in service of others and that’s why in budo, they say, “Living is hard, dying is easy.” In the martial arts and in life, to be the best is to work tirelessly in the service of others and that’s why the best martial artists are oftentimes generous to a fault.
Today’s goal: Just one time, go out of your way to help someone else. Tomorrow, wash, rinse, and repeat.
Watch this video to better understand the value of generosity.