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Written by Robert Lile
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Thursday, 28 December 2006 |
The Purpose of Budo
Edward Ichihara Smith, 4th Dan (California Instructor)(2003)
Introduction
Everything - every word, every action, every inanimate object – has a purpose. It’s usually best to avoid absolutes such as “always”, “never” or “everything” but dwell on this concept for a moment and I challenge anyone to find the logical or intuitive flaw. Influential decisions by world leaders, scientific advances and parents have obvious purposes but so do seemingly insignificant things. Each grain of sand supports or rests upon another grain of sand in order to form the beach. A silly phrase uttered by a child cause laughter and a feeling of well-being for those who hear it. A fish eats other fishes and is itself consumed at a sushi bar. Determining if the purpose has value to man is not the issue therefore identifying the purpose can be difficult. Violence too, has a purpose.
Those who dream of a better world denounce violence and say that violence has no purpose and is counter-productive to life. On the surface, this may seem a naturally logical point of view, however, I contend that violence is a natural state of being, inherent to and inseparable from our world and lives. The fish that ate the smaller fish did it violently, the Hawaiian Islands are being created by violent volcanic eruptions and birth is a violent transition from the safety of the womb into a cold, bright world. Violence is neither good nor bad; it simply exists. However violence should not be confused with cruelty. The uninitiated public automatically equates the martial arts with violence however the apparent parallels do not belie the complete truth. For those who only know of martial arts from TV and movies, the martial ways may seem unnecessarily violent, fantastic or mystical. In addition, the explosion of popular martial arts in the United States has produced a hybrid known as sport karate. Each of these incarnations is an abstract caricature and none truly personifies Budo. So if we know what Budo is not; the question then becomes “What is Budo and what is it’s purpose?”
Budo Defined
Written in Kanji, Budo is made up of two characters. The first, Bu, is translated to mean “martial” or “warrior” and the second, Do, means “the way” or “path”. Therefore, Budo is not (as many non-Japanese tend to believe) another way of saying martial arts but the spiritual, emotional, physical and mental state necessary for one to live as a warrior.
The warriors’ purpose, as defined by the Samurai or Bushi, was a singular, unquestioning loyalty and a lifetime of service to ones lord based in Honor. So what is Honor? To some, honor means that if someone wrongs you, you are justified in seeking revenge or to “save face”. To others, simply telling the truth or repaying debts makes one an honorable man. According to Major Forrest Morgan in his book Living The Martial Way, honor is the fundamental component of Budo and is composed of three other virtues: Obligation, Justice & Courage.
Obligation is the foundation upon which Justice and Courage are based. As the Bushi were obligated to serve their lords, we, in the twenty-first century, have our “Giri”as well. Giri is the moral obligation to fulfill one’s duty. Society is composed of an endless cycle of debt and repayment. We are obligated to our families to be responsible and loving husbands, fathers or sons. We are obligated to be efficient for our employers and supportive to our colleagues. We, as instructors, are obligated to our students to teach correctly in a patient yet disciplined manner. Those of us who have chosen to accept the ways of karate as the focus of our lives carry many obligations and it often seems impossible to repay them all. Yet, as we live a life of Budo, we continuously take steps of repaying our obligation as we impart this concept to our students.
The second tenet upon which honor is based is Justice. Justice is acknowledging and doing what is right. Studying and training in the martial arts develops the mind and body to act and react to threats with potentially devastating results. Possessing the power to maim or kill is a tremendous responsibility to bear. There are many who use their skills to benefit themselves at the expense of others. These bullies who injure, intimidate or cheat others ultimately reveal that they acted without a sense of justice and are therefore, not honorable.
The final tenet essential in defining honor is Courage. Courage is the inner quality that motivates one to do whatever must be done despite the personal risks. Courage isn’t exclusive to the battlefield or in the midst of a catastrophe; it can appear in the form of defending another’s reputation even at the expense of your own. There are many ethical yet unpopular causes that need the support of courageous people to effect a positive social change. There are countless numbers of people who contemplate and agonize over doing the right thing but there are relatively few who take action. In summary, for one to live the way of a warrior, whether in combat or in battling the demons of daily life, one must be honorable by maintaining an obligation to justice and practice it through acts of courage.
Purpose
The origin of martial arts is lost in the mists of time and frequently myth and legend have replaced historical fact. However it is undisputed that all systems, schools and styles shared a common purpose: the need to defend oneself and loved ones from predatory individuals or groups. The innovators and masters of the fighting arts knew that cruelty must be discouraged as the practitioner attains a formidable degree of power. It was not sufficient to possess the skills to inflict pain and death without accepting a moral code to restrain unnecessary violence. Honor isn’t required for aerobic kickboxing, stunt work or building a franchise chain of karate “studios” and therefore the purpose of Budo cannot be found there. I contend that the purpose of Budo is primarily to train an individual to effectively defend oneself and their loved ones from harm. In order to accomplish this, one must be able to accurately analyze and avoid danger prior to invoking one’s fighting skills. Only when all other options, such as retreat or negotiation, are unavailable or have failed should one resort to immediate and decisive physical action. It then becomes paramount to keep in mind that once the danger or threat has been eliminated, any further action can be viewed (legally) as an assault. Within the definition of honorable self-defense, one accepts the obligation of preventing harm, exercises the courage to carry out any and all appropriate responses and utilizes justice in the application of the response. It is relatively easy for one to lash out violently but it takes true strength of character to do the honorable thing. If one neglects or rejects the process of strengthening one’s “inner self” while strengthening one’s “outer self”, one cannot claim to practice Budo.
Conclusion
To some, the practice of martial arts is a lonely endeavor. Long hours devoted to the pursuit of technical perfection and physical prowess while neglecting family and friends is often seen as the essence of the warrior ways. Although such dedication is very admirable, the price of disconnecting from one’s fellow man is isolation. If the ultimate purpose of Budo is to make society better through the proliferation of honorable individuals, it cannot be accomplished in isolation. I have trained in a number of martial art styles. I have worked in jobs where the potential for physical assault was a constant threat. I have competed in tournaments. I have taught karate to children and adults. From my life experiences, I have come to recognize that my path is constantly evolving. Whether in or out of the dojo, the guiding force remains the same. Budo, the warrior’s way; the way of obligation, the way of justice, the way of courage - the honorable way.
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