Master
Anko Itosu and His Ten Precepts of Karate
Itosu
Anko was responsible for taking the martial art from being a secretive, behind
closed doors art, to being practiced by the general public in Okinawa.
In
October 1908, master Anko Itosu wrote a letter to the Japanes Ministries of
Education and War, where he expained in detail, the importance of karatedo
practice. The letter was titled, “Ten Precepts (Tode Jukun) of Karate,” .
Ten
Precepts of Karate
Karate did not develop from Buddhism
or Confucianism. In the past the Shorin-ryu school and the Shorei-ryu school
were brought to Okinawa from China. Both of these schools have strong points,
which I will now mention before there are too many changes:
1.
Karate is not merely practiced for
your own benefit; it can be used to protect one’s family or master. It is not
intended to be used against a single assailant but instead as a way of avoiding
a fight should one be confronted by a villain or ruffian.
2.
The purpose of karate is to make the
muscles and bones hard as rock and to use the hands and legs as spears. If
children were to begin training in Tang Te while in elementary school, then
they will be well suited for military service. Remember the words attributed to
the Duke of Wellington after he defeated Napoleon: “The Battle of Waterloo was
won on the playing fields of Eton.”
3.
Karate cannot be quickly learned.
Like a slow moving bull, it eventually travels a thousand miles. If one trains
diligently every day, then in three or four years one will come to understand
karate. Those who train in this fashion will discover karate.
4.
In karate, training of the hands and
feet are important, so one must be thoroughly trained on the makiwara. In order
to do this, drop your shoulders, open your lungs, take hold of your strength,
grip the floor with your feet, and sink your energy into your lower abdomen.
Practice using each arm one to two hundred times each day.
5.
When one practices the stances of
Tang Te, be sure to keep your back straight, lower your shoulders, put strength
in your legs, stand firmly, and drop your energy into your lower abdomen.
6.
Practice each of the techniques of
karate repeatedly, the use of which is passed by word of mouth. Learn the
explanations well, and decide when and in what manner to apply them when
needed. Enter, counter, release is the rule of releasing hand (torite).
7.
You must decide if karate is for
your health or to aid your duty.
8.
When you train, do so as if on the
battlefield. Your eyes should glare, shoulders drop, and body harden. You
should always train with intensity and spirit, and in this way you will
naturally be ready.
9.
One must not overtrain; this will
cause you to lose the energy in your lower abdomen and will be harmful to your
body. Your face and eyes will turn red. Train wisely.
10.
In the past, masters of karate have
enjoyed long lives. Karate aids in developing the bones and muscles. It helps
the digestion as well as the circulation. If karate should be introduced
beginning in the elementary schools, then we will produce many men each capable
of defeating ten assailants. I further believe this can be done by having all
students at the Okinawa Teachers’ College practice karate. In this way, after
graduation, they can teach at the elementary schools at which they have been
taught. I believe this will be a great benefit to our nation and our military.
It is my hope you will seriously consider my suggestion.
Anko Itosu,
October 1908
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