Nijū kun

1.- Don't forget karate starts and ends with REI.

Karate wa rei ni hajimari, rei ni owaru koto wo wasuruna.

Rei means greeting, courtesy, sincerity, respect; Karate-ka needs rei to avoid violence and anger to others, a practitioner without rei can be a dangerous and violent individual. This value is the most important in karate-ka.

2.- in karate there is no offense.

Karate ni sente nashi.

A Karate-ka never strikes first, always defends itself; the attack is used only as a last resort, as in all arts, the kata always start defensively. "avoid a fight, it's a triumph".

3.- Karate helps to be more fair.

Karate wa gi no tasuke.

Karate is always used for justice, defending rights and equality in all aspects of life.

4.- first know yourself and then the others.

Mazu Jigo O Shire, shikoshite tao woo shire.

The knowledge of oneself is what the karate is after, if you know yourself, like your reactions, fears and emotions will know how to leave at any time and circumstance victorious. The one who knows himself and dominates himself is the greatest warrior.

5.- The Spirit is more important than the technique.

Gijutsu yori shinjutsu.

Through practice the benefits of the spirit will be developed, increasing the perception of any attack or danger.

6.- you need to leave your mind free.

Heart wa koto miteiru yosu.

We must not train in an unconscious way, we have to put all our spirit and enthusiasm in training, thereby getting more and more.

7.- misfortune arises from negligence.

The people of the people are being doing.

Failure is due to carelessness, so we must always be attentive to the mistakes that we can make at all times, in practice, in technical and in combat.

8.- Karate is not just in the dojo.

Dojo in mino karate to omou na.

Karate doesn't end when you get out of the dojo, your training is still with other people on the street, as a way of life between you and them.

9.- Karate practice is for all life.

Karate don't shugyō wa issho from aru.

In Karate there is no limit to practice, karate, as a form of martial life, is for all life, with its practice we will make progress in the union with ourselves, to feel better spiritually and physically through training, over the years We will understand the essence and beauty of karate, which deserves to follow her to death.

10.- treat the problems in karate spirit.

Ara-Yuru Mono-MI-ka seyo, se soko ni Myo-mi ari.

In training we put all our efforts and strength to achieve our purpose, this same energy is what we must use in everyday problems, thinks it is a fight between daily life and you.

11.- Karate is like the boiling water.

Karate wa yu no goto shi taezu netsudo wo ataezareba moto no mizu ni kaeru.

Karate is like hot water, if we let its practice cool, and everything acquired and perfected will fade away. We have to be constant in karate practice, and never let it cool.

12.- Don't feed the idea of winning or the idea of being defeated.

Katsu kangae wa motsu na makenu kangae wa hitsuyo.

Wanting to beat you would create many enemies. The only opponent you have to beat is yourself, the opponent is to offer and perfecting beside him, not to know who is better or worse. Karate is a path of inner combat, not to others.

13.- Transform According to your opponent.

Tekki or yotte tank seyo.

According to the opponent, we will adopt certain moves and techniques to advantage combat in our favor.

14.- the secret of combat lies in the art of leading it.

Look Kai wa kyo no soju fish ni ari.

The opponent's skills and flaws must be studied to study the tactics of combat against him; search for the right distance, study his openings, the time to attack and remain in a strategically defensive position to his possible attacks.

15.- thinks the arms and legs are like swords.

Milestone don't ashi you wo ken to omoe.

The Power, speed and effectiveness of the sword are examples that we must take in the attacks and blockades. With the practice of karate, the body and the members will be strengthened, turning these into real swords.

16.- When you break the threshold of your house, 10.000 enemies await you.

Daily Men of high school.

Many enemies haunt you when you leave your house, these enemies are considered to be psychic errors that are committed in everyday life, because of the causes of negligence or reckless acts, which must be faced with the same spirit of karate.

17.- the beginner needs, then he must look for shizen.

Kamae wa shoshinsha ni or wa shizentai.

The beginner needs to adopt a guard posture that sits in defensive position, which with the long time of training the guard will develop mentally, that is, the body will be able to stay in any natural position, but the mind will always be on guard and Alert.

18.- Look for the right way, real combat is something else.

Word wa tadashiku jissen wa bettsu mono.

The Kata must be properly performed as described in the years, running as such in their perfect realization; in actual combat, these techniques are performed unconsciously.

19.- do not forget the high and low intensity; the length and retraction of the body; the high and low rhythm of the technique.

Chikara no kyojaku, karada no shinshuku, waza no kankyu wo wasuruna.

These rules are of great importance in the kata, so they must also be carried out in combat for their perfect application with the opponent.

20.- always try to study and express yourself better.

They are doing the people who are doing the people.

With the years of karate practice, physical and mental qualities will be developed to provide us with better understanding for the study of art and our own knowledge and personal realization. Being simple and humble are great skills of teachers and wise men.

Funakoshi gichin sensei
"Karate-do taikan" 1938