Karate Technique & Spirit. Tadashi Nakamura

      

      KARATE

       TECHNIQUE AND SPIRIT

      KARATE

       TECHNIQUE AND SPIRIT

      TADASHI NAKAMURA

       Photographs by TOM GRILL

      TUTTLE Publishing

       Tokyo | Rutland, Vermont | Singapore

      The Tuttle Story: “Books to Span the East and West”

      Most people are surprised to learn that the world’s largest publisher of books on Asia had its humble beginnings in the tiny American state of Vermont. The company’s founder, Charles E. Tuttle, belonged to a New England family steeped in publishing. And his first love was naturally books—especially old and rare editions.

      Immediately after WW II, serving in Tokyo under General Douglas MacArthur, Tuttle was tasked with reviving the Japanese publishing industry. He later founded the Charles E. Tuttle Publishing Company, which thrives today as one of the world’s leading independent publishers.

      Though a westerner, Tuttle was hugely instrumental in bringing a knowledge of Japan and Asia to a world hungry for information about the East. By the time of his death in 1993, Tuttle had published over 6,000 books on Asian culture, history and art—a legacy honored by the Japanese emperor with the “Order of the Sacred Treasure,” the highest tribute Japan can bestow upon a non-Japanese.

      With a backlist of 1,500 titles, Tuttle Publishing is more active today than at any time in its past—inspired by Charles Tuttle’s core mission to publish fine books to span the East and West and provide a greater understanding of each.

      Disclaimer: Please note that the publisher and author(s) of this instructional book are NOT RESPONSIBLE in any manner whatsoever for any injury that may result from practicing the techniques and/ or following the instructions given within. Martial Arts training can be dangerous—both to you and to others—if not practiced safely. If you’re in doubt as to how to proceed or whether your practice is safe, consult with a trained martial arts teacher before beginning. Since the physical activities described herein may be too strenuous in nature for some readers, it is also essential that a physician be consulted prior to training.

      Published in 2001 by Tuttle Publishing, an imprint of Periplus Editions (HK) Ltd.,

       by arrangement with Shufunomoto Co. Ltd., Tokyo, Japan.

       www.tutlepublishing.com

      Copyright© 2001 Tadashi Nakamura and Shufunomoto Co. Ltd.

      All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without prior written permission from Tuttle Publishing.

      ISBN 978-0-8048-3282-3

       ISBN 978-1-4629-1709-9 (ebook)

      Sumi Paintings by Takahiko Mikami

       Calligraphies by Takayoshi Kaneko

       Calligraphies on pages 33, 42, 157, and 158 by Kunio Nakamura

      Distributed by:

      Japan

       Tuttle Publishing, Yaekari Building 3F, 5-4-12 Osaki, Shingawa-ku, Tokyo 141-0032

       Tel: [phone] | Fax: [phone]; [email protected] | www.tuttle.co.jp

      North America, Latin America & Europe

       Tuttle Publishing, 364 Innovation Drive, North Clarendon, VT 05759-9436

       Tel: [phone] | Fax: [phone]; [email protected] | www.tuttlepublishing.com

      Asia Pacific

       Berkeley Books Pte. Ltd., 61 Tai Seng Avenue, #02-12, Singapore 534167

       Tel: [phone] | Fax: [phone]; [email protected] | www.periplus.com

      17 16 15 14 13 9 8 7 6 5 1304MP

       Printed in Singapore

      TUTTLE PUBLISHING® is a registered trademark of Tuttle Publishing, a division of Periplus Editions (HK) Ltd.

       This book is respectfully dedicated to

       My Parents

      FOREWORD

      When I think of Shihan Nakamura, I can’t help but recall my first impression: I saw him at Doshinji Monastery in upstate New York and I noticed how gentle he was. It might sound a little strange to say that a person like him, well-accomplished in the martial arts, has a gentle personality. But, despite the extremely difficult and. demanding discipline one goes through, an accomplished martial arts practitioner still shows distinct characteristics of tenderness. For me the pleasure was recognizing his real strength and power behind such flexible qualities. It reminded me of nyunan shin, “gentle, flexible mind.” This word, nyunan, is found in the Lotus Sutra, which reads “with straightforward and yet gentle and flexible mind, wholeheartedly wish to see the Buddha at the risk of one’s own life.” I have no hesitation in saying that Shihan Nakamura is the ideal type: he appears to be gentle and yet there is dynamic strength inside.

      He writes, “there is no ‘graduation day’ from the dojo, the place of enlightenment, and so there isn’t the anxiety of racing against a deadline of any kind.” Here I see his wonderful insight and understanding. It is not only the general principle of any well-refined way such as the ways of tea ceremony, flower arrangement, calligraphy, as well as of the martial arts kendo, judo, aikido, kyudo and karate, but also it is the basic principle of Zen that constant, unceasing practice is essential to the realization of life in each moment. We have no day of graduation but the continuation of renewed life.

      Let’s listen further to what he says. “Karate-do’s essence, however, is totally removed from the notion of winners and losers, trophies and prizes—the students’ real opponent is the self.” I see a certain parallel in expression to the Zen Master Dogen, founder of the Soto Zen school in Japan. He writes, “To study the enlightened way is to study the self. To study the self is to forget the self. To forget the self is to be enlightened by myriads of dharmas. And to be enlightened by myriads of dharmas is to free one’s body and mind as well as that of others. There is traceless enlightenment; allow this traceless enlightenment to continue forever.”

      The word “karate” itself has a very interesting and yet profound implication. It means “empty hand.” We tend to want to grab something, but hold onto it. In a way, it is nice to hold something, but at the same time it obviously restricts the use of the hand. We know that being empty-handed we can use the hand any way we want. But how and how much do we appreciate such freedom and the potential of what the empty hand can do? Karate-do, as the way of empty-handedness, symbolizes the way of freedom and total liberation, not only of oneself but also as the key to establishing a harmonious life both internally and externally.

      We are living in an environment where the culture has developed into an extremely mechanized, divided and automated society. This tendency might develop further, but at the same time we hear more and more warnings against such