Niju kun
Encyclopedia
The Shōtōkan niju kun are the "twenty instructions" of the Okinawan martial arts
master Gichin Funakoshi
which all students of Shotokan
karate
are encouraged to live, practice, and teach to others.
, which he believed leveraged the benefits of these two. Gaining the attention of a larger audience, Funakoshi later ventured to disseminate his art throughout Japan
, and created the niju kun to assist his karate
ka in their training.
in 1938 The Twenty Guiding Principles of Karate as:
The word Hitotsu means "one" or "first" and is prepended to each rule to place it at the same level of importance as the others.
Okinawan martial arts
Okinawan martial arts refers to the martial arts which originated among the indigenous people of Okinawa Island in Japan, most notably karate, tegumi, and Okinawan kobudō....
master Gichin Funakoshi
Gichin Funakoshi
was the creator of Shotokan karate, perhaps the most widely known style of karate, and is attributed as being the 'father of modern karate.' Following the teachings of Anko Itosu, he was one of the Okinawan karate masters who introduced karate to the Japanese mainland in 1921...
which all students of Shotokan
Shotokan
is a style of karate, developed from various martial arts by Gichin Funakoshi and his son Gigo Funakoshi . Gichin was born in Okinawa and is widely credited with popularizing karate through a series of public demonstrations, and by promoting the development of university karate clubs, including...
karate
Karate
is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Islands in what is now Okinawa, Japan. It was developed from indigenous fighting methods called and Chinese kenpō. Karate is a striking art using punching, kicking, knee and elbow strikes, and open-handed techniques such as knife-hands. Grappling, locks,...
are encouraged to live, practice, and teach to others.
History
Funakoshi trained in Shuri-te and Naha-te from an early age. He ultimately developed his own martial artShotokan
is a style of karate, developed from various martial arts by Gichin Funakoshi and his son Gigo Funakoshi . Gichin was born in Okinawa and is widely credited with popularizing karate through a series of public demonstrations, and by promoting the development of university karate clubs, including...
, which he believed leveraged the benefits of these two. Gaining the attention of a larger audience, Funakoshi later ventured to disseminate his art throughout Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, and created the niju kun to assist his karate
Karate
is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Islands in what is now Okinawa, Japan. It was developed from indigenous fighting methods called and Chinese kenpō. Karate is a striking art using punching, kicking, knee and elbow strikes, and open-handed techniques such as knife-hands. Grappling, locks,...
ka in their training.
Precepts
While it has been suggested that the Shōtōkan niju kun were documented by around 1890, they were first actually published in a bookBook
A book is a set or collection of written, printed, illustrated, or blank sheets, made of hot lava, paper, parchment, or other materials, usually fastened together to hinge at one side. A single sheet within a book is called a leaf or leaflet, and each side of a leaf is called a page...
in 1938 The Twenty Guiding Principles of Karate as:
- 1. Karate-do begins and ends with bowing.
一、空手道は礼に始まり礼に終る事を忘るな
Hitotsu, karate-do wa rei ni hajimari rei ni owaru koto a wasaru na - 1. There is no first strike in karate.
一、空手に先手なし
Hitotsu, karate ni sente nashi - 1. Karate stands on the side of justice.
一、空手は義の補け
Hitotsu, karate wa, gi no tasuke - 1. First know yourself, then know others.
一、先づ自己を知れ而して他を知れ
Hitotsu, mazu onore o shire, shikashite ta o shire - 1. Mentality over technique.
一、技術より心術
Hitotsu, gijitsu yori shinjitsu - 1. The heart must be set free.
一、心は放たん事を要す
Hitotsu, kokoro wa hanatan koto o yosu - 1. Calamity springs from carelessness.
一、禍は懈怠に生ず
Hitotsu, wazawai wa ketai ni seizu - 1. Karate goes beyond the dojoDojoA is a Japanese term which literally means "place of the way". Initially, dōjōs were adjunct to temples. The term can refer to a formal training place for any of the Japanese do arts but typically it is considered the formal gathering place for students of any Japanese martial arts style to...
.
一、道場のみの空手と思ふな
Hitotsu, dojo nomino karate to omou na - 1. Karate is a lifelong pursuit.
一、空手の修業は一生である
Hitotsu, karate-do no shugyo wa isssho de aru - 1. Apply the way of karate to all things. Therein lies its beauty.
一、凡ゆるものを空手化せよ其処に妙味あり
Hitotsu, ara yuru mono o karateka seyo; sokoni myomi ari - 1. Karate is like boiling water; without heat, it returns to its tepid state.
一、空手は湯の如し絶えず熱度を与えざれば元の水に還る
Hitotsu, karate Wa Yu No Gotoku Taezu Netsu O Atae Zareba Motono Mizuni Kaeru - 1. Do not think of winning. Think, rather, of not losing.
一、勝つ考は持つな負けぬ考は必要
Hitotsu, katsu kangae wa motsuna; makenu kangae wa hitsuyo - 1. Make adjustments according to your opponent.
一、敵に因って轉化せよ
Hitotsu, tekki ni yotte tenka seyo - 1. The outcome of a battle depends on how one handles emptiness and fullness (weakness and strength).
一、戦は虚実の操縦如何に在り
Hitotsu, tattakai wa kyo-jitsu no soju ikan ni ari - 1. Think of hands and feet as swordsKatanaA Japanese sword, or , is one of the traditional bladed weapons of Japan. There are several types of Japanese swords, according to size, field of application and method of manufacture.-Description:...
.
一、人の手足を剣と思へ
Hitotsu, hi to no te-ashi wa ken to omoe - 1. When you step beyond your own gate, you face a million enemies.
一、男子門を出づれば百万の敵あり
Hitotsu, danshi mon o izureba hyakuman no teki ari - 1. Formal stancesKamaeis a Japanese term used in martial arts and traditional theater. It translates approximately to "posture". The Kanji of this word means "base".Kamae is to be differentiated from the word , used in Japanese martial arts to mean stance...
are for beginners; later, one stands naturally.
一、構は初心者に後は自然体
Hitotsu, kamae wa shoshinsha ni atowa shizentai - 1. Perform prescribed sets of techniquesKatais a Japanese word describing detailed choreographed patterns of movements practised either solo or in pairs. The term form is used for the corresponding concept in non-Japanese martial arts in general....
exactly; actual combat is another matter.
一、形は正しく実戦は別物
Hitotsu, kata wa tadashiku, jisen wa betsumono - 1. Do not forget the employment of withdrawal of power, the extension or contraction of the body, the swift or leisurely application of technique.
一、力の強弱体の伸縮技の緩急を忘るな
Hitotsu, chikara no kyojaku tai no shinshuku waza no kankyu - 1. Be constantly mindful, diligent, and resourceful, in your pursuit of the Way.
一、常に思念工夫せよ
Hitotsu, tsune ni shinen ku fu seyo
The word Hitotsu means "one" or "first" and is prepended to each rule to place it at the same level of importance as the others.