Our Dojo Kun (School Creed)

What the Dojo Kun Means to Me

Jeri Carson

December 1, 2003

The Dojo Kun is a code of ethics that provides both a standard of behavior for today and a goal to reach for in the future. Each element-Manners, Peace, Drive, Courage, and Self-Improvement-at its basic level, tells me how I should and can conduct my life right now. Even at this foundational level, I find that I still fall short of the standard, but reciting the Dojo Kun reminds me to keep working at it. Beyond the practical standard for today, each element may also be taken, in its greater meaning, as a higher standard that requires continual improvement as I engage myself in the process of becoming all that God desires of me. The Dojo Kun then becomes a reminder of the outward behavior I need to practice now, and the continual improvement of the attitude underlying it.

Manners:
I will be humble, respectful, and courteous above all.

At its foundational level, this element of the Dojo Kun is a practical way to get along with others and to show respect. I learned basic manners as a child, and the military took that training a step higher with instruction in respect and other courtesies; yet I find that my training has been lacking. In general, our society is losing some of the ways of showing respect that previous generations took for granted, particularly when it comes to showing respect for elders and women. My generation has lost some of these courtesies, and it is even more true of succeeding generations.

At a deeper level, the humbling of self and honoring of others so succinctly stated in this element of the Dojo Kun is a calling to a way of life exemplified to the highest degree by Jesus Christ and possible only in Him. The apostle Paul, in his letter to the Philippians, put it this way:

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:

Who, being in very nature God,

did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,

But made himself nothing,

taking the very nature of a servant,

being made in human likeness.

And being found in appearance as a man,

he humbled himself

and became obedient to death-even death on a cross!
(Philippians 2:3-8)

Personally, I must admit that I am often lacking in the selfless respect Christ calls me to. Though I try to teach my children to be respectful, I don't always treat them with respect. While I value a selfless concern for others, I still put myself first sometimes. These failures prove that I am still far short of the goal; but they also provide motivation to improve. "Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal." (Philippians 3:13-14)

Peace:
I will observe the way of peace and teamwork.

This element of the Dojo Kun is complementary to the first. I cannot be at peace with others-or work together in a team-unless I am willing to put myself aside and honor them. Living at peace with others and working in unity toward a common purpose are the outward expression of a humble servant. Yet in Scripture, this lofty goal comes with a condition: "If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone." (Romans 12:18, italics added.) I believe this condition is there because it is not always possible for a person who represents the living God to live at peace with a person who is not at peace with God or with himself. In fact, it is not possible to be at peace with the universe, either, because creation itself is not yet in a state of peace with God. Still, there is a great deal of room to practice the way of peace. The presence of conflict merely provides an opportunity for a peaceful resolution. And I must admit, most of the conflicts that I have experienced could have been avoided if I had been willing to put others first.

Yet at a deeper level, in spite of conflict outside of ourselves, there is a way of peace we can pursue that does not depend on others-it is the way of developing inner peace. To me, this is the peace I experience as a fullness of the soul and contentment of the heart. Sometimes it is there when I choose to accept my circumstances. Other times, when I am unable to reach that point, it is there as a gift of God. It is the peace that doesn't always make sense, as Paul spoke of: "And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:7)

Drive:
I will practice with all the drive I have and
Strive for more than I think I have.

The foundational level of this element of the Dojo Kun is self-evident: It means giving 100% of my effort to the task at hand. It also recognizes that I am more limited by my mind than by my physical abilities. Applying this element to physical training is easy to visualize (not necessarily easy to do); but applying it to life in general requires a deeper understanding.

Living life with drive implies not only effort, but also priorities and balance. My priorities determine how I spend my money; balance allows me to use money for more than one purpose according to those priorities. The same principles apply to how I spend my time and energy. And as with my money, I don't just want to spend my life-I want to invest it. That means I must live purposefully, as the following passage of Scripture illustrates:

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore, I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave [a phrase that has taken on greater meaning since we started learning falls] so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.
(1 Corinthians 9:24-27)

Living life with drive means giving myself completely to the pursuit of my purpose. In the process, some of my individual activities will suffer as I try to prioritize and balance my effort to reach for the goal. I can't let my Karate training compromise my family time; but my Karate training will help me be more effective in my family responsibilities. I tend to be very goal-oriented, so giving an individual goal 100% effort is not my greatest challenge. My tendency is to throw myself completely into the things I enjoy (like Karate); my challenge is to live all of life with drive toward my overall purpose, with everything in its proper perspective.

Courage:
I will have true courage in all facts of life.

Courage and strength of character work together to do what is right regardless of feeling or consequence. Most people recognize courage in the individual that is willing to enter battle against a fearsome opponent. But courage may also be the quality that allows us to avoid an unnecessary battle, or to do battle within ourselves. So this element of the Dojo Kun may mean having the courage to do what is right, the courage to fulfill my purpose, or even the courage to rest from my own efforts and trust in God. For me, courage and drive are closely linked; courage has meant acknowledging my fears, but pursuing my goals in spite of them. I can only remember avoiding one opportunity (jumping out of a perfectly good airplane) because of fear. However, I struggle to have courage in other areas, such as social situations.

Self-Improvement:
I will strive for individual achievement for the
benefit of others.

This element of the Dojo Kun brings all the others together. It takes both courage and drive to improve myself; and my purpose in improving myself is to be able to serve others better, which requires humility (manners) and the way of peace. I began Karate with my children for several reasons: (1) it's something I've always wanted to do, (2) I needed to get in shape physically, (3) I wanted to exercise to lose weight, (4) I wanted to improve my flexibility to avoid problems with arthritis, (5) I needed to develop more discipline in my life. All these reasons benefit me, but at the same time, they benefit my family. Doing something for myself (reason #1) refreshes me so that I can be more effective in what I do for others. Improving my health (reasons #2-4) gives me more strength and energy to serve others. (I will be 58 when my youngest child graduates from high school. I want to be healthy and active enough to serve him then, and see him marry, and help take care of his children.) Developing discipline in one area of life (reason #5) promotes discipline in other areas of life; discipline is necessary to live purposefully and to continue to improve myself for the benefit of others.

I have always valued self-improvement. But the most important aspect of this element of the Dojo Kun is in its purpose: to benefit others. And so the Dojo Kun ends where it began, with the challenge to humble myself and put others first.