Reflections...
Tae Kwon Do... I remember once when one of the students mentioned how he had visited another school and how he thought the classes were 'run' so poorly. Kyosah told the student not to mention how good or how bad other schools were. The student should only be interested in his own school and his own progress. If he thought his own school was 'good' he should try his best to make it better by devoting himself 100% to his training. When in the class, the student should only be practicing, not standing around and talking with other students. If he was always practicing rather than talking, he would not have time to think about other schools. Disclaimer: All images and/or articles retain the original copyrights of their original owners.
Prayer for my esteemed teacher
I will pray for you, my dear teacher.
I will name you in my heart before God and ask all His blessings be upon you.
I will be concerned for your rising and your daily mood.
I will be sympathetic to your personal needs and desires in each day of your
life.
I will wish you well in your learning, or your work, in your domestic round and your leisure.
I will think of you at the close of each day and pray that God's peace be with you.
If you have been especially kind or helpful to me then I will make my gratitude known to you.
If you are in trouble or difficulty of any kind, or simply tired and worn down, I will do all and anything I can to lift your spirits.
I will ache for you in your sorrows and disasters and rejoice with you in your joys and triumphs.
I will love and care for you as I love and care for myself.
"Some people come into our lives and quickly go.
Some stay for awhile and leave footprints on our hearts.
And we are never, ever the same."
"Good friends are hard to find, harder to leave, and impossible to forget."
"I was, I am, and always will be - a student of Kyosah-nim."
(Kyosah preferred to be called Kyosah (teacher) rather than his rightful title of - Dojoo-nim, which means Founder (of the art, martial arts school, style or organization.)
"People don't say 'Thank You' often enough." Kyosah
"You very seldom have to say you are sorry, if you are paying attention to what you are doing. But then, there are even some people who don't even have enough fortitude to say they are sorry when they do something wrong." Kyosah
As far as Kyosah was concerned, regardless of how long you were with the school, and how high in rank you were, you would always be a "student."
And if you disrespected him or did something wrong, you were no longer his student, and he would no longer teach you.
"A student of Bushido develops the spirit of humility within, and the attitude of respect without, as he searches for the Truth.
And learns from what he experiences himself and witnesses with his own eyes and not from what he hears from others."
"NOTHING IS MORE VALUABLE THAN LOYALTY!"
"Beware so long as you live, of judging men by their outward appearance."
"These days don't we all need someone to trust?"
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Even though I studied with Kyosah over 40 years ago (in the 1960s), when I close my eyes now and remember attending the classes, it seems just like yesterday. He taught me, and the other students, everything he knew. That is why we could not say his Horangi Taekwondo Dojang (HTD) taught just taekwondo. We learned taekwondo of course, but we also learned judo throws and how to fall properly. We learned various aikido techniques and aikido falling and rolling. We also learned something about karate, gung fu and tai chi. The advanced students learned about the sai and nunchaku. We were also taught the basics of meditation. That is why, at times, it was difficult to give a one word description of what we were learning when someone asked us what we were studying at the HTD. During our training, Kyosah always told us to leave our egos at the door and to enter the classes with open and clear minds. I can assure you that when I attended, all I thought about was what we were doing in that particular class. Kyosah made sure we did not have time to cloud our minds with outside thoughts. It was always a place to go to rid ourselves of "outside" thoughts and problems, etc. I never left a class feeling the same as when I entered. I always felt more alive and more at peace with myself.
If we did arrive early, before the class began, we had to sweep the floor or perform some other "house" cleaning duty. Kyosah told us we were never too advanced in rank to be "above" sweeping the floor. We were never permitted to stand around talking to other students. If we were in the class, we were always doing something to improve ourselves.
Thinking back on it now, I begin to understand why Kyosah taught as he did. His classes were always moving, we were always doing something. There was never time to stand around and start thinking. Our minds were always concentrated on what was being taught in the class. I have visited many other schools since leaving the HTD, and I have seen students lounging around and talking, while a class was in session. That was unheard of at the HTD. If the class lasted for 1 1/2 hours, we were being taught for 1 1/2 hours and Kyosah was always teaching.
Kyosah also invented various games to keep our reflexes sharp. In one game, he would divide the class in half and have each side line-up facing the opposite wall. The first student in the line held a plastic ball (the size of a soccer ball). When Kyosah shouted "BEGIN," the two students would throw the ball against the opposite wall and then run to the back of the line while the next student had to catch the ball before it hit the floor. The ball had to hit the wall fairly high in order to give the next student enough time to catch it. The first line to complete the exercise was the winner. Even the uncoordinated students eventually excelled at this game.
Kyosah was never too busy to help one of us if we had a problem. I remember once I was thinking of leaving graduate school and it was Kyosah who convinced me to remain until I received my doctorate. I can never thank him enough for that bit of kindness and advice.
There were some students, however, who did try to take advantage of his kindness and tried to get as much as they could while not giving back anything. I will never know what motivated those students. Other students referred to them as "low life."
When I told Kyosah about any student(s) who was/were taking advantage of his kindness by saying they could not pay the (very small) class fee or needed money to take the subway home, or needed some money to buy a meal, Kyosah told me he would rather give them the benefit of the doubt.
(I didn't know what "Benefit of the Doubt" meant and so I looked it up when I got home and found the following - It is easier to explain by means of an example [for me, anyway]. Example: "I believe (and most of the evidence points to) that X stole my wallet. However, there is some small doubt in my mind, as I can't prove it absolutely. Therefore I will give him "the benefit of the doubt" and act as if he did not do it.")
I think perhaps, most important, Kyosah knew each student and never forgot that no two students were alike. He never 'forced' a student to perform beyond his capabilities, but always made them try their 'best.' Kyosah taught each class with disciplne and every student had to perform and behave properly, but he never let a class end without saying something that made us all laugh. That is why every student couldn't wait to come to classes and train under this wonderful teacher. Every one of his classes were always filled to "over-flowing." Kyosah, I will always remember you and will never forget all you have done for me!
Akio Itoh
"It seems the world is blessed to have a few people who can radiate and embody something much deeper and more powerful than can be seen or described with words. Where and how I found him is a blessing, and having the opportunity to grow under such a teacher always brings a downpour of gratitude to my eyes.
Kyosah, I will never forget my profound gratitude to you."
(Korean: "art of kicking and punching"), Korean art of unarmed combat that is based Karate. The name Tae Kwon Do was officially adopted for this martial art in 1959 after that name had been submitted by the South Korean general Choi Hong Hi, the principal founder of Tae Kwon Do.Tae Kwon Do is characterized by the extensive use of high standing and jump kicks as well as punches and is practiced mainly for sport, but also for self-defense. Training in Tae Kwon Do is carried out by learning individual techniques of kicking, punching, and blocking, which are practiced in combined series of techniques in traditional sets known as hyung. (Proficiency in the graded series of hyung determines rank in the lower grades.) Students also practice basic sparring combinations (il-bo taeryun, "one-step sparring"); these are short, set sequences of attack and counter practiced between partners, after which the students may practice free sparring as opponents. In sparring, blows are stopped just short of contact. Tae Kwon Do is practiced as a sport by awarding points to correctly executed techniques during free sparring or by judging the quality of performed hyung.
Hwa Rang Do...
Hwarang Do - The Way of the Flowering Knight - is a Korean martial art with roots more that 1800 years back in history. The martial skills we today know as Hwa Rang Do was originally practiced by Korean elite troops, whose armed and unarmed techniques made them feared and admired all over Asia. Hwa Rang Do has since been preserved from generation to generation of especially chosen Buddhist monks (then under the name of Um-Yang Kwon, which is no longer in use!) and has spread across the world during the last 35 years. The Hwarang warriors had much in common with the later Japanese samurai. Both classes consisted of professional, noble warriors who prefectioned their martial art to the outmost. Both classes was also subject to moral and ethical norms which limited the use of their knowledge and abilities. Hwa Rang Do (or Um-Yang Kwon) was created as a military system, designed for the battlefield, not for sport or competitions. Around the 14th century the Hwarang fell into disfavour when Silla was conquered by a new Korean kingdom, and several of the Hwarang s took refuge in remote mountain temples. It was in these temples that the martial art of the Hwarang has been preserved until today. During the early 1940s, two boys, Joo Bang Lee and Joo Sang Lee was accepted as the only students of the Buddhist monk Suahm Dosa. In the 1960s the brothers received permission from Suahm Dosa and the Korean government to publicly demonstrate and teach Hwa Rang Do in Korea. This marked the first time in more than 500 years that the martial skills of the Hwarang were taught in public. When Suahm Dosa passed away in 1969, Dr. Joo Bang Lee was appointed the 58th generation grandmaster. Since then Hwa Rang Do has spread all over the world.
Tae Soo Do...
The martial art of Tae Soo Do was created as the undergraduate program to, and sports version of Hwa Rang Do. Since the Hwa Rang Do curriculum is very advanced and complicated because there is so much learn, it was often difficult for an individual without previous martial skill training to progress through Hwa Rang Do. The Tae Soo Do syllabus is designed to build a foundation of physical skills as well as proper attitude for the nonexperienced practitioner. This program helps the student understand the fundamentals, basic mechanics, and philosophies inherent in Hwa Rang Do.
(As a side note: before Tae Kwon Do unified, KongSooDo and TangSooDo (SooBakDo) had an organization name for a short time called the Korean TaeSooDo Association. This name is no longer use by TaeKwonDo, and the meaning of this TaeSooDo is the "way of body and hands." However, the meaning of this Tae Soo Do is a martial art name that means the "Way of the Great Hand" or the "Way of the Warrior Spirit," so please do not confuse these).
Hap Ki Do...
Daedong Ryu YuSool (Japan - Daito Ryu Yawara or called Aiki JuJits - meaning great eastern style soft skills) Master Yong-Sul Choi studied from Dakeda Shokaku Daito Ryu Yawara founder (later Morei Ueshiba changed name to AiKiDo) in Japan 1930`s at shokaku home. And after the Korean liberation Master Choi returned to Korea 1945; and reside DaeGu Korea. and with Yawara name here gave private lessons only out of his home. After the Korean war that ended in 1953 Master Choi started teaching the public - still only teaching out of his school at own home. The name Yawara was later changed to Hap Ki Do by a few Yu Sool (Yawara) masters in Seoul the capital city of Korea. and Slowly Hap Ki Do was mixed with HwaRangDo and other martial art styles and turned generic. Now Hap Ki Do looks more like the original martial art of Korea, namely Um-Yang Kwon, which only two people in modern time ever learned - the name Um-Yang Kwon however is no longer used as it was changed in to Hwa Rang Do. The Hap Ki Do of today is a form of unarmed self-defense based on circular techniques such as joint-locks, foot sweeps and kicks, but incorporating punches and circular throws and a yielding principle similar to that of Aikido, however original Hap Ki Do was actually the exact same thing as Daito Ryu Yawara. The emphasis on circular motion allows for a free-flowing form of combat in which one technique can merge with the next and the direction of force can easily be changed by changing the axis of rotation. Primarily practiced for self-defense or spiritual development or both, hapkido came to be used in free-sparring contests mixed of the HwaRangDo or TaeKwonDo type.
Karate...
Karate (Japanese: "empty hand"), unarmed-combat system employing kicking, striking, and defensive blocking with arms and legs. Emphasis is on concentration of as much of the body's power as possible at the point and instant of impact. Striking surfaces include the hands (particularly the knuckles and the outer edge), the ball of the foot, heel, forearm, knee, and elbow. All are toughened by practice blows against padded surfaces or wood. Pine boards up to several inches in thickness can be broken by the bare hand or foot of an expert. Timing, tactics, and spirit, however, are each considered at least as important as physical toughening. In sporting karate and sparring (kumite) in training, blows and kicks are stopped short, preferably within an inch of contact. Sporting matches commonly last only three minutes, to a decision, if neither contestant has scored a clean "killing" point in the estimation of the judges. Contests of form (kata) are also held, in which single competitors perform predetermined series of movements simulating defense and counterattack against several opponents. Performances are scored by a panel of judges, as in gymnastics. Karate evolved in the Orient over a period of centuries, becoming systematized in Okinawa in the 17th century, probably by people forbidden to carry weapons. It was imported into Japan in the 1920s. Several schools and systems developed, each favouring somewhat different techniques and training methods. Karate, like other Oriental fighting disciplines, stresses mental attitude, rituals of courtesy, costumes, and a complex ranking system (by colour of belt). There is some overlapping of technique with other fighting styles.
Judo...
Japanese JUDO (from Chinese: "gentle way"), system of unarmed combat, now primarily a sport, was, as Aikido, derived from the Japanese soft style techniques termed Jujutsu/Jujitsu. Sporting judo rules are complex; the objective is to throw the opponent cleanly, or pin him, or master him by applying pressure to arm joints or to the neck. Techniques are generally intended to turn an opponent's force to one's own advantage rather than to oppose it directly. A ritual of courtesy in practice is intended to promote an attitude of calm readiness and confidence. The usual costume, known as judogi, is a loose jacket and trousers of strong white cloth. White belts are worn by novices and black by masters, with intermediate grades denoted by other colours. Kano Jigoro (1860-1938) collected the knowledge of the old jujitsu schools of the Japanese samurai and in 1882 founded his Kodokan School of judo, the beginning of the sport in its modern form. By the 1960s judo associations had been established in most countries and affiliated to the International Judo Federation with headquarters in Paris. Judo was included in Olympic Games competition for the first time at Tokyo in 1964 and held regularly from 1972. World judo championships for women began in 1980. Women's Olympic competition began in 1992.
Aikido...
Aikido (Japanese: "way of spiritual harmony"), (originally derived from the Japanese soft style techniques termed jujutsu/jujitsu) self-defense system that utilizes twisting and throwing techniques and in its aim of turning an attacker's strength and momentum against himself. Pressure on vital nerve centres is also used. Aikido was developed to subdue, rather than maim or kill as in Karate, but many of its movements can nevertheless be deadly. Aikido especially emphasizes the importance of achieving complete mental calm and control of one's own body to master an opponent's attack. As in other Jjapanese martial arts, the development of courtesy and respect is an integral part of Aikido training. The basic skills of aikido come originated in Japan in about the 14th century. In the early 20th century they were systematized in their modern form through the work of the Japanese DaiToRyu Yawara( AiKi JuJitsu) expert Morei Ueshiba. There are no offensive moves in aikido. As taught by Ueshiba, it was so purely defensive an art that no direct contest between practitioners was possible. In 1969 the founder morei Ueshiba passed away. And so the 2nd generation "doshu" became Kissomaru Ueshiba (son of Morei Ueshiba) (1969 -1997). From 1997 to present time the 3rd doshu has been Moriteru Ueshiba. In present time hundreds of schools and organizations has broken away from the original teachings.
Kung Fu...
Kung Fu (Chinese: Originally meaning "Hard Work" now generic term for especially non-mainland China martial art types), a martial art, both a form of exercise with a spiritual dimension stemming from concentration and self-discipline and a primarily unarmed mode of personal combat often equated with Karate or Tae Kwon Do. As martial art, kung fu can be traced to the Chou dynasty (1111-255 BC) and even earlier. As exercise it was practiced by the Taoists in the 5th century BC. Its prescribed stances and actions are based on keen observations of human skeletal and muscular anatomy and physiology, and it employs great muscular coordination. The various movements in kung fu, most of which are imitations of the fighting styles of animals, are initiated from one of five basic foot positions: normal upright posture and the four stances called dragon, frog, horse riding, and snake. There are hundreds of styles of kung fu, and armed as well as unarmed techniques have been developed. Kung fu performed as exercise resembles T'ai Chi ch'uan.
(The above is for information purposes only. Authenticity is not guaranteed.) 
However, if the student thought his school was not to his liking, he should leave and find another school. He should not remain at a school if he did not like the instructor or his method of teaching. Kyosah explained further that the problem does arise that one (insecure) student might think that everything he does is correct and that he is always right. He doesn't devote himself whole-heartedly to the training and begins to 'slack off.' The next step usually is that the student will start trying to influence other students by spreading gossip and untruths about how badly the school is run and how another school he visited is so much better. When this mischievous student begins to wonder why other students are not listening or paying attention to him, he will eventually leave the school. Instructors and students should always be wary of this type of student. They should always wonder why this student remains at the school if he talks about his dislike for it, the instructor, the classes or another student. Why doesn't he just leave? Kyosah's advise was to always practice as hard as you are able and if you did, you wouldn't find time to pay attention to these 'spreaders of gossip' while you are in class (when you should be practicing), or when you finish training, when you should be so tired that you can only think of going home, to shower, eat and relax.
(I hope I have quoted Kyosah correctly.)
"Real knowledge is to know the extent of one's ignorance." Confucius
"Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail." Ralph Waldo Emerson
"It is never too late to be what you might have been." George Elliot
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"To educate yourself for the feeling of gratitude means to take nothing for granted, but to always seek out and value the kind that will stand behind the action. Nothing that is done for you is a matter of course. Everything originates in a will for the good, which is directed at you. Train yourself never to put off the word or action for the expression of gratitude.
"At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us." Albert Schweitzer
"As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them." John F. Kennedy
"Let us be grateful to people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom." Marcel Proust
"Appreciation can make a day, even change a life. Your willingness to put it into words is all that is necessary." Margaret Cousins
"If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, "thank you," that would suffice." Meister Eckhart
IT IS NOT TOO LATE TO SAY "THANK YOU" TO KYOSAH. POST YOUR THANKS ON THE FORUM OR MESSAGE BOARD.
"Whoever gossips to you will gossip about you."
"Fire and swords are slow engines of destruction, compared to the tongue of a Gossip."
"I think the hardest part about being a teenager is dealing with other teenagers - the criticism and the ridicule, the gossip and rumors."
"It is just as cowardly to judge an absent person as it is wicked to strike a defenseless one. Only the ignorant and narrow-minded gossip, for they speak of persons instead of things."
"The only time people dislike gossip is when you gossip about them."
"Well, my whole thing with gossip is I couldn't care less if it's true."
"Be Impeccable With Your Word. Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love."
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From Gossip To Truth
Gossip for what purpose? And what is the Truth?
If Gossiping was the highlight of one's being I am sure one would highly be inspired to live this life of Gossip. How can Gossip Inspire us? Can it? Is it a high? Is this high a high of the most holy? Is it a high of lack, envy and total jealousy in the mind of the ego?
Why do we get ourselves in such a situation where Gossip becomes the highlight of our presence? Meanwhile the Truth is forgotten. The truth of our being, being so genuine, honest and as well vulnerable.
Gossip and Truth. The duality within and without. Including the darkness within and without. How does one overcome this duality and do we want to?
Some may say, "What is the harm here? Gossip is just harmless conversation? If we don't Gossip what else is there?"
And others may say that Gossip is a poison. Or it is like a virus that travels by different means on an energetic level. Such as the phone, the internet, the radio, the television, the newspapers, the magazines, and other media sources. As well as obviously person to person.
And before we know it this "virus" has traveled through the whole world and infected thousands of people. Is this a serious "virus?" I believe so, for Gossip ruins lives. To be specific Gossip ruins relationships and careers that may then never be saved and pulled together because of this act of ignorance.
What to do? What to do? Or, what Not to do?
Perhaps allowing ourselves to be present within our conversations would help relieve this need to Gossip. And perhaps allowing our light to shine and overcome the need to Gossip is an option that is most beneficial Mentally, Emotionally, Spiritually and Physically.
Perhaps making a conscious choice to be Authentic and realize that there is so much to life that what is, Right then and there. Perhaps talking about our hobbies, our goals, our intentions, our desires and our purpose is a highly beneficial conversation. Perhaps talking about exercise, health, and different cultures are fascinating for us to distract us from Gossiping? Perhaps praying and meditating upon the Truth is a supportive way for us to break this very undesirable and unwanted habit for our Soul and our True Self.
Perhaps one day we will wake up to the Truth and really realize that to Gossip is to live with illusion. And that living with illusion is simply a waste. And waste is Not something we would like to associate ourselves with.
Perhaps one day we will wake up to the Truth and be so excited that our excitement will only create Goodness for us and for all. And our Goodness will energize us on the deepest level of our being. And so we shall experience fulfillment in the depth and the core of our being. And what can we say then?
Definitely Not Gossip!
Only words spoken that shall uplift our inner and outer world. And so our True purpose is Complete through Right Thought, Right Word and Right Action.
And so it is.
Bless you. I love you. I love you. I love you.
Giri - The duty to keep one's personal reputation and family name clean. (see On)
On - Duty; the obligations owed by children to their parents (see Giri).
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Giri
In the process of studying any oriental art, it is inevitable that some of the philosophy of the source country is absorbed. This is especially true of those students who enter deeply into the art. In fact, it is almost axiomatic that if you ever desire to comprehend the essence of any art form you must understand the thinking of those who created the art.
One of the more difficult parts of Japanese philosophy for the Westerner to understand is their complex system of duty and obligation. Such terms as ON, NINJO, GIRI, and GIMU can be very confusing and, even if the definitions are understood, are still hard to accept.
Let us start with the concept of 'ON.' Basically, an ON is an obligation. If someone does something for (or to) me, I would say that "I am carrying his ON." An ON may be small or large, good or bad. It may be a minor thing, such as a friend buying you a cup of coffee, Or a major insult requiring a vendetta. In any case, once you accept this concept as a way of life, it requires that you keep a mental 'file cabinet' of all of your obligations. (It is considered bad form to remember, or to worry about, other people's obligations to you.)
Now that you are saddled with all of these obligations, and it is very surprising how fast that they can accumulate, what are we going to do about them? John Doe has undoubtedly already forgotten that be bought the last cup of coffee, now why should you worry about it? You may never see him again and even if you do, you will not get struck by lightning if you forget that it is your turn to buy.
The thing that insures that you don't forget is called GIRI. You either have it or you don't, but if you do have GIRI, you will never forget. Call it honor, duty, or whatever, a man with GIRI, can be relied upon, not 99.9% of the time, but 100% of the time. GIRI demands that all obligations be repaid in full measure (with interest if required). And that your personal feelings in the matter are completely irrelevant. It does not matter that you did not want John Doe to buy you that cup of coffee; you may not even like coffee. But you have received an ON and GIRI demands that it be repaid. There is an old Japanese saying that goes, "Death is lighter than a feather, but GIRI is heavier than a mountain." It is impossible to have, "a little GIRI."
A special type of GIRI is known as GIMU. GIMU applies to those ON of such magnitude that, no matter how much you do, you can only repay a fraction of the debt. An example of this would be a man's obligation to his family or country. As for NINJO, this is what your heart tells you to do, and this can quite often be in conflict with GIRI. It is a measure of the man whether his personal feelings (NINJO) or his honor (GIRI) win out. Your happiness is immaterial. You either live by GIRI, or without it.
Now, let us look at how this affects your life in the dojo. When you are accepted into the dojo, you immediately receive an ON. Even though you pay your share of the dojo rent, this in no way cancels the fact that the sensei has accepted you as his student and thereby laid an obligation on you. The ON is repaid by being a GOOD STUDENT. Such things as showing respect toward your seniors, practicing hard, paying attention in class, attending the dojo regularly, not dishonoring the dojo by word or action, and keeping the dojo rules, all contribute to paying off the original ON. Other minor things such as buying sensei a cup of coffee also contribute to this. Favors done by a student for the sensei, or the dojo are not regarded as placing ON upon the sensei.
If you should progress to the point that you accept the sensei as your master (and in return be accepted as his disciple) the matter becomes more serious. Whether you consider the matter GIMU instead of GIRI is a personal matter. I personally feel that the realization that a person who has permanently altered my life and way of thinking takes it beyond mere GIRI, but this is a personal observation. Remember that no one can force you to accept GIRI and that if you do accept it; your personal wishes must never be allowed to interfere.
You want a new coat, but your tuition is due. Your lover wants to go to a concert, there is a special class scheduled at the dojo that night. The sensei embarrassed you in class, he is your sensei. You win a free trip to Tahiti, but you are needed to teach in the dojo while sensei takes his vacation. You want to get married, but your future would require that less time be spent in the dojo. All these are examples of the conflict between NINJO and GIRI. To a man of honor, the correct choice is self-evident.
GIRI also works downhill. When you have achieved a position of authority, GIRI requires certain things from you. In most cases, the students of a dojo never become aware of the load placed upon a sensei until they themselves become a master of their own dojo. This is one reason why you may have noted the way your own sensei is always very respectful to his sensei. You never appreciate your own parents until you have a family of your own to raise. The man who teaches a class, even though he is sick. The man who sells his car, to get the dojo a new mat. The man who works at night, to get enough extra money to send one of his prize students to a tournament. The man who does things such as this and never tells anyone about it is a man who lives by GIRI.
In the beginning of your training all GIRI is upward. However, each promotion saddles you with a new load of ON, both upward and downward. Your instructor has raised you from what you were, thereby increasing your obligations toward him. Also the new rank has increased your responsibilities to your juniors and to the dojo itself. As always, with rank and authority comes responsibility and obligation. Is it any wonder that the seniors seem to smile a lot less than the juniors?
If you don't find the whole theme of this article a little depressing, you should read it again. GIRI IS NOT FUN! Almost every new student who has entered a dojo has inquired about 'spiritual training.' The concept of GIRI is a part of the spiritual process, a major part. If you ask to study THE WAY, do not complain if it hurts. You cannot make a sword by petting a piece of iron, neither can you make a swordsman by insuring that the student is always happy.
(How many of you students of Kyosah have an ON or GIRI to Kyosah and have never 'paid him' or thanked him?)
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Way to Honor Kyosah: Write a Tribute!
Have you often thought about someone who encouraged you, gave you confidence, or just pointed you in the right direction, but regret never having said "Thank You" to them?
Here's your chance to remember Kyosah by writing about how he made a difference in your life. What lessons - or words - of lasting value did he impart to you? Are there particular events or moments in your life that you recall in connection with Kyosah? Tell us about them! Your stories, and the lessons they contain, will be of value to other visitors to this web site.
(Send me your story via email or Message Board post, so I can include it on the "Letters" page.)
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"If your mind is dominated by anger, you will lose the best part of the human brain: wisdom;
the ability to decide between what is right and what is wrong. Anger is the most serious problem facing the world today."
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A note Kyosah received from a very good friend........."You may have lost touch with those people. Kids that have grown up and have busy lives of their own, as we did. But rest assured, you and your teachings come into many of their thoughts as they live their lives, you just don't know it. You were a big part of their foundation, who they are. All you have to remember is that you are a giver. You made their lives better because they know it and are greateful for it.
You are just not hearing it and that is the sad part. But you need to know and believe it withing yourself and be proud of the contributions that you have made.
We are the lucky ones, we grew up with the right set of values and believed in working hard and earning what we got, and you not only did that, you have helped to pass on those values to many young boys and girls. No one is better than you my friend and you would not trade your life for those who try to get everything for nothing. You stood for something that these "takers" will never understand. You gave of yourself from your heart. You earned everything you got, you can WALK TALL NO MATTER WHAT; BE PROUD OF YOURSELF AS I AM TO KNOW YOU.
Don't ever forget who you are, and how much you gave. Judgement day comes for everyone. Stay strong my friend as I know you will."
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