Courtesy

 Karate-do begins with courtesy and ends with rei (Bow).

Difficult concept for some people to grasp.  With all the focus on violence and fighting in movies using karate.  One would surmise that the bad sensei in karate kid was the norm.

You would think that all karate instruction was taught with attacking in mind.  Actually I don’t know of an instructor that would want their students to go out and use karate in a disrespectful fashion.  Moreover I would think that most instructors would want their students to become the bully solution.

There is no reason for a student in karate to rude or discourteous.   A true student should have enough self confidence that he doesn’t need to go out and bully others.  One of my green belts walks 1/2 mile to class with his uniform on.  I witnessed him leave tonite and there were a group of young people across the street on the library steps so I watched their actions as he left.   I told my wife that if they made any remarks that if I had to go out I would simply tell them they were outnumbered, since there were only 3 of them.  I’m quite sure that in a few seconds they would’ve been laying on the ground.    The same group had been harassing a mentally handicapped or challenged man that walks around the neighborhood.  He’ll stop you and talk about things and never at an opportune time.  I usually humor him and talk a little bit and that makes him happy.  One of my students said that someone was in his face and yelling at him and saying what are you looking at.  He is usually standing around looking or staring at nothing much which in this case he was staring at nothing much.  They sit around in a gang and try to look tough.  This poor guy left and no one told me about it till much later.  

I’m quite familiar with that type of person having grown up with a mentally challenged brother.  Kids would call him names and push him around.  How tough that must’ve made them feel.  I wonder how they deal with it when they think of it as an adult.  I actually got into a fight with one of his tormentors, and he didn’t feel very well after that exchange.  Actually that was one of the few fights I was ever in, and that was before I knew karate. 

I think that karate students should take the higher ground and be the part of the solution and not part of the problem.  Stop the bullies.

Be a buddy not a bully.

One thing about courtesy, you make a lot more friends.