Dojo Virtues

[Nidan Melbourne]

Recently I was speaking to a student, and they asked me about whether my club (the one that I was in the process of starting up) had any virtues that would be a core aspect of our club. 

So I wonder what does your club or organisation have in terms of Club Virtues? 

Back to the story: 

I said yes we do, and follows the virtues of the International Goju-Kai Karate (IGK) that was formed by Tino Ceberano Hanshi. They were the same virtues that I learnt from my time at my first Club (Australian Goju Karate; from what I've heard they formally closed a few years ago). 

So they are: 

1. We are proud to study the way of Goju

2. We are Courteous in Manners

3. We strive to Develop Courage and Fighting Spirit 

4. We Cultivate Fellowship and Understanding

5. We Respect the Ideals of Loyalty and Honour

 

When I talk about those to my students; and they normally do ask questions about them and how they help our training and our lives. Some aren't as straight forward or clear, yet as we develop as karateka and as humans they should be clear. 

Now when I first learnt these virtues, I wasn't given much in terms of an explanation as to what they mean. But was generally told that as I got older, I would understand what they mean. 

But I try to make it a little easier on my students, and have them explain them in their own words to me. 

Here are my interpretations; but I leave it open for change as I continue my training and I get older these may change. 

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1. We are proud to study the way of Goju

Simply put, you should be take pride in what your learning and to give 100% into what your learning. Can be substituted for any style or martial art. 

Sometimes I feel like this one is a "no duh" type of situation. But sometimes people need to be taught that they can take pride in what they're learning or even if they are teaching. 

 

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2. We are Courteous in Manners

This is something I really struggled with growing up, but as I got older this became clearer to me. 

It talks about how we treat others, more importantly how we treat ourselves. 

 

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3. We strive to Develop Courage and Fighting Spirit 

This is in my mind a lifelong pursuit. As we need to have the courage to stand up for whats right and also to have the courage to fight when necessary. 

Overcoming our fight/flight response. 

Now Fighting "Spirit"  - having the ability to fight like you mean it and without fear. 

 

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4. We Cultivate Fellowship and Understanding

I personally love this Virtue, as we as a community need to foster relationships. 

Then once we foster those relationships, we need to develop an understanding of one another through communication and how we look after one another. 

In my mind it is so important to cultivate these because it is at its essence how we work together in class and learn without causing conflict. 

 

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5. We Respect the Ideals of Loyalty and Honour

Closely tied to point 4, where we show loyalty and honour those around us but also to those who have come before us. 

When we train, we need to keep in mind the efforts of those before us (especially those who taught). If it weren't for them, we wouldn't have Goju Karate that it is today. 

Also this talks about our relationships as a whole; current, future and past. 

 

 

 

[sensei8]

Excellent thread, Nidan Melbourne; thank you for starting this thread.

The virtues that our SKKA held very high were those of the 7 Virtues of Bushido:

1) Righteousness 

2) Loyalty 

3) Honor 

4) Respect 

5) Honesty 

6) Courage 

7) Consistency 

Even though the SKKA, the Governing Body that I was part of for over 6 decades, has been dissolved for cause, those 7 virtues of Bushido still remain with me, and will always remain with me for the rest of my lifetime because I hold those virtues to be true.

Those virtues aren’t just idle words to me because they mean everything to me. And not only because our founders and my sensei sincerely believed in them as well as living them everyday, but because that’s how I was raised. 

In the threshold of the ending days of the SKKA, the then current hierarchy had severely weakened and had adopted anything other than those 7 virtues of Bushido.

Oftentimes, MAists forget to show tolerances for those they disagree with. Whether it be an ideology and/or methodology with the throwing down of insults, and when the style is attacked, so is its practitioners. This isn’t Bushido, imho!!

Through the practice of any MA, we’re supposed to inherit confidence, mental strength, courage, tenacity, work ethic, humility, compassion, integrity, kindness, respect, honor, discipline, and much more. Friendships born in training are often more real than anything else in life.

Virtues are supposed to mean more than just words.

Sorry for my misplaced words but the acts of the SKKA that lead to its demise has made me quite sarcastic about many certain things, Bushido isn’t one of them.

[Nidan Melbourne]

On 2/2/2025 at 4:09 AM, sensei8 said:

Oftentimes, MAists forget to show tolerances for those they disagree with. Whether it be an ideology and/or methodology with the throwing down of insults, and when the style is attacked, so is its practitioners.

I agree with you on that fact! We can have disagreements, but when we can have a friendly discussion around something when it comes to opposing points of view. 

Yet when it goes past civil, we can longer have civil discussions. 

I love discussing differing styles, because I love to learn about how we differ and why they do things the way they do. But then it also challenges my perspective of why my style does what it does it does. 

On 2/2/2025 at 4:09 AM, sensei8 said:

Virtues are supposed to mean more than just words.

So true, to me they are meant to help form a key part of our core values. Especially if we start training from a young age, as the virtues that we learn in our training for some are the first ones they are introduced to. 

My Core Values; in a large part was formed from the IGK Virtues and evolved as I got older. The other Core Values for me; formed outside of class and what I held as important to me. 

On 2/2/2025 at 4:09 AM, sensei8 said:

And not only because our founders and my sensei sincerely believed in them as well as living them everyday, but because that’s how I was raised.

Its interesting with how different generations were raised; like I am a Millenial and you are part of an older Generation. 

When I first started learning my clubs virtues, I didn't really understand what they meant to my daily life and how important they would become to me. Now as an Adult, they are incredibly important to me. 

The current generation that is starting out, I don't know how much they understand. But definitely is a little project I will be working on over the next few years. 

On 2/2/2025 at 4:09 AM, sensei8 said:

1) Righteousness 

2) Loyalty 

3) Honor 

4) Respect 

5) Honesty 

6) Courage 

7) Consistency 

I love the virtues that the SKKA have, and when I look at them they just slot in nicely for me and don't cause any ruffles with my core values. 

I'm updating a Dan Grade Exam atm, these make me think it is worth adding ours in to our exam to see if they know them and their understanding of each. 

[Spartacus Maximus]

All the virtues or rules of every martial arts dojo could be combined into one, that is: Strive to be a good person(kind, honest, trustworthy) and a good citizen(follow rules and laws, avoid trouble and troublemakers) in daily life as well as in the dojo.

Most people can manage this just fine and it is not a difficult thing to do. If it were, there would be a whole lot more bad apples 

 

[bushido_man96]

The Tenets of TKD:

Courtesy:  Treat others with respect, be polite, encourage a sense of justice and humanity, and being helpful to your fellow man.  "The Golden Rule."

Integrity:  Do the right thing, and do the thing right.  I've often heard it said that integrity is doing the right thing even when no one is looking.  Being honest, not lying, and putting forth your best efforts in order to benefit others.

Perseverance:  When things are going right, going smooth, and come easy, it's easy to keep going.  Perseverance is doing so when things aren't easy, aren't smooth, and you'd rather be doing something else.  Setting goals and following through with them to the end.  Not giving up.  "Patience leads to virtue or merit."  Don't be "the little engine that could."  Instead, be "the little engine that does."

Self-Control:  In actions, words, deeds, and thoughts.  "With great power comes great responsibility."  As Martial Artists, we have a duty to those around us to exercise self-control.  We should be seeking to make things better around us.

Indomitable Spirit:  "Seven times down, eight times up!"  Training in Martial Arts can drive our bodies to the breaking point at times.  Indomitable spirit is what keeps us going.  A mental strength to keep trying and to keep working, even when our bodies say "stop!"  Doing what's right, even in the face of persecution.

These are very brief descriptions; I'm sure pages could be written on each, and probably already have by better people than me.  But these are but a glimpse into our dojang tenets.