At the end of Kagami Biraki this morning, I reviewed our meditative theme for 2023:
“三美 – 誠 善 仁”
“Always practice the three virtues of sincerity, kindness, and benevolence!”
These virtues are fundamental to the practice of our karate-do and our interactions with others and the world around us.
Sincerity and kindness are two virtues that must be intertwined in our daily practice. Sometimes we are somewhat genuine in our words and actions, yet not necessarily kind. Similarly, we can sometimes be polite or nice to others without truly being honest. However, when we can cultivate these virtues simultaneously and together within ourselves, our actions towards others no matter how small, become great acts of benevolence.
When we practice sincerity and kindness in the dojo every day, we create a positive and loving atmosphere. We genuinely practice our karate for ourselves and yet are kind to each other, especially those who may be less skilled. This truly creates a special place to practice our karate-do, where we can all learn and grow together.
But the benefits of these virtues do not stop at the dojo. When we embody sincerity and kindness in the dojo, we can easily apply them in other areas of our lives, such as at school, work, and home, amongst our friends, and within other social groups. Over time, these virtues define us as students, as a dojo, and as an organisation.
Not coincidentally, we represent these important virtues in the final two ripples of the Jin Sei Ryu Karate-Do symbol, so that we never forget their importance in our daily practice as students and leaders.
