For
the last month, I have been spending most of my time finishing my work for the
semester in preparation for a research trip to southern Vietnam this winter. As
a result, I haven’t had the time to compose a full blog post for the month of
November, but hope to make up for it with stories from southeast Asia. I will
spend about a month travelling around Vietnam and four days in southern China;
my hope is to find time to practice and interact with martial artists in both
countries.
In
place of my own thoughts, I present a collection of quotes from famous martial
artists who have influenced my training. I hope to add to this over time, and
for a sort of library of inspiration to motivate myself and other martial
artists in their journey. Please feel free to post your own quotes and insights
which you think should be a part of this list.
“It is missing the point to think
that the martial art is solely in cutting a man down.” –Yagyu Munenori
“… the true science of martial arts means
practicing them in such a way that they will be useful at any time, and to
teach them in such a way that they will be useful in all things.” –Musashi Miyamoto
“Let the teacher be the needle, let the student be the thread, and practice
unremittingly.”
“A hard attack or hard ukemi will
not in itself help society. But the strong spirit that is developed through
hard training can be society’s salvation.” –Saotome Mitsugi
“Take things as they are. Punch when
you have to punch. Kick when you have to kick.” –Bruce Lee
“The ultimate aim of Karate lies not
in victory or defeat, but in the perfection of character of its participants.” –Gichin Funakoshi
“To win one hundred victories in one
hundred battles is not the highest skill. To subdue the enemy without fighting
is the highest skill.” –Sun-Tsu
"Iron is full of impurities that weakn it; though the forging fire, it becomes steel and is transformed into a razor-sharp sword. Human beings develop in the same fashion." -Morihei Ueshiba
"Although it is important to study and train for skill in techniques, for the man who wishes to truly accomplish the way of Budo, it is more important to make his whole life in training and therefore not aiming for skill and strength alone, but also for spiritual attainment." -Mas Oyama
"Iron is full of impurities that weakn it; though the forging fire, it becomes steel and is transformed into a razor-sharp sword. Human beings develop in the same fashion." -Morihei Ueshiba
"Although it is important to study and train for skill in techniques, for the man who wishes to truly accomplish the way of Budo, it is more important to make his whole life in training and therefore not aiming for skill and strength alone, but also for spiritual attainment." -Mas Oyama
