Dojo Kun (Shotokan)

Hi Andrew,

I can highly recommend three podcasts from Rob Redmond a.k.a. 24 Fightingchickens that cover this topic.

http://www.24fightingchickens.com/2007/01/28/the-dojo-kun-1/
http://www.24fightingchickens.com/2007/02/03/the-dojo-kun-pt-2/
http://www.24fightingchickens.com/2007/02/27/the-dojo-kun-pt-3/

Andrew Carr-Locke wrote:

These 5 areas were outlined by Gitchin Funakoshi as the way to go about training in the Dojo to develop proper karate and karate-ka.

Mhh... Where did he do that? I think it is an "invention" from the JKA. I never saw anything like that in Funakoshis writings, except his six rules that Iain opened another thread for.

Rob Redmonds gives a good insight into japanese culture and what the japanese understand when they read the dojokun. He also gives a much better translation than your first one. The second one is very close to Redmonds translation. See here http://www.24fightingchickens.com/files/pdf/dojo-kun-translated.pdf

Hope that helps. :o)

Regards Holger

Ah the much misinterpreted and mistranslated shotokan dojo kun.

As a professional in this field (obscure Japanese translation) I have particular issue with how the second precept is most often translated. In English we most often see "Protect the way of truth" or something similar but that is down to a fundamental misunderstanding of Japanese contextual semantics.

The verb "mamoru" used here is indeed most commonly used to mean protect or defend but when the subject is a kind of rule or tradition it actually takes on the meaning of to follow, maintain or adhere to. Why one would need to protect a personal way of life and moral code from others is beyond me and is a very awkward concept. 

The translation of "makoto no michi" as "the way of truth" is also far to literal for my liking and dosent really carry the nuances of a "correct", "honest",  "proper" and "noble" way of behaving that is tied in here.

Thus my preferred translation of the second shotokan dojo kun precept is "to always adhere to the righteous path" .

Whether people actually follow the spirit of these dojo kun in their training and personal lives is another issue entirely... 

Gavin J Poffley wrote:

Whether people actually follow the spirit of these dojo kun in their training and personal lives is another issue entirely... 

Fair point well made.

Previous (admittedly cynical) post deleted

Gary