No martial art philosophy, system or style would be complete without the "gokui." Many martial systems present some principled scroll that presents some philosophical foundation to the martial arts. In the self-defense realm this is also important as it helps keep the mind, body and spirit on the right track when applying any self-defense toward conflict.
As to martial arts each system tends to present a gokui with slight variations but with a similar theme. It is one of those things that is a part of the whole that is martial arts, i.e. the fundamental principles of martial systems and effectiveness. It is one of many benefits of studying a martial system when it is to be used for self-defense. It is what makes the whole by providing a yin to the physical yang of martial self-defense.
What is the gokui and why does it exist? Good initial questions that I have been studying, theorizing and writing about for a considerable period of time. It is that something often pushed to the side for the more glamorous and exciting aspects of martial systems. Many times I have read about this subject as it applies to the more physical aspects of a system, i.e. techniques, drills and combinations of fighting. When it does open a persons eyes to more it is when the martial artists reaches a certain age, i.e. either the fall or winter years of life. It comes mostly when a contemplative practice suddenly makes its appearance. It does appear and most often at the fall or winter years.
Literally gokui means, "essential point; main point." The characters are "極意," and individually mean, i.e. first character means, "poles; settlement; conclusion; end; highest rank; electric poles, very; extremely; most; highly," the second means, "idea; mind; heart; taste; thought; desire; care; liking." Kenpo means, "Chinese art of self-defense."拳法," where the individual characters mean, "fist," and "method; law; rule; principle; model; system."
The gokui is meant to provide a road map of a more moral and culturally rich belief system that attributes to a wholehearted perspective of a system that used the principles of the fist or martial system to govern its learning, teaching and application in every day life. This comes from an ancient form of defense created from Chinese boxing during a time when bandits were prevalent and law was sparse or non-existent. It also dealt with a time when local rule was from the lord of that area and who ruled often with an iron hand.
Like many Asian cultures and beliefs systems the gokui is often a door to understanding how our ancestral sources of martial systems came to create, teach and use the systems for a common good. It is based on Chinese classics like the I Ching and Tao Te Ching where its terse and often ambiguous form makes for a difficult learning curve. It is, to my thinking, similar to a Zen Koan, i.e. a statement that is meant to force a form of contemplative thinking about it subject with the hopes that it will awaken the individual to things beyond the mere application of the physical defense arts.
The fact that it has a reference to Chinese self-defense or the art of the empty or Chinese hand means that it is to govern how one learns and applies a dangerous form of fighting/defensive techniques. It is a means for the practitioner to temper the physical but more importantly the mind and spirit toward a more moral discipline as governed by the time in which that practitioner lives, the culture that governs and the moral standards required for survival.
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