The Middle Way

Blog Article/Post Caveat (Read First Please: Click the Link)

This is about some history, personal and not well documented (even tho the sources are personal conversations with interpreters, etc. and we all know how accurate that is especially with the divide between the cultures in discussion but that is just me), concerning certain aspects of the founders belief systems.

In this article I found information that said the founder, “Was in the middle.” It was mentioned that the founder followed a philosophy, my word, of “The Middle Way or The Doctrine of the Mean.” The great thing is that the article associated with the Chinese character [中] used to represent the middle way is also shown to be incomplete, i.e., the middle way and the doctrine of the mean are represented by [中庸] these two characters. 

It is most excellent that the author relates more to the characters/ideograms in a complete way and that is very, very good. I often don’t see this much effort used to make sure readers get a full picture to work with. 

The author goes on the say that it means, meant to the founder, that in karate as in life the founder to live the correct way, to cultivate his life the correct way. Since the founder was a fortune teller and used the Ancient Classics that one can assume with some authority that he meant that one should live the middle path or way, i.e., a yin-yang balanced mutually beneficial way where life with its good and bad, ups and downs, serenity and conflict must find balance somewhere in the middle of all of the life’s adventures. I feel that karate when practiced encompassing the full and complete fundamental principles helps us make that happen, to encode it deep down in the proverbial gene’s of each of us. 

My only glitch is the graphic used to symbolize and represent that philosophy is, in my persona view, incomplete and leaves too much room for interpretation as can be seen in my graphic at the end of this article. There are four Japanese terms that fall under that one character/ideogram and although they also contain limited translated terms in English that could or might lead to the meaning, The Middle Way,” the use of the one term and the two associated characters/ideograms seems more appropriate and closes down most of the uncertainty of meanings as the graphic may indicate. 

In this addition to an already great teachings about the founder and Isshinryu, as just one out of many Okinawan karate systems/styles, this assists that effort by providing another perspective and perception through analysis, hypothesis and finally synthesis. 

I would add that although finding balance and holding true to the path of the middle, the mean, is a lofty and most excellent path and goal we cannot forget that life does not remain along that path for if it did the yin-yang, doctrine of the mean and the middle path would not exist. We still have to recognize, accept, and understand those ebbs and flows, especially when exposed to either ends extremes, so we may find and analyze them, hypothesize how we as individuals need to handle them with appropriate coping skills, and the synthesize our actions, deeds and applications to apply strategies, tactics and reach our set goals so that we may return to the middle and march on. It is a good thing to find our middle path but not to the exclusion of those off road ways of life both good and bad because they will, as is natural and nature, encroach on our path like weeks that grow between the cracks of that sidewalk of life and living. 

Bibliography (Click the link)

“In order for any life to matter, we all have to matter.” - Marcus Luttrell, Navy Seal (ret)

Click image to enlarge for readability.