Nyumonsha [入門者]

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

The characters/ideograms translate to mean, “a beginner.” The first character translates to, “Enter; insert,” the second character translates to, “gate,” and the third character translates to, “person; someone.” Dave Lowry wrote once in an article in the Black Belt magazine, i.e., 

“The word ‘nyumonsha’ is actually not used much in modern Japanese. Tragically, it is used even less in the United States, where, in terms of the martial disciplines, it should be used frequently. The last character sha refers to a person who does something - a practitioner. The nyu at the beginning of the word is written with the same strokes that are sometimes pronounced irimi, meaning ‘to enter.’ A mon is a gate. Putting the entire word together, we have - a person entering the gate.”

“Of all the karate joints in all the towns in all the world, he/she walks into mine. The nyumonsha!” I am glad when a nyumonsha walks into my dojo, it is an opportunity to guide and mentor that person towards a great, wonderful and satisfying life as a karate-ka, a martial artist! Notice the title? One of my pet peeves is all the titles in all the dojo and expressed, inappropriately, in all the world, at least the western world. We have shihan, hanshi, kyoshi and others both drawn from actual use in Asian dojo and others created by egoistic souls who crave unique, specific and glorifying titles and symbols to show others just who and what they are. 

Yet, seldom do I find anyone using this title because NO ONE wants to be a beginner, a novice or a newbie or boot as we call them in the Marines. I don’t think most really understand all the Asian martial arts and karate titles especially this one. This one is especially hard to define, much like trying to define what it is to be traditional or classical in their study and practice of martial arts and karate. 

Dave Lowry further writes about nyumonsha, “ … we can see that a “person at the gate” is someone who has a lot of work ahead of him. He has no direct path to the heart of things. He has to go around and around, approaching his destination obliquely. That’s why, if we’re serious about our journey along the “martial path,” we must always think of ourselves as nyumonsha. There is always another gate before us, another turn, another new discovery to be made.”

In modern karate studio’s and/or training halls practitioners are given a syllabus with certain requirements laid out one must achieve in order to move up the chain of belts toward black and higher. This promotes a perception, distinction and misguided understanding that once you achieve that particular requirement - you are done. This is far from the truth in the form or way of study of martial arts and karate for the “Way” and for “Jutsu (Self-fense).”

It is not about taking a multiple choice question where one answer is, “The Answer.” It’s about discovery, searching, analysis and synthesis of things on a continuous on-going creative discovery of what you have done, what you are doing and what you can achieve in the future. Nyumonsha, is a title, is way to designate the character, personality and beliefs of a martial artist and karate-ka without designating any particular style, system or way - a way of the individual is what it is without borders, requirements or tests beyond what the person puts on their selves to achieve their goals. 

If I were to put a title on a business card for my teachings, on the dojo door or in all correspondence, i.e., like the title shihan as an honorary title not to be used when addressing that person, etc., it would be the title, designation or honor to put, “Nyumonsha!”  

p.s. here is one for ya, when googling the term most results are in a foreign language and the term is used as a title, etc., not much in English or on sites that define and use it in the way described above. Even searching for a title in Amazon returns Japanese editions for about five book search results. 

Bibliography (Click the link)

Lowry, Dave. “The Gateway to the Martial Path.” March 1997. Black Belt Magazine, ‘the best of dave lowry.’