OKINAWAN GOJU-RYU KARATE-DO ASSOCIATION
REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA
Modesty. Master Morio Higaonna

Chojun MiyagiTeacher Chojun Miyagi always spoke the pupils: " People whom karate everyday are engaged, bring up stability, physical strength and technical skill. Gradually their spirit also becomes stronger ". As his pupils developed these skills, he always spoke with them about importance of modesty. He spoke: " Ju (10) no chikara dekitara, Go (5) ni saginasai ". It under it assumed that: " When your force and technical abilities come nearer to a level 10 more and more, your modesty should increase so, that you should show your abilities only at a level 5 ". Sensei Miyagi spoke, that as you develop the skills in karate, quality of modesty also should develop. And with this feeling of modesty your training should become more intensive, constantly challenging directly to himself to go little bit more firmly or little bit further, even when you are tired and wish to leave.

You never should lose feeling of value of your teacher, also as values of your family, their love and support of your efforts. Some karatekas when they feel that have reached a high technological level or success in dojo, start to think, that their success has come owing to only their efforts. As a result of it their ego loses the control. They can utter words "thanks" the teacher or another, but in heart they feel, that their achievements are only their merit. Business is, however, not and any karateka should forget never as this success has come, that their success is general effort of all around of them who has helped them to reach a level which at them is.

As to me personally I am immensely grateful to sensei Anichi Miyagi for his training, wisdom and a management. These are such treasures which no quantity of money can pay back. He taught to me more than technics and knowledge. He has transferred me, has learned me to understand correctly, that force and value goju-ryu in karate is so allmighty, that I feel that should transfer these values to mankind; in fact value goju-ryu is not limited only to technics, goju-ryu is also the powerful tool in the help to people that they became better.

To reach this high aim, karateka should be engaged sincerely with the open reason and heart, instead of for force or the control. You should allow to karate to develop your spirit, instead of to use it for development of yours egoistic qualities.

I love karate. When I was twenty, I liked to practise kаtа, and now, in the sixty, my passion to kаtа became all-consuming. I also like to teach, because when I see the students persistently training and pushing to a limit of the forces, I become inspired by their efforts, and it forces me to be engaged still more sever and to achieve greater success. Unfortunately, happens, however, that the pupil develops an ego instead of modesty. I feel that it, should be, because of my inability to inform my messages to this pupil and when it happens, it turns on a wrong way. Only it inspires me even more, and I accept a call, concentrating on the true, devoted pupils to help them to understand importance of their training and to keep their concentration on the true purpose in karate. This purpose consists in allowing karate to develop harmony of spirit and reason. Every day I remember words of sensei Anichi Miyagi which spoke me: " You should investigate and develop constantly your technics and character, challenging to yourselves every day, pushing yourselves more firmly and more firmly to a ultimate goal - modesty "

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