DO & JUTSU
Two fundamental concepts in Japanese martial arts are jutsu and do. Jutsu means "art" or "technique," and usually refers to systems that focus on combat techniques and effectiveness in real combat situations. Do means "way," and refers to schools that teach martial arts as way to achieve enlightenment or perfection of character. Simply put, jutsu arts teach a way of fighting and do arts teach a way of life. In reality, again as the inyo exemplifies, each one will have a little of the other in it, depending on various styles and schools. Many jutsu schools still exist today, teaching arts like jujutsu, aiki-jutsu, karate-jutsu, and even ninjutsu. However, do schools seem to be more popular, offering arts such as judo, aikido, and karate-do. For students who practice a "way," they train in a dojo, or "way place." It is a place where you go to practice the way of perfecting yourself. There is an abundance of philosophy for those who choose to practice a do martial art such as Shotokan. This section provides but a tiny fragment of this philosophy.
The creators of chuan fa, the Shaolin monks, lived by it. The ancient samurai code of bushido (way of the warrior) is based on it. Gichin Funakoshi, the founder of Shotokan, studied it. Many karate masters of today immerse themselves in it. The art of karate has long been steeped in the traditions of Zen Buddhism. Zen is a school of Buddhism that states enlightenment...
Kun simply means "rules." In Shotokan circles, there are two basic well-known kun, the Dojo Kun and the Niju Kun. The Dojo Kun is believed to have been initiated by Santunuku "Tode" Sakugawa, although Gichin Funakoshi is given much credit for its present day use. The Dojo Kun is recited at the end of every Shotokan karate class...
Ikken hissatsu translates as "one fist, certain kill," the idea being to kill an opponent with a single technique. In modern times, to avoid overly brutal applications, another interpretation used is "to defeat an opponent with one blow." There are two ways to achieve this high level of skill. The first way is to deliver a very powerful technique using one's kime. Kime (focus)...