Kancho T. Okuyama's Philosophy

"I always feel the waves of the Pacific Ocean behind me and flowers in front of my gaze.

I was born on a small island on the south side of Tokyo called Hachijojima. Every year, typhoons attack the island. The sound of the waves were my sleeping drums.

The island of Hachijojima was a heavily criminal island, especially for corrupt politicians who could not escape because of the strong powerful waves and currents - "Kuroshio" (The "Black Current" also known as the "Japan Cur...rent").

The island was also covered with beautiful flowers. Flowers everywhere. Everything in front of me is flowers. Whenever I encounter someone, whether the person is a friend or foe, I see flowers. I see if I should give him or her water, I see if I should cultivate the person, help the person grow, or should I cut ties with the flower. The person could be my enemy or my loved one, whomever they are, I see them as a beautiful flower first.

This is the reason behind why I love to paint waves and flowers."

The Philosophy Behind Okuyama Karate

When a person trains two or three times a week, one's body and spirit benefit.

Training in the form of karate reflects the union with those who trained long ago. Subsequently, the person benefits from the previous karateka training and meditation.

In essence, those in the past help the person who trains in karate now. In the same fashion, the current karateka help prepare those in the future who will start karate training.

Thus, the study of karate-do becomes eternal. In the refinement of karate-do no, the student intensifies the link between the past, present, and future of this ancient martial art.

A person helps someone in the twenty-second century by training now in karate-do.

Karate will intensify in importance to many people. Its spirit and scientific principles will be a great asset in the approaching centuries. I, as a Kancho, will teach those who are not born yet So, in a sense, I subtly teach the unborn.

KARATE-DO TRAINING: The 8 Most Important Aspects of Karate-Do

by: Kancho T. Okuyama

Kime (ultimate focus and movement) foresight, stillness, determination, and manner
Turning that which is incomprehensible into comprehensible and turning what is comprehensible into incomprehensible
turning unconscious movement into conscious movement, and conscious movement into unconscious movement
Turning the intangible into something tangible, and something tangible into the intangible. (Especially the universal power of gravity and the ability to both push aside one's pain and feel another's pain.)
Turning that which is invisible into what is visible, and visible into something visible. (Invisible things can refer to the past and the future, while visible things can refer to the present. Kata or any actions are invisible until someone performs them)
Turning silence into sound and sound into silence. (Especially being able to hear and be aware of the universal sound: true music.)
True reality exists between unreality and reality. (Myo wa kyo jitsu no kan ni ari). It also exists between your inner universe and your outer universe.
As life is like the spirit of water, take everything that has happened to you or will happen and turn it into something positive. Believing in life is very important. Like water changing into rain, which makes rivers, lakes, oceans, and many other things, yet it always returns to its pure state.

Kancho T. Okuyama's Philosophy

The Philosophy Behind Okuyama Karate

KARATE-DO TRAINING: The 8 Most Important Aspects of Karate-Do

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