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In daily life, that is to say, when you're not training, not fighting, not at the dojo, etc., but involved in your non-Karate "civilian" activities...

What attributes, qualities, or aspects define you as a karateka?
Do you you feel that any at all are carried over into daily life, or do you leave your Karate in the dojo?
Are there any times in you daily life when in non-threatening circumstances, any aspects of your training emerge?

NM

Just the other day on a shoot we were in a disadvantaged area of Washington DC.

I was with my camera and sound person along with the single mom and 2 kids we were fliming as they walked to the bus stop.

A middle-aged man started shouting at us that if we didn't get the Motherf**king camera out of his motherf**king face he would kill us.

He walked past and then walked back. My crew needed to continue filming so I went up to engage the man so he would be close to the camera or the family.

during the next 10 minutes he threatened my life, threatened my crew, told me he would take me out, that he would come after me and find me, that I couldn't keep him from getting on the bus, etc.

I could smell the alcohol and see the confusion in his eyes. He pointed fingers at me, used foul language, tried to get close.

And through it all I was calm. Focused and ready with a slightly faster heart-rate than normal...but relatively calm. Because as long as he used words - it just didn't matter. He was just a sad, lonely drunk guy who found something he thought he could have some power/affect over/on.

What defined me as a karate-ka in that moment?

I guess knew how to act to achieve the best possible outcome. The drunk guy felt listened to and heard - so he left. The family saw me engage him and so stayed where they were. My crew has confidence in me and kept doing their job knowing that I was doing mine. In what could have been an uncontrolled situation - things stayed calm.

Knowing when to speak, when to act - knowing the right time...

Dana

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Did you show compassion today?

Self responsibility .

Your question about whether karate practise leaves the dojo with you is a huge question. Mostly we talk about self defense or how we handle interpersonal relationships (Dana's response) and, certainly, karate practise outside of the dojo includes those important aspects of our training. However, the ability to focus in each moment changes our experience of life more significantly than anything else and this is implicit in the development of karate awareness and our willingness to commit ourselves 100% to what we are doing. In fact, I'll say something potentially provocative: if we don't do that, we haven't understood the heart of Budo. The dojo is precisely that place where we first experience and develop this but ultimately, it has to be integrated into our daily lives. Living life as a warrior means to face each moment, however challenging or easy, with a full awareness and commitment. We could call this, Sanchin State of Mind.

is a "keeper", David.

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GEM
"Do or do not. there is no try!"

Sanchin state of Mind!

That was an awesome stateement!

I "live" my karate as well-

But mostly- it happened because "of" the karate...

Meaning-

I developed self control/dicipline... esteem all those cool things-

Different things anger me- different things bring me joy-

I watch people and sports completely differently-

7 years ago you couldn't have paid me to watch boxing but I'm the one that switches the channel to ESPN now-

but there are other things that mark me as well. I do not waiver with eye contact which actualy bothers most people- (just have gotten used to eye contact in the dojo so...)

I know how to fall down and do so less :) lol

Less things break in my house because of my tuned relexes...

So for me- those things came with practicing up to 5 times a week.

That probably has a great deal to do with it as well because when I have personal revelations or realize something it always comes back to something I learned in sanchin- or through sanchin maybe is the better way to word it-

So for me- that sanchin state of mind-

YEAH!

But those are some of the things that occured to me when I read the question- My entire life changed by "living" my karate style- which is said state of mind :)

:)

Kerry

a pervious teacher of mine ( Zen & Aikido) would talk about ...."IN daily life " and that was the actuall catch phrase he would use. in my memory ( he has since past away) he would use these words at least once in every class. those were good memories and very wise words.
as for myself ,and i am sure with lots of others, we have had martial arts in our lives for so long it is imposible to see the impact of those arts because it is imposible to know where and who we would be with out it. i remember Buzz Durkin saying "every time you do a kata, you redifine who you are".
i also remember a quote from a japanese Koryu teacher saying "i practise martial arts because it teaches us to be human". i feel most people might start martial arts for selfdefense reasons or fitness but continue because it forfills our basic need for self-improvment.

Hoshin
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