Find and Follow the Way

What is the meaning of “Do?”

How do you turn an art into a way of life?

Do is the Japanese version of the Chinese word Tao (道) as in the philosophy of Taoism. We see this character used in everything from chado (茶道), the “Way of tea,” to shodo (書道), the “Way of Japanese calligraphy.” It implies that studying these activities goes beyond those specific arts and includes the art of living itself—life lessons if you will.

It’s in this sense that practitioners of shodo, budo (武道), and other Do forms say they’re practicing a Way of life. Yet, frequently they just say it, but often don’t live it or effectively teach it.

Strong words, but after decades of studying various Japanese arts in Japan and the USA, and after writing several books on these age-old disciplines, I’m starting to understand a bit about this topic. What’s more, although I sometimes criticize teachers of these subjects (including myself), I also believe that we really can discover a new, better way of living by practicing budo and similar arts. If I didn’t feel this way, I wouldn’t have written books about those arts and taught several of them for over 50 years.

So, it concerns me that some teachers of these arts, and their books as well, offer up “fortune cookie philosophy.” This is the idea that a few brief and superficial sayings about the Way will allow people to travel along this path. It rarely works, and it’s a problem in Japan as well, where sensei favor less verbal instruction. There are valid historical, cultural, and philosophical reasons for this “learn it by copying it” approach, but that method also allows teachers to hide deficiencies in understanding the Way.

Sure, most sensei pay random lip service to the idea that mastering an effective approach to living is possible by studying the Way of calligraphy or the Way of flower arrangement, kado (花道). But do they actually teach this or even demonstrate it? When critically evaluated, it becomes clear that many do not.

But some do, and I fortunately practiced martial arts with that sort of special individual while growing up and continuing into adulthood. I’ve belonged to various Japanese and American martial arts associations over the years, and while I benefited from involvement in these groups, I also saw behaviors that were opposed to the spirit of the Way that my teachers and sempai, “seniors,” taught me.

There wasn’t always, for example, much in the way of jita kyoei (自他共栄), an important principle espoused by judo’s founder emphasizing mutual welfare and benefit: the simple idea that we benefit by working together instead of against each other. And I wasn’t the only one that felt this way. 

As I continued to teach and practice traditional Japanese martial arts, I met other lifelong practitioners in some of the above-mentioned and unnamed associations, who’d come to similar conclusions. Some of these folks I met in Japan, others in the USA, and still others I reconnected with in the United States after they returned from living and training in Japan. We all loved what we’d spent most of our lives practicing, but we were concerned about whether these arts that were rooted in traditional Japanese culture would survive undamaged into the 21st century. 

So, we decided to do something about it. You can guess what came next.

Find Your Way at an International Martial Arts Association

You can embrace the concept of Do at an international martial arts association like SMAA! To get started or ask a question, call (734) 720-0330 or submit a contact form here. We look forward to welcoming you into the martial arts community.