Judo has many faces--as a sport, self defense, exercise
and philosophy. As a result, there are many goals that one can harbor
through the practice of Judo. The most important goal, however,
is the development of oneself as a person. To develop one’s character
through Judo means to learn many of the same values, morals, and
ethics passed on to the student from the instructor
These values can be summarized by the two mottos of
Judo. The first is
“Sei ryoku zen yo” - - to put our best
efforts into everything; and
“Ji ta kyo ei” - - for the benefit of
living with others harmoniously.
Judo teaches us to work as hard as we can, for the
benefit of interpersonal relationships. These mottos can also
be summarized by the last teachings of Jigoro Kano:
“Judo is the way to most efficiently use one’s mental
and physical strength. By training, one should discipline
and cultivate the body and spirit through the practice of techniques
of offense and defense, thereby to master the essence of Judo.
And, by these means, it is the ultimate goal of Judo to build
oneself up to perfection and thereby benefit the world.” |
