"The Author, it must be remembered, writes from his own standpoint!"
My personal "Interpretive" Lens!

"One thing has always been true: That book ... or ... that person who can give me an idea or a new slant on an old idea is my friend." - Louis L'Amour


"Providing a first step on a path to self-reflection." - C. E. James

"Read not to contradict and confute; nor to believe and take for granted; nor to find talk and discourse; but to weigh and consider..." - Francis Bacon

"What is true today may be reevaluated as false not long after. Judgements are frequently based upon a set of "temporary" circumstances surrounding them. Conflicting ideologies can exist simultaneously. Antagonistic dualities are complementary aspects of a unified whole: are seen as mutually dependent mirror images of each other." - Nahum Stiskin

Warning, Caveat and Note: The postings on this blog are my interpretation of readings, studies and experiences therefore errors and omissions are mine and mine alone. The content surrounding the extracts of books, see bibliography on this blog site, are also mine and mine alone therefore errors and omissions are also mine and mine alone and therefore why I highly recommended one read, study, research and fact find the material for clarity. My effort here is self-clarity toward a fuller understanding of the subject matter. See the bibliography for information on the books.


Note: I will endevor to provide a bibliography and italicize any direct quotes from the materials I use for this blog. If there are mistakes, errors, and/or omissions, I take full responsibility for them as they are mine and mine alone. If you find any mistakes, errors, and/or omissions please comment and let me know along with the correct information and/or sources.

Kenpo Gokui

The lines of the ken-po goku-i are set from an atomistic aspect simply because it is the manner in which the brain learns. Its nature is completely holistic and like the I Ching must be in a form that promotes learning and understanding so a person can see, hear and grasp the nature of a holistic system. The gokui is a method to teach us how to be holistic. Its terseness is the best that can be done to convey its holistic meaning.

A person's heart is the same as Heaven and Earth while the blood circulating is similar to the Sun and Moon yet the manner of drinking and spitting is either soft or hard while a person's unbalance is the same as a weight and the body should be able to change direction at any time as the time to strike is when the opportunity presents itself and both the eyes must see all sides as the ears must listen in all directions while the mind must grasp all the tactile, olfactory and gustation data not seen on all sides and not heard in any direction


Master Zeng said, "Am I preaching what I have not practiced myself?"

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Enso/Ensou [円相]


The characters/ideograms mean "circle painted with a single stroke in Zen calligraphy." The first character means, "circle; yen; round," the second character means, "mutual; together; each other; councillor; aspect; phase; physiognomy." 

A moment when the mind is free to let the body-mind create spontaneously. It symbolizes many things, i.e. absolute enlightenment, strength, the universe and the void, to name a few. As indicated it is associated with Zen and Zen is associated with martial arts, systems or styles in a more esoteric representation. 

In the Isshinryu system enso is represented or symbolized in the kusanku kata, i.e. in the opening move the hands begin at the apex indicating heaven ([])then the hands move outward and down to create a circle, i.e. an enso symbol if you will, to meet at the bottom indicating the earth ([]). The symbolism in the kata movement is to symbolize the universe or world in peace as taught in traditional karate. This is also taught through the saying, "there is no first strike in karate." 

The circle and symbolism of heaven and earth form through the I Ching's characters the one whole for the Universe or as in the I Ching the yin-yang principle of life and the universe. The Isshinryu system also represents or symbolizes esoteric meaning by the two kata, i.e. sanchin and naihanchi, as sanchin = yang while naihanchi = yin, as representing the birth of Isshinryu, i.e. sanchin = father, naihanchi = mother and Isshinryu = son, etc. 

The enso represents reciprocals and compliments within the universe that without we and the universe would not exist, i.e. the one separating into two complimentary opposites of yin-yang. The one, yang, represents the other, yin, by the small opposite colors with each side of the two complimentary halves making for the whole, i.e. the construct wholeness. 

It represents the one as neither opposites nor that they negate one another but rather the two complementary sides make for the one whole of everything within the universe. It is a singular cycle of force that make for opposites as togetherness. 

The enzo symbolized what makes for the very nature of conflict, combat and fighting. Then the one underlying singularity of all martial systems are the principles that are universal  that cannot be taken from nor added to but exist in the absence of principles or non-principles. 

Tatsuo-san tried to convey such things to the first generation of karate students in the late fifties and early sixties by presenting them with a silk paper with the ken-po goku-i written in both kanji and English where the first two set speak to heaven and earth; sun and moon, etc. to provide hints to the more esoteric principles of his system - Isshinryu.

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