Last Updated on 9 October 2020 by Group headquarters office

One of the most important aspects of youth education is the development of the mind.
Of course, as a martial art, it is necessary to practise and acquire various physical skills, but if they are not accompanied by growth of mind, the skills acquired are mere weapons and cannot be used in one's life, no matter what is acquired.

Misconceptions in martial arts education

A common misconception in martial arts education is that if you practise strictly beyond a certain limit, your mental capacity will naturally increase.
It is not as easy as just teaching 'strict training' and 'formal etiquette' in the dojo, but that is not the only way to achieve spiritual growth.

Rather, half-hearted coaching pursues only physical and technical strength, with the aim of easily winning tournaments and other competitions, and may instead damage the spirit of the player.
優勝できたのは精神的に向上できたからという人も見受けますが、それは栄誉などを得るための執念が強くなっただけかもしれません。

Feelings of frustration are not growth.

I often see teachers instructing students who have lost in some kind of competition, regardless of martial arts, saying, "Don't forget this frustration. Don't forget this frustration".
The feeling of frustration is one that we all have in general, even if we don't teach it, and frustration is basically a rather infantile mind that tends towards destruction, such as knocking the other person down or beating the other person up.

本来はその「悔しさ」を越えて「素直に相手をたたえる」などの創造的な心を指導すべきでしょう。
もし「悔しさ」を指導するならば、負けた事では無く、例えば「礼節を守れなかった」「冷静さを保てなかった」など自己の未熟に対するものでなければなりません。

What is spiritual growth?

For real 'spiritual growth', the leader's own way of life and the deeper, easier-to-understand words that accompany it are essential for the spiritual growth of dojo students.
'I want to live my life like this teacher.' The first step is to aspire to be like him or her.

In addition, if the place where martial arts are practised is in competitions, the mind must be practised in the home and in society to grow, so guidance must also be given with this in mind.

In the dojo, learning about various words and the lives of the people who spoke them forms the basis for 'spiritual growth'.
It is nurtured by love at home, learns its way of life and language through a good teacher, and enables spiritual growth through its relationship with itself, with others, and with nature and society.