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Respecting the fact that kata is karate, one must embrace the dō mu gen proverb, which, simply stated, asserts: “There can be no end to learning.” Hence, karate begins and ends with the study of kata. Kata is the way through which the secrets of karate have been transmitted from the beginning. Moreover, the only way in which karate can be effectively handed down to future generations as a cultural inheritance, is by adhering to this tradition.

When I think about the international exposure which karate-do has received, I can not help but ponder the footsteps of our eminent predecessors and the devotion it took to forge this tradition. In spite of nearly three centuries of harsh living in the shadows of foreign military and political subjugation, our predecessors never lost their lively spirit. One notable aristocrat named Tansui Eekata (1623-82) composed an abstract poem which has become a classic among Ryukyu folk art.

Poem:

Chunomiya muchai Ashibushiya warate Kunoyu furishite te Ichayashigana

Translation: