Zen and Karatedo: A Comparative Analysis of the Practices, Attitudes, and Effects on the Practitioners

understanding of what Karate-do is. 
 The number one misconception is that Karate-do is a violent sport. People observe the 
actions and conclude that karate is violent. Another misconception is that Karate-do has been 
confused with several other Asian martial arts. For example, it has been identified with the Chinese 
style of boxing kung-fu, or with the Korean martial art taekwondo, or with any other martial art that 
uses kicking and punching. Because of this, the fact that Karate-do is a Japanese martial art in par 
with aikido, kendo, judo, and kyudo has resulted into its being lost along the way. 
 Misconceptions and misunderstanding regarding Karate-do also abound in the local 
scenario. In fact, when the Japan Karate Association Orient, Inc., Philippine Chapter gave a karate 
demonstration in one of the State Colleges in Cebu City, some of the esteemed educators did not 
comprehend the true meaning and philosophy of Karate-do. One claimed that he once saw a movie 
that depicted some karate students as unruly and disrespectful toward their academic teachers. 
Another educator certainly showed her own xenophobic bias when she categorically branded karate 
as a foreign art and thus should be shunned, as if anything foreign is bad. Another educator charged 
that karate does not inculcate any educational value, whatsoever.
 Several persons favored the introduction of karate-do into the school system; but others 
opposed such move. In one of the private universities here in Cebu, one physical education head 
maintained that there is no physical education value in the teaching of karate-do to the students, 
unless the karate instructor is a physical education graduate. According to her this is the requirement 
of the Department of Education, Culture and Sports. Those in favor, however, did not grasp the 
meaning of Karate-do any better either. They were just infatuated by this "strange" art of Karate-do. 
They thought that karate is some kind of mysterious, esoteric art which enables the practitioner to 
gain mastery over other people through physical prowess, or to be able to break boards, bricks, 
2bones and other physical things. Some thought karate is just a mere show, in which two men attack 
each other savagely, or contestants battle each other as though it were a form of boxing which uses 
the hands and feet. If karate were practiced solely as a fighting technique, this is a cause for regret. 
The fundamental techniques have been developed and perfected through long years of study and 
practice, but the effective use of these techniques can only be achieved through the spiritual 
development of Zanshin, which must play an important role in the development of the character of 
the student. 
 The purpose, then, of this study was to erase the misconceptions and misunderstanding of 
Karate-do by presenting to the readers that karate-do does not promote disrespect among students 
but rather promotes respect for everybody including himself. The main goal of karate-do is the 
perfection of character. The achievement of such perfection is guided by a philosophy typically 
Japanese: Zen Buddhism.
Theoretical Background
 It is the position of this study that Karate-do has its own underlying philosophy, the 
philosophy of Zen Buddhism; that practicing Karate-do is actually expressing the spirit of such 
philosophy. All the physical movements in Karate-do are interwoven with zanshin, a spiritual 
development. "Spiritual" here should not be taken in the religious sense, but rather in the wholistic 
sense, the development of body and mind as one in the here and now. Based on an eclectic Zen 
Buddhist foundation, with intertwining elements of Confucianism and the native Shinto religion, the 
art of defending was raised to a spiritual level.
2
 There are many published books and articles on Zen Buddhism and on Karate-do. Reviewed, 
2
 Vince Morris and Aidan Trimble, Karate Kata and Application (London: Stanley Pauley, l991), 8.
3hereunder, are some books and articles that offer some background for a better grasp of the problem 
which this study will undertake: the relationship between Zen and Karate-do. This relationship will 
be seen in the aspect that the study of karate is not just a physical training but also requires a 
philosophy that would guide such a study. 
The study of Karate-do is not just physical.
 Gichin Funakoshi, considered the father of modern karate, was a Taoist. While living in 
Okinawa, he taught Chinese Classics, such as Lao Tzu's Tao Te Ching. He was deeply religious. He 
was the man who made karate an international martial art.  
 In his book Karate-do: My Way of Life he relates about his various experiences while 
learning karate. As a child he was quite sickly, so his parents required him to study karate. He, then, 
studied karate for health purposes and undertook it as a mere physical development regimen. As he 
practiced karate, his health improved exceptionally well. The more he developed physically the 
more he became encouraged to continue his practice. Later he felt miserable for he realized that his 
training was "incomplete." It lacked something. It lacked the zanshin, the spiritual aspect of his 
training, the development of the spirit.
3
 In his Karate-do Nyumon, Funakoshi notes that some karate teachers argued that it was a 
waste of time for anyone involved in the study of karate-do to speak of spiritual development. Their 
teaching theory was that the acquisition of technical ability was first and foremost, and that energy 
should be turned toward development of the spirit later in life. 
 Funakoshi was quite apprehensive of such a training emphasis. In fact, he was afraid that 
karate would become an instrument of destruction, if studied solely for its physical technique 
     
3
 Gichin Funakoshi, Karate-do: My Way of Life (New York: Kodansha International, l989).
4development. He did not deny, however, that the study of techniques, in any field, is an important 
part of learning experience. But being overly dependent on technique is self-limiting. He recalled the 
swordmaster Musashi Miyamoto who criticized most of the then current training methods as having 
to do only with techniques, not with what is more central --- the spirit of the swordsman.
4
 Thus, 
being too dependent upon techniques would just reinforce the myths of karate. 
 In the same book Karate-do Nyumon, he destroys some of the myths of karate, which were 
brought about by the ignorance of the people. He says: 
Karate-do is a noble martial art, and the reader can be rest assured that those who 
take pride in breaking boards or smashing tiles, or who boast of being able to 
perform outlandish feats like stripping flesh or plucking out ribs, really know 
nothing about karate. They are playing around in the leaves and branches of a 
great tree, without the slightest concept of the trunk.
5
For this reason, Funakoshi greatly stresses the importance of zanshin, the spiritual development. 
This focus was too important to be omitted or be relegated to the later years of training.  Hideharu 
Onuma, a Kyudo Master, in Illuminated Spirit describes the opportune time to develop the spirit like 
that of planting a pine seed: 
If someday, you want to have a strong, beautiful pine that towers above your 
home and garden, when do you plant the seed? Do you wait until you are old and 
feeble? I think not. You must plant the seed early and nurture it carefully over the 
years. It grows as you do - stronger and grander each day.
6
Thus, Funakoshi reiterates and emphasizes the need for a philosophy necessary for the development 
of the spirit. This philosophy would be the guiding beacon in the training of the karate-ka. As the 
4
 Musashi Miyamoto, A Book of Five Rings (New York: Overlook Press, l974), 82-83. 
5
 Funakoshi, Karate-do Nyumon, trans. Tsutomu Oshima. (New York: Kodansha International, l994), 17. 
6
 Dan De Prospero and Jackie De Prospero, Illuminated Spirit: Conversations with a Kyudo Master (New York: 
Kodansha International, 1996), 27.
5student practices physically, the philosophy will lead him to karate mastery.
7
Zen Buddhism: The philosophy of Zen and Karate-do 
 Funakoshi asserts that Zen Buddhism is the philosophy necessary for karate mastery. Again 
in Karate-do Nyumon, he explains this profound philosophy, which links the physical and spiritual 
aspect of karate-do.
8
 If the practice of karate requires such a philosophy, so does the practice of Zen. 
Zen must also be practiced both in the physical and spiritual aspect. Zen and Karate-do must not be 
approached as mere techniques. 
 D.T. Suzuki claims that practicing Zen is difficult if it is approached as a technique without 
taking into consideration the real essence of Zen: that it is life itself, the spiritual life itself.
9
Funakoshi echoed this same observation in his book: Karate-do: My Way of Life, where he says: 
You must be deadly serious in training, for training is life itself. When I say that, I 
do not mean that you should be reasonably or moderately earnest. I mean that you 
must always be aware and be present, that your life depends on your training, 
whether you sit or stand or walk or raise your hands.
10
 Masatoshi Nakayama in his Dynamic Karate reiterates the main teachings of Master 
Funakoshi: the development of character. In reiterating the teachings, he describes the fundamental 
aims and spirit of Karate-do. He, then, features the old Buddhist principles as essential to learning 
Karate-do. Most especially he expounds on the essential philosophical ideas, such as the unity of 
body and mind. He gives special emphasis on this unity. He calls this Zen mind, which one of those 
enigmatic phrases in Karate-do as well as in Zen. He further explains the process of becoming 
7
 Funakoshi, Karate-do Nyumon, 17.
8
 Funakoshi, Karate-do Nyumon, 43-47.
9
 Daisetz Teitaro Suzuki, Studies in Zen Buddhism (London: Rider and Co., l955).
10
 Funakoshi, Karate-do Nyumon, 105.
6attuned to nature, to the opponent's intentions, and to be one with the universe.
11
  This is one of the 
focuses in the Taoist teaching as well as in Zen. 
 Takuan Soho in his book The Unfettered Mind: Writings from the Zen Master to the Sword 
Master authoritatively explains the basic Zen philosophy and how it complements the competitive 
techniques and strategy of swordsmanship. The insights that were then attained during the 17th 
century samurai are generally similar to today's insight and particularly very useful to the study of 
martial arts.
12
  Tsunetomo Yamamoto in his book Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai presents a 
philosophy that exhibits an attitude far removed from modern pragmatism and materialism. Its 
appeal is intuitive rather than rational. It has nothing to say about either time or profit, nor does it 
advocate wasting time with vague contemplation of the Void. One lives in the world and reacts to 
things around him. The question is where one plants his feet.  Yamamoto offers a moral philosophy 
that outlines the qualities that make a samurai. Such a philosophy is also inculcated in the training of 
the karate-ka, the student of karate.
13
 Alan Watts in The Way of Zen remarks that every Japanese art involves a technical training 
which follows the same essential principle as training in Zen.
14
 Henry Rosemont Jr. in an article "Is Zen Buddhism a Philosophy?" characterizes Zen 
experience as an aesthetic expression which becomes inseparable from Zen religion and philosophy.
15
Karate-do expresses the same attitude of Zen. It emphasizes nature, specifically what is concrete and 
specific, everyday and actual. Karate is a do, the Way, the Tao, it is the mental power. It is the 
11
Masatoshi Nakayama, Dynamic Karate, trans. Herman Kauz (New York: Kodansha International, 1980).
12
 Takuan Soho, The Unfettered Mind: Writings from the Zen Master to the Sword Master, trans. William Scott 
Wilson (Tokyo: Kodansha International, l990).
13
 Tsunetomo Yamamoto, Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai, trans. William D. Eildon (New York: Kodansha 
International, l979).
14
 Alan Watts, The Way of Zen (New York: Vintage Books, 1989), 195. 
15
 Henry Rosemont, Jr., “Is Zen Buddhism a Philosophy?” Philosophy East and West 20 no. 1 (1990): 63-
72.
7"ching", a word which combines the ideas of essential, subtle, psychic or spiritual and skillful.
16
 It is 
an expression of the Tao of Zen.
17
 Donn F. Draeger and Robert W. Smith in Comprehensive Asian Fighting Arts trace the 
development of Karate-do from Okinawa to Japan mainland. Although noting that there was great 
Chinese influence in the initial development of the Okinawa Te ("Okinawan empty-hand martial art"), 
the training evolved and integrated some of the ethical and philosophical influences from the Asian 
Mainland. The original concept of Karate-do furnished a moral standard and attained national 
consciousness in Japan only in the early part of the Twentieth century.
18
 Karate-do never had a written record in the beginning but was communicated from teacher to 
student. Its early development incorporated Shinto and Confucian ideas such as ancestor respect and 
filial piety. Buddhism, with its concept of implicit trust in fate, submission to the inevitable and stoic 
composure offered a strong basis for the philosophy of karate training.
19
Zen Buddhism in the Japanese martial arts culture 
 It is impossible to speak in a qualified way about the aspect of Japanese martial arts culture, be 
it kendo, kyudo, judo or Karate-do, without considering Buddhism, specifically Zen Buddhism. Zen 
Buddhism became an important element of martial arts training and affected the articulation of their 
techniques. It offered themes of freedom from the fixities of intellectual and the rigidity of artificially 
imposed standards. This is D. T. Suzuki's interpretation of the useful role of Zen in the training of the 
16
 Watts, The Way of Zen, 16. 
17
 Ibid. 
18
 Donn F. Draeger and Robert W. Smith, Comprehensive Asian Fighting Arts (New York: Kodansha 
International, 1980), 84. 
19
 Ibid., 85. 
8samurai swordsman.
20
 Nathan Johnson in Zen Shaolin Karate tries to capture the essence of karate-do by presenting 
the practice and philosophy of Zen in learning karate-do. He noted that Zen gives the fullness of 
training for it offers karate-do the zanshin (the "spiritual development") thus complementing the 
physical aspect of the training.
21
 Winston L. King in Zen and the Way of the Sword attempts to describe and understand what 
Zen Buddhism has done to and for Japanese warriors, both medieval and modern. He first described the 
Zen discipline and exercise and how these are assimilated and adopted by the Japanese warriors.
22
 D.T. Suzuki in Zen and Japanese Culture writes about the close interweaving and 
interrelationship of Zen and the life of a samurai. He, however, found it strange and contradictory the 
fact that Zen has in any way been affiliated with the spirit of the military classes of Japan. Since to him 
Zen is a religion of compassion, and in its varied history, it has never been found engaged in warlike 
activities. So he asked how Zen came to be the elan vital, the fighting spirit of the Japanese warriors.
23
 King explains the paradox mentioned by Suzuki that "non-violent message of Buddhism 
became qualified, modified and overlaid by the Japanese warriors’ duty and honor to clan lords. The 
samurais used violence only in defence of their daimyos. They did not use violence for violence sake. 
There was always reason. King likens the Buddhist switch to violence to the Christian crusaders' use of 
violence against the infidel Muslims."
24
 Garma Chang in The Practice of Zen first traces the origin of Zen and then outlines the practice 
as taken from the discourse of Zen masters with short biographies of the five masters. He shows that 
20
 D.T. Suzuki, Zen and Japanese Culture (Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, l959), 93. 
21
Nathan Johnson, Zen Shaolin Karate (Rutland, Vermont:  Charles E. Tuttle Company, 1994).
  22
Winston L. King, Zen and the Way of the Sword (New York; 0xford University Press, l993).
23
 Suzuki, Zen and Japanese Culture, 93.
24
King, Zen and the Way of the Sword, 33.
9Zen practice is not a subject that can be dealt with competently through mere intellection or pedantry. It 
must be experienced.
25
 The same can be said of the practice of Karate-do. One does not just study 
through books and lectures but rather through experiencing it.
 It is clear from this brief survey of literature that the study of karate-do is not just physical but 
spiritual as well. It must be admitted that, although the physical practice of karate-do is in itself an 
excellent physical exercise, promoting suppleness, flexibility and improved muscle tone, this is only a 
part of it. The spiritual development is very necessary and to do this there is a need for a spiritual 
philosophy (Zen Buddhism) which would guide the student to attain zanshin: an alert, concentrated 
awareness of the totality of the situation, with an untroubled mind allowing complete freedom for 
expression. This mind is Zen mind. This mind is a state of mental and physical calm that gradually 
becomes a normal part of the everyday life of the practitioner. This state is also known as the heijoshin,
the ordinary mind.   This ordinary mind is one that is calm, balanced and disciplined at all times, even 
when confronted with unexpected events or unpleasant circumstances. This allows the practitioner to 
function more efficiently as he goes about his daily routine, yet remain unperturbed by unexpected turns 
of events. Shunryu Suzuki calls this mind, as the Zen mind, shoshin, which means the beginner's
mind. The beginner does not have his mind, but keeps his mind balanced, calm, and becomes the 
“original mind.” He keeps his mind empty, always ready for anything, open for everything. Thus in the 
beginner’s mind there are countless possibilities. 
26
 This is, then, the focus of the study. It needs the spiritual philosophy that promotes the 
development of zanshin. Such a philosophy must permeate the practices and attitudes of Zen and 
Karate-do as well as the understanding of the self and certain tenets. This will be discussed in the body 
of the study. 
25
Garma Chang, The Practice of Zen (New York: Harper and Row, l970).