Karate : Disciplina di PACE Print
Tuesday, 23 September 2008 11:23









K A R A T E :  Discipline for Peace


Karate (as Judo, Kendo, Aikido, Ju Jitsu and Iai Do, etc.) makes part of these that in “West” we call “Martials Arts”. A name that, analyzing the etymology of the original word, does not match the real meaning; in Japan, in fact, these disciplines are formed a group, since their origin (under only one definition: "BUDO".
In Kanji (Ideograms) BUDO is written in this way ( 武道 ) and it’s composed of two parts: BU - DO.

BU ( 武 )   is   also  composed of “Shi” 止,  that  means “to stop” and of “Yoku” 弋,  that  means “lance”, but it means in general all weapons. So, in origin, BU means “stop the use of weapons” then "Peace".
This concept reinforced by the presence of suffix DO ( 道 ), that means “way” to the comprehension of own “Me”, a Taoist value which is the essence of all the Eastern philosophies.

Consequence  of BUDO,  as  principle  and  philosophical  way  to  stop  the use of weapons, can  be considered as a fundamental tool PEACE; if one considers that  the “Martials Arts” are spread all over the World (with more than 50 millions of students only for Karate), we can surely say that through of them the Culture of Peace among  People can developped and spread.

By analogy, we can also say that every sport discipline can be a perfect  vehicle of Values of Peace and Solidarity. In fact, Sport  is not only game or relax but above all respect of ourselves and   own body, and of the others (both friends and enemies), of laws and referees’ decisions, also if they are not wrong.

For this reason is possible to affirm that, PRACTISE   SPORT can take a contribution to form BEST CITIZENS!

This conviction is the reason why that we insert in the program of the 1st  International Event “KARATE for PEACE” in Assisi (20th – 28th June 1998) and in the 4th event in Marsciano (4th – 10th September 2006), of  different moments of reflections about themes above mentioned, both during the Seminary, thanks to the presence of Okinawa’s teachers, (place of origin in the big part of BUDO arts) that during of a Round Table about :

“SELF-DISCIPLINE and SELF-CONTROL in  SPORT for  PEACE and  SOLIDARITY among  PEOPLE of the  WORLD”
This   programme will be repeated also this year in 5th   edition of " KARATE for PEACE”, to be held in Naha – OKINAWA from 4 to 10 August 2008,  organized by  the Japan Federation  and that of Okinawa,  on the occasion  of  the commemoration of the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki too.

Today I can say that an observation, born   in the capital of BUDO over 10 years ago, with the fraternal Friend Andrea GUARELLI (that I always thanks  for this)  this theme is becoming a great reality and a big event; I’m sure that all we all work together in the future, in order to give  real, correct imagine to our Sports Discipline to the whole world. Thanks