Below is a photo of our Dojang Hun, which means our training oath for members of Chayon-Ryu. Just the first line alone sets a high standard for character development. To some, it may seem unusual for practitioners of an art form that teaches punching and kicking to recite such a pledge at the end of each class. But, that's just what we do.

 

Sure, they are just words, like reciting the Pledge of Allegiance before first period in school, but they are powerful words in short and simple phrases. No single phrase could exist in a mutually exclusive vacuum. To do one, you must also do the one before it, and the one after it. You also cannot do one and ignore the others, or be true to one and contrary to the other.

 

We are supposed to arrive to class early enough to stretch and meditate. Some may ask: "What should I meditate about before a Karate class?"  A good place to begin meditation is to contemplate the Dojang Hun and envision living your life by its precepts.

Much like the the Golden Rule, our Dojang Hun is intended to shape our perceptions and guide our actions. A true master of martial arts is at peace with the world even when the world is not at peace around him or her.

 

Even with no martial arts training, the Dojang Hun can be a marvelous and effective tool for better living.  Though the oath was originally penned many years ago by Master Gichin Funakoshi, we owe its presence in our dojang to Grandmaster Kim Soo.