the harmony of heaven and earth will evolve;
The stronger one becomes, the more that person should express their gentler side;
The most important purpose of karate is to develop balance within ourselves so that we may express
our true nature and become better human beings; and
To achieve harmony… everything must express a balanced nature
Verse 8 of the Tao states, ‘One who lives in accordance with nature does not go against the way of things. He
moves in harmony with the present moment, always knowing the truth of just what to do.’ Miyagi Sensei’s
goals through Goju-Ryu are a clear reflection of this Verse.
These goals of Goju-Ryu also show how its practitioners are expected to improve their character by training
their minds as well as their bodies. As a starting point, I will assign one’s mind as ‘yin’ and one’s body as
‘yang’ given that the yin aspect of the two elements on the same continuum tend to be of a more receptive nature to its yang element that is relatively more aggressive. This assignment of yin-mind and yang-body is an
extrapolation of such common determinations of yin to yang as night to day, winter to summer, and water to
fire.
The most important kata in Goju-Ryu is Sanchin kata which is a
specific sequence of slow yet powerful movements done in a deliberate manner. Its goal is to generate internal power through the
muscular system while simultaneously having relaxed breathing
and a clear mind. Translated to ‘Three Battle’, Sanchin refer ́Ѽ)ѡ