Dōjō kun is a Japanese martial arts term literally meaning rules. They are generally posted at the entrance to a dōjō or at the "front" of the dojo and outline behaviour expected and disallowed. In some styles of martial arts they are recited at the end of a class.
Generally credited to Gichin Funakoshi the Shotokan Karate dojo kun serves as a set of five guiding principles, recited at the end of each training session in most styles, intended to frame the practice within an ethical context. The five rules are: The word Hitotsu means "one" or "first" and is prepended to each rule to place it at the same level of importance as the others. The word koto which ends each rule means "thing" and is used as a conjunction between rules. Also, the Japanese no indicates possessiveness and is equivalent to the English 's e.g. doryoku no seishin = effort's spirit = the spirit of effort. wo is used to indicate that the preceding element is the subject of the sentence e.g. X wo Y = with respect to X, Y. Finally, the wordimashimuru seems archaic, however, it contains the radical 戒 that means admonition and is usually translated as refrain.
Interpretations
Varying translations and interpretations of the dojo kun exist. Each translation differs in the terms used and the interpretations vary regarding the philosophical depth, meaning, and intention. The population of English karate practitioners has pushed one form of the translation into being the most widely accepted outside Japan. Generally, the English translation states:
Each person must strive for the completion and perfection of one's character
Each person must be faithful and protect the way of truth
Each person must endeavor
Each person must respect others and the rules of etiquette
Each person must refrain from hot blooded behavior
A more terse translation is used by the ISKF, IKA and JKA:
Depending on your variant of Goju Ryu there are alternative Dojo Kun. The leading "Hitotsu" roughly means "number one", or "first" -- meaning that while they are generally used in the order listed, no one item is more important than another. For the Okinawan Goju Ryu of Eiichi_Miyazato or Teruo Chinen, as published on the walls of their dojo, the Dojo Kun consists of eight rules and are as follows:
The translation above is from Teruo Chinen's dojo, the Miyazato version is slightly different. For other variants, including IOGKF, there are six rules and are as follows:
Dojo Kun from the founder of , Kaiso Dr. Kori Hisataka, are:
Maintain propriety, etiquette, dignity and grace
Gain self-understanding by tasting the true meaning of combat
Search for pure principle of being: truth, justice, beauty
Exercise a positive personality, that is to say: confidence, courage and determination
Always seek to develop the character further, aiming towards perfection and complete harmony with creation.
Derivation
The Shotokan Dojo Kun was derived from Gichin Funakoshi's The Twenty Guiding Principles of Karate, or niju kun, by JKA officials. It is used by many as a condensed form of Sensei Funakoshi's 20 precepts. : In Shotokan or any other styles, the main purpose of learning karate is