Japanese Proverbs
A Japanese proverb is called a kotowaza. Kotowaza are used to convey a deeper meaning through a concise phrase. Kotowaza have been passed down through generations and have become an integral part of Japanese culture. In English, proverbs used in writing or conversation might be considered cliché, showing a lack of imagination. Kotowaza in Japan are often used in daily conversation, literature, and media to express various aspects of life, including wisdom, morality, and social norms.
Japanese Proverbs Relating to the Martial Arts
“The nail that sticks up will be hammered down.”
出る釘は打たれる
deru kugi wa utareru
Some kotowaza give us insight into Japanese culture and thought. The saying, “The nail that sticks up will be hammered down.” is a social metaphor that stresses Japanese values of conformity, group effort, self-effacement, and unobtrusive public behavior.
“Even monkeys fall from trees.”
猿も木から落ちる
saru mo ki kara ochiru
Many kotowaza are similar to English proverbs in meaning but with a distinctive Japanese flair. For example, “Even monkeys fall from trees.” reminds us that nobody is perfect. You are bound to make mistakes. This can be given a Western flavor by substituting squirrels for monkeys.
“Fall seven times, get up eight.”
七転び八起き
nana korobi ya oki
This is the Japanese equivalent of “Don’t give up, don’t give in.” Or simply, “Never give up.” It encourages people to keep going, even when the going gets tough. This Japanese saying is often recited to children to encourage them always to try their best.
“When dust accumulates it becomes a mountain.”
塵も積もれば山となる
chiri mo tsumoreba yama to naru
Small efforts, when accumulated, bring great success – little by little; bit by bit. Kinjo Kaicho often says, “dandan” (sounds more like dondon), “meaning step by step or gradually. Much like we say, “practice, practice, practice” this often becomes “dandan dandan.”
“Peaches and chestnuts, three years; persimmon, eight years.”
This kotowaza may be incomprehensible to a non-horticulturist. However, with a little explanation it makes perfect sense. Peach trees and chestnut trees bear fruit after three years while persimmon trees require eight years. The fruits are equally delicious in their own way. Each martial artist develops at their own pace and in their own way. For some it may take more time for their preparation to bear fruit. For others it may be a shorter journey.
“There is victory in losing.”
負けるが勝ち
makeru ga kachi
This does not resonate well with American thought. However, it simply means that you do not have to win every battle. Walking away from a fight is often the best decision. Kinjo Kaicho has said that you do not have to win the fight. You just have to not lose.
“Boiling water unheated grows cold.“
加熱しない沸騰した水は冷たくなる
kanetsu shinai futtō shita mizu wa tsumetaku narimasu
as translated by Google Translate
I came across the above saying in a martial arts book years ago. Is it Japanese? Maybe not, but it applies to martial arts training. If your training becomes sporadic you will constantly be starting all over again.
A similar quote from a different source:
“When water starts to boil it is foolish to turn off the heat.”
Nelson Mandela
“He who runs after two hares will catch neither.”
二兎を追う者は一兎も得
nito o oumono wa itto o mo ezu
For the martial artist who bounces from one martial art to another: if you focus on too many things simultaneously you will find it difficult to achieve success in any of them.
Not Exactly Proverbs
While not truly proverbs, there are a few key phrases used repeatedly by Kinjō Kaichō that lack the memorable imagery of a proverb, but convey deep meaning in just a word or two.
“Learn from the past.”
温故知新
On ko chi shin
The creation of new concepts from old ideas is a cultural theme of Japanese
Developing new ideas based on a study of the past has been the driving force behind Kinjō Kaichō’s revolutionary techniques in karate and kobudō. Not content to merely repeat his prior training, he has studied the old style (koryū) martial arts to come up with enhancements and sometimes even recovering what appears to have been lost over time.
| koryū | 古流 | old style |
| gendai | 現代 | modern |
Exploring the old and deducing the new makes a teacher. —
Confucius
“Do your best!”
頑張って
ganbatte
A positive response, “I will do my best.” is ganbarimasu.