Japanese Proverbs

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.

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.

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.

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.”

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.

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.

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

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.

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 (koryÅ«) martial arts to come up with enhancements and sometimes even recovering what appears to have been lost over time.

Exploring the old and deducing the new makes a teacher. —

Confucius