Code of Bushido

Code of Bushido

武⼠道のコード

The Code of Bushido Way of the Warrior The Code of Bushido, loosely translated as “the way of the warrior,” is a code of morality originating with the samurai.

Based around attitudes, lifestyles, and behaviors, the core of Bushido is somewhat akin to the concept of chivalry among European noblemen and knights. At Mahato Karate, we aim to follow the true essence of Bushido, using it as a guide to live with integrity, respect, honor, and tenacity, showing up to life, just as we are, grounded in our full potential.


毎⽇⽣きる (live each day)

1. Live each day to the fullest This part of the code is aimed at fostering inner peace by reminding one to live to the fullest and without regret.

In the time of the samurai, the life of a warrior was full of danger, so the samurai needed to live each day prepared to face death tomorrow. For the student of karate, this means showing up fully for both one’s karate practice and the people and events in one’s life. It means being courageous enough to take risks and grounding in gratitude for what one
has, despite personal challenges.

忠誠⼼、名誉、謙虚さ、尊敬

2. Loyalty, Honor, Humility, and Respect for all living things This part of the code is about integrity and how to conduct one’s self as a Warrior.

Loyalty reminds one to think about their community and their obligations to others. Honor means doing the right thing even when that’s difficult. Part of this precept is the idea that the samurai, never strikes an unjust blow. Humility is about never letting one’s pride override their sense of honor. And respect for all living things means treating others with dignity and justice. The path of the samurai means learning skills and techniques that are only to be used for selfdefense. Without these precepts, the samurai has the potential to become a bully or worse.


武道のスキルを最⼤限に維持する (maintain maximum martial arts skills)

3. Maintain the skills of your art to the best of your ability Gichin Funakoshi, Father of modern Karate, said, “Karate is like boiling water: without heat, it returns to it’s tepid state.”

By this he means, that—much like playing the piano or learning a foreign language—without dedicated practice, martial arts skills and abilities will fade. That’s why Mahato Karate’s Shihan Graves has the saying: “Learn once, practice 1,000 times. Practice 1,000 times to do once.”


失敗を決して受け⼊れない

4. Never accept failure Though last on our list, this part of the code is still very important! In karate practice, as in life, we all hit roadblocks, snags, and sometimes even brick walls.

This part of the code reminds us to, as Mahato Karate’s Shihan Graves says, “fail better.” This means that the student of karate owns their mistakes, learns from them, never gives up, and so eventually meets their goal. After all, there is a reason that becoming a black belt is such an impressive feat! Staying focused, overcoming obstacles, remaining true, and ultimately achieving mastery is the ultimate path of Karate.