So what is character?

[Charlie]

When we talk about the reasons we practice budo generally and kendo specifically one of the things we frequently say is that it is for the development of character, an oft-repeated phrase used where I'm from to describe any endeavor, from model-building to baseball to rock climbing or Boy Scouts, "it builds character." The AJKF even describes the concept of purpose of kendo this way.

Kendo is a way to discipline the human character through the application of the principles of the Katana.

So what is character?

If I may take the first stab; I have been reading a great book called The U.S. Army Leadership Field Manual (http://www.amazon.com/U-S-Army-Leadership-Field-Manual/dp/0071436995). First of all, I recommend this book to anyway, but secondly, that profound tome describes character as the interaction of values and attributes.

With this in mind, should we start by asking what are the values and attributes of kendo? Should we continue by observing that kendo is broad enough to allow for each of its participants to inject the values and attributes of themselves as individuals plus that of the club or region to which they are attached?

If so, then the first part could be described by the rest of the AJKF's statement on concept and purpose. The purpose of kendo is:

To mold the mind and body.
To cultivate a vigorous spirit,
And through correct and rigid training,
To strive for improvement in the art of Kendo.
To hold in esteem human courtesy and honor.
To associate with others with sincerity.
And to forever pursue the cultivation of oneself.

Thus will one be able:
To love ones country and society.
To contribute to the development of culture
And to promote peace and prosperity among all peoples.

Thus, the values of kendo, which make up art of the kenshi's character, are:

-physical and mental fitness
-courage
-discipline
-skill in kendo/with sword
-courtesy, honor, sincerity
-cultivation of one's self
-love of country and society
-contributions to culture, wherever you're from
-peace, locally and globally

This is long winded but... what do you think? Where do you agree with this or depart from it? What does character mean to you? What are your values? Your teacher's? Your club's?

[pgsmith]

So what is character?

Character = The self-discipline to do the right thing.

Wisdom = The ability to correctly determine what the right thing is.

[Charlie]

Surely, it's more than that, Paul.

"It isn't. And don't call me Shirley."

But I mean isn't character way bigger than that? Seems to me you're talking about conviction and courage, one part of the many things that go into the sum of character.

[Bokushingu]

hmmm I think most of us Midwesterners of the US born in the 60's were raised with this definition of character: moral or ethical persona. I'm sure many other places and generations were taught something simular. what i teach my children, who are big time californians, is what i learned.

the reason I used persona is because persona is what people percieve--your public face...and can be diferent than how you truely think & feel. Character is an objective assesment, meaning it comes from external, not internal.

So i feel that it is possible to have a Kendo value persona & your real life persona. I could definately see this in the forums & in the dojos.

[Josh Reyer]

Websters:
6 : moral excellence and firmness <a man of sound character>

To me, I practice kendo (used here to refer to all Japanese ways of the sword, including koryu iai and heiho) to train my body and mind to work as one, so that I can perceive the most appropriate thing to do in any particular situation, and have the mental, spiritual, and physical wherewithal to do it. I think "character" represents that mental, spiritual, and physical wherewithal.

[pgsmith]

But I mean isn't character way bigger than that?
Nope, I really don't think it is. It is entirely possible (especially for younger folks! :) ) to think something to death, when it really doesn't require much thinking at all. In any given situation, there is a right thing and a wrong thing to do. Of course, there are also a million shades of grey in between, but broken down to its most basic, a man of good character will do what he thinks is right.
By working to improve your character, you're actually working to improve your wisdom enough to recognize the right thing, and improve your self-discipline enough to do it.

Sorry, but I try and keep my world view as simple as possible! :D

[Neil Gendzwill]

Character is doing the right thing when nobody is looking.

[nikozamo]

Character is doing the right thing when nobody is looking.

MEN ARI! :cool:


i really liked that definition of character!
:D

[1stdan]

Character id an outward description of who you are. What others n=may say. Is this guy known to have good character or bad character. Is he a sneaky character? It can be good or bad. Thats why it needs to be cultivated. Take what everyone else said and roll that up with this and you have it. Are you a good character or bad? = How do others see you and how do they describe you?

[JSchmidt]

Surely, it's more than that, Paul.

"It isn't. And don't call me Shirley."

But I mean isn't character way bigger than that?

Sometimes big things can be described with small words.

[Kent Enfield]

Personally, I wouldn't get too hung up on any subtleties or nuances in the meaning of character. It's not in the original Japanese phrase, explicitly. The part that is officially translated as "discipline the human character" is 人間形成 (ningen keisei), which literally means something more like "human development". "Application" is also a bit odd, in my opinion.

In Japanese, the whole phrase is "剣道は剣の習練による人間形成の道である," which I'd personally translate as: "Kendo is a path of human development through the practice of the principles of the sword."

[H.Sandsleth]

I asked about the translation before in another thread and someone insisted on it being correct, because it was the official one on the FIK pages.

The dojo kun of Shotokan has the same problems. The first of them, is often translated as "seek perfection of character". Where a more correct translation according to those who speak Japanese is "strive to complete your character". According to Rob Redmond at 24 FC the Japanese themselves interpret it as "learn self discipline and sportsmanship".

Imho the first step in discussion these things, are agreeing on what is a correct translation, and being able to see that translation in the light of the culture and era it stems from.

[Bokushingu]

I think there is confusion on the english side of the meaning too. Develop Character or to self discipline? Take Character-assassination for example. assassinate means to kill from treacherous planning. So killing a character is killing a reputation or public face? the character may be destroyed but not the person; the person may actually still be ethical, moral & self-Discplined or not.

I can see where the problem with translation is finding the correct word of one language to equal the meaning & feeling of a word from another language.

So my question is...are these Kendo values meant to be devloped by the person internally or on the outside for all to see, sort of acting the part in public? I know a Sensei that alot of people do not like, but i truely believe that person does follow the concepts & values of kendo. I'm sure with my strong desire to compete that many people in my dojo feel that I do not incorporate the concepts & values of Kendo into my Character. The fact that I go into competition feeling that I can beat anyone I face makes them really think I do not deserve to be a Kendoist or fit into their club(I have been told lol). I disagree with them because I know I held all of those concepts & values in my being decades before I started Kendo.

My main problem is that I don't have enough experience with Martial Arts to see or fully understand the budo part of Kendo--I Only see the sports part of it. i don't feel you need Budo to have self Discipline or build Ethics, morality, compassion & dedication into your core self.

ohh well i don't want to over think it.

[b8amack]

I'm not sure, but it's apparently built through shovelling snow and mowing lawns.

[b8amack]

Character is doing the right thing when nobody is looking.

I thought that was honour.

[H.Sandsleth]

I think that the confusion stems from the principles actually being vague. And that bad translations try to camouflage it. The people who perhaps are over interpreting them, and filling them with their own meaning, can use the conclusions they arrive at to justify false moral superiority/bad behavior. Saying that someone is a bad kendoka because they like to compete, is an example. The same goes to placing emphasis on who you like/dislike, in a dojo setting. If the principles of kendo says anything at all, it´s certainly not "do participate in popularity contests".

[Alicia]

To me character is simple, it is "who you are".

Doing kendo can develop your character by allowing you to find out about how you react to difficult situations, and by allowing you to try to build those reactions in a direction that you would like to go when you are thinking about who you are. Many people try to pretend they are actually someone else, but in kendo this can be hard because you are tired and concentrating and giving everything to it. So by doing kendo we see more clearly than usual to understand more about ourselves and our character and if we don't like what we see then we can try to change it.

1stdan said it was an outward description of how others see you, but I actually think it is an inward description of how you see yourself, and by doing kendo we can try to align this description with how others will see you. All a bit serious for a sunday morning sorry, but I read this thread yesterday and woke up with this answer in the morning :)

[enkorat]

Hey Charlie,

Was this question a result of our discussion after practice at the bar?

I had to think a bit about the direction of this thread.

First, I think its fine that its vague, and that there are multiple interpretations in the philosophical parts of kendo, particularly in this part.

The way I see it, kendo (at least for me), shows me parts of my personality that need improvement, by placing me in challenging, non-ideal situations. Taken another way, I really like the characterizations of "four poisons", in that kendo is a place and time where I can see them manifest in my personality, and in order to succeed (in kendo at least), I need to work to overcome them.

I think that people are very different, so the things that trigger the four poisons are different, but I think kendo is something that provides many situations we all end up having to deal with it.

So if I were to define character, I'd think that it was the opposite of the four poisons...

[Kaa]

As Neil and PG said, you can make this how complicated as you wish - or as simple. Maybe we arrive at the same conclusion whatever road we personally need to take to get there.


Character is an outward description of who you are. What others n=may say.// How do others see you and how do they describe you?

Maybe I would go for the description of character as being defined within cultural context since I believe that what we call character is being described in terms of good or bad (behaviour). And that (good/bad) is being defined values within the context made up of culture and time.

So basically it is a cultural excepted - and desired - behaviour we appreciate and strive for when we talk about building a good character? But added the twist that we have to make an effort to get there. Even if Neil didn't think of it that way I would say that making the effort is - doing the right thing even when no one is watching.

I'm though a bit curious - whether one think of this "to discipline the humane character" as a - even though a personally development in a cultural context - as a leadership-kind-of-experience? As Bokushingu wrote about that sensei that presumably lived by the Kendo-book but wasnt very liked. Does building good character necessarily means developing good leadership?

[rfoxmich]

Surely, it's more than that, Paul.

"It isn't. And don't call me Shirley."

But I mean isn't character way bigger than that? Seems to me you're talking about conviction and courage, one part of the many things that go into the sum of character.

Why (must it be more than that)?

[NigelSponge]

I think self discipline is kind of the basis of good character. With self discipline we may be able to do the right thing, even if we don't want to, or don't have to, but because we are aware it is right. I think good self discipline becomes good character when you go from just knowing something is right and acting on that, to truly believing that something is right.
Looking at [URL="http://www.rpi.edu/~verwyc/Chap3law.htm[/URL] i think self discipline is comparable to conventional morality, and good character is comparable to post-conventional morality.

[MartialArtsGirl]

This is a very interesting thread.

I personally don't think that charactor is only about ethics and morality (although its a part of it). I think that the word charactor... or developing it... is hard to define. But I guess I see the whole thing as a journey to being more self-actualized.


Actually, there are a lot of things I realize about myself when I practice, and I'm not talking just technique here. I think it's jeigeiko in particular that really brings things out for me.

Maybe it's different for everybody, but even so I think charactor is more of an internal thing. Maybe it could be argued the other way for things like ettiquete, honor, etc, but I think that it could be internal for those things too. What about creating the kind of heart that wants to be honerable, and does it naturally? Or the kind of heart that wants to follow ettiqutte not for ettiqutes sake, but for others? That is, it wouldnt be the rules themslves that would be focused on, but rather the kind of mind that wants to do these things naturally? (and that may easily adapt, whatever culture/sub-culture your in? For example, when I'm with the other Kendoka from my dojo, it is very polite to pour other peoples drinks and such; but if I were to be with my folks or other American and non-asian influenced friends, it'd be super weird and possibly even insulting or at least awkward.) So maybe developing charactor via ettiquete is more about paying attention to what is important?

I dunno. I feel like I'm talking through my a$$. I have no idea what I'm saying. I just know that for me, I do try to develop something internal when I do Kendo.

err, if that wasn't there, (the charactor development aspect) I might have skipped out of kendo and done something else instead by this point. Although sometimes it's satisfying or enjoyable, overall Kendo is just so dam hard to be doing it otherwise. Often, towards the end of class, in my mind I am often begging for class to be over. o_o (err should I even be admitting that here?) but it is having a profound affect on my life already (even though I am still a
n00b), and I seriously just can't give up on something just because it's hard and it hurts. So developing charactor it is. Hopefully, in the future i will have more inner strength to NOT be begging for class to be over towards the end. Thats part of what charactor development means to me.

My two cents.:cool:

[Anime12478]

Why (must it be more than that)?
I think all that is going on here is an overanalyzation of a word/concept that we often encounter in Kendo.

Something like that is pretty simple and I know we are all guilty of doing this at some point in our lives, and not necessarily with Kendo. Kendo is one of those arts that are full of concepts that can initially be hard to define due to translation and cultural differences. But, from what I have found, a lot of these words can be defined by looking in a dictionary and putting things in their simplest terms.

Using this thread as an example, the definition of character can easily be found by looking in any dictionary you can find. Alicia put it the best by saying that character is "who we are." There really isn't much to the word itself and helps you avoid from splitting your brain unnecessarily. The question that should probably be asked is, "what does character mean to you?" or "How is character developed in Kendo?" It is these kinds of questions that can be answered through lifelong introspection. The good news is that some have already started to answer that question in that direction.

I hope that all that made sense. What goes on in my brain oftentimes comes out very different when I want to type it all down. Essentially, I just wanted to say that the words can be defined easily. What we should be doing is asking what these words mean to us and our development in Kendo.

[Charlie]

Hey Charlie,
Was this question a result of our discussion after practice at the bar?


Yes!

Some great contributions by all. Kent, thank you especially for looking into the translation. Chris, Ken and others are, I think, correct in leaving this open-ended; it's up to each of us to decide what this means to us, to analyze or not analyze as we see fit, internalize, dialogue, consider, revise, assume, ignore.

The subject interests me on a couple of levels or from a couple of angles. As Chris and others have said, it's a question we encounter often in kendo, so shouldn't we discuss it? As Ken said, the other night at second dojo we were just talking about some of the ways kendo has changed us or affected us. Certainly, there's probably lots of subtle ways this happens - even if you don't think about it or recognize it. Boku, I'd be willing to bet that goes for you, too. You're probably more philosophical than you think.

I tend to prefer simplification, myself, but I can't shake the feeling that character, "who we are," is not simple. I mean, think about it: who you are - you're a lot of things. You're someone's child. Someone's sibling. Someone's friend. Someone's spouse? Someone's parent? You're a citizen of your country. A citizen of your state and city. You're a participant in your religion - or non participant, in a way that's perhaps important to you. You have a profession, a vocation, a hobby, and artistic calling. You're and individual. Yes, sure, you can simplify that - who am I to stop you? But it's perhaps like someone said, both little and big at the same time.

I guess, for me, in this particular subject, it comes down to the fact that we say kendo is for the intended purpose of personal development (or human development, or the development of character). So what is it that's developing for you? Might be different for me. Might be something you wanna talk about, might not, and that's okay. Might be something you can't or won't put into words. It just interests me, especially when I consider that I instruct others in finding their own approach to this.

[H.Sandsleth]

I'm though a bit curious - whether one think of this "to discipline the humane character" as a - even though a personally development in a cultural context - as a leadership-kind-of-experience? As Bokushingu wrote about that sensei that presumably lived by the Kendo-book but wasnt very liked. Does building good character necessarily means developing good leadership?
Because of the existence of shogo rank, one may assume that good leadership is not required as a part of good character.

[Kaa]

Because of the existence of shogo rank, one may assume that good leadership is not required as a part of good character.

Yeah I guess that's so. I am not quite sure what i was lurking for but i often have a feeling that part of this system with the idea of not only cultivating the body but also the mind, tend to lean towards educating at , if not good leaders, so at least good role models to set examples for us newbs. I think I was somehow wondering if being a good leader meant being a likeable person by definition. As Boku's sensei example wasnt. I think that's where i got stuck ( i wrote that very late trying to dodge going to bed and by that putting an end to 5 weeks of holiday and today going to work. There, you see - a good example of bad character. LoL)

[8dragonkings]

The Japanese have a great saying that, for me defines how I want to build my character.

Ichi-go, ichi-e

I don't know (or care about) the EXACT translation but the jist of it is that every situation, every person we meet, every decision only occurs once. Each one of these is an opportunity for us to demonstrate our true selves, thus in everything we do we should act as if it is our only chance to show our true heart/self (as in fact it is our only opportunity in that situation.) It is frequently used in calligraphy to adorn Tea houses for the Tea Ceremony.

[JByrd]

人間形成 (ningen keisei), which literally means something more like "human development".

I like Ben's translation, "human shape becoming." :happy:

[Karaken]

Character is doing the right thing when nobody is looking.

[Paikea]

Character is doing the right thing when nobody is looking.Five demerits for not keeping your eyes on your own paper (http://www.kendo-world.com/forum/showpost.php?p=394777&postcount=7).:wink:

[b8amack]

Thought about it, and I would define character as strength of self in the face of adversity.

[Angel_Of_Music]

This question is best answered by only one person: one's self. Not even the best living philosopher could give a definition to this.

Character is something that cannot be entirely taught through manuals or by people alone. This is something you build up as go through life.

For example, our parents may impart values to us and teach us right from wrong. But it is up to us to incorporate such things to our lives. And we also have at hand our experiences, which shape us continuously, and influence us whether we realise it or not. These experiences are not just things we learn from sport or martial arts or in a classroom either. They can come from everyday life as well.

And, there is also no such thing as intrinsically good or bad character (as I believe it). Only ones that are accepted by the immediate society/environment around you, and those that are not.

[rfoxmich]

Character is how you write Japanese and Chinese. You write it with character(s)

[Charlie]

Character is how you write Japanese and Chinese. You write it with character(s)

I don't know why I didn't think of this before but here's another way you can answer it (this is reaching back for some of us). Character is

STR
INT
WIS
DEX
CON
CHA

Plus your class, race, level, magic items....

[Charlie]

However, I also like what Angel of Music is saying. For kendo and the purposes of human shape becoming, this is a highly subjective and individual definition, as complex or as simple as you want to make it.

[JByrd]

I'd say that good character is partly worldly wisdom and good judgment, allowing us to to foresee the probable consequences of various courses of action we might pursue.

It's also partly unselfishness, and the ability to separate our personal desires from the greater good.

Good character also requires the self-discipline to choose the greater good without hesitation, despite the fact that it may be contrary to our personal desire, and is almost certain to be the more difficult option.

Lastly, it's the guts and perseverance to stand by our decision, and stick it out until it's done.

[Theodore]

I'd say that good character is partly worldly wisdom and good judgment, allowing us to to foresee the probable consequences of various courses of action we might pursue.

It's also partly unselfishness, and the ability to separate our personal desires from the greater good.

Good character also requires the self-discipline to choose the greater good without hesitation, despite the fact that it may be contrary to our personal desire, and is almost certain to be the more difficult option.

Lastly, it's the guts and perseverance to stand by our decision, and stick it out until it's done.

Jon,

It's like being a friend. I friend is someone who is nice to you when there is a cost to acting this way.

[Curtis]

If you want an eye opener how character and personality are related, just go to your high school reunion.

Ye, gads. And I never went back.

[Hai_hai]

Character = The self-discipline to do the right thing.

Wisdom = The ability to correctly determine what the right thing is.
Character = Holding it in

Wisdom = Not eating beans before keiko

[MartialArtsGirl]

If you want an eye opener how character and personality are related, just go to your high school reunion.

Ye, gads. And I never went back.

What was it like?
I missed my 5 year reunion. Apparantly I was not popular enough for anyone to remember to invite me, or tell me that it was even happening.

I just want to see the stupid people I disliked again. :D

[ghostdancer]

Jon,

It's like being a friend. I friend is someone who is nice to you when there is a cost to acting this way.

or someone who tells you what you NEED to hear, not what you want to hear

[Curtis]

What was it like?
I missed my 5 year reunion. Apparantly I was not popular enough for anyone to remember to invite me, or tell me that it was even happening.

I just want to see the stupid people I disliked again. :D

Pretty much sums it up. Same old personalities and cliques. Most people do very little to develop themselves.

[Neil Gendzwill]

On the flip side, I was at my 30 year reunion last fall and most of the people had turned reasonably human. There was one glaring exception, but by and large it was nice to see everybody, even the people who wouldn't give me the time of day during high school. 5 years is much too short for anyone to change much - I skipped that one, being still too bitter about the whole experience.

[Kyung]

Character is how a person acts on his/her semi-hardwired thought pattern. I say semi because it can change, with a whole lot of effort. And I think kendo is championing this change through disciplin in handling the sword.

Neil: I was a total pariah in high school. I didn't even belong in the "nerd" classification. No reason for me to go to a reunion because I already talk to my friends from high school without the aid of a reunion.

[Shazzanzzz]

Most people intepret "Kendo" as "the way of the sword." But, that really is only the short version of it. "Do", character by itself means "the way", a deeper meaning of it symbolizes the way of the world/the way of life. A daoist or zen buddhist monk could refer to "achieving nirvana" as "obtaining the dao (do in japanese pronounciations)."

The emphasis of a lot of different arts includding kendo that uses the word "do" isn't on "the way" to do these things. The emphasis is on "obtaining the do" throught the practice of these arts.

One should think of kendo as a micro-presentation of one's life. So basically, one's trying to figure out one's life and the world through the help of practicing kendo. If one has self-doubt, one will see it in their kendo. So the task at hand would thus be to eliminate this self-doubt. Without doing this, one can't improve in kendo, and without recognizing and accept the fact that one doubts himself, one cannot start learning how to overcome it. I think doing an activity like kendo also helps you recognize what the difference between some stuff that have only subtle differences, like confidence vs. cockiness, fear/doubt vs. carefulness, decisiveness vs. carelessness, etc...

To me, character, specifically the kind of character that one is supposed to build through kendo, is the character that of buddhist/daoist teachings, one that understands the flow of the world and the balance between self and society. It's a lot to ask a kendoist to aim for nirvana, and that's most likely not what most people seek in kendo. But, I think the most important characteristic to learn in kendo is the characteristic to have the desire to improve one's self, in kendo and beyond.

[MartialArtsGirl]

Pretty much sums it up. Same old personalities and cliques. Most people do very little to develop themselves.

Do the people you hate(d) end up shooting/stabbing themselves in the foot and screwing up there lives?

Oh wait, that's not a very nice thing to say...

Maybe it's too much to hope for...

heh heh... I'd never admit this sort of thing anywhere in person. o_o

pretend I said nothing...:smiley:

[Kyung]

Funny you should mention, Martialgril. Couple people from me high school died in car accidents...and one guy came out of the closet. But I didn't know the two who died, RIP. The third one, I did hate. We all...by we I mean my friends and I...referred to him in derogatory terms related to that. Not that there is anything wrong with that. He was just an asshole.

[Curtis]

Do the people you hate(d) end up shooting/stabbing themselves in the foot and screwing up there lives?

Oh wait, that's not a very nice thing to say...

Maybe it's too much to hope for...

heh heh... I'd never admit this sort of thing anywhere in person. o_o

pretend I said nothing...:smiley:

I cannot think of anyone I truly hated at that time with one exception. It was a matter of we just had different interests and I did not fit in to most groups. I had a lot of friends, some due to the fact that I had my own car and would give people rides. That 63 turbo Corvair made for many fun rides.

At my 15 and I think 20 year reunions it was pretty much the same people in the same groups. All the best to them but I have kendo, etc and just don't need any more contact with them. And yes the personalities were almost all exactly the same. As to character I would have to had spent more time with them.

[Suhail_Merchant]

When we talk about the reasons we practice budo generally and kendo specifically one of the things we frequently say is that it is for the development of character, an oft-repeated phrase used where I'm from to describe any endeavor, from model-building to baseball to rock climbing or Boy Scouts, "it builds character." The AJKF even describes the concept of purpose of kendo this way.

Kendo is a way to discipline the human character through the application of the principles of the Katana.

So what is character?

You're getting ahead of yourself. Start at the beginning:



Kendo is a way to discipline the human character through the application of the principles of the Katana.



Is it?

[Malek]

Is it?

Isn't it? I think it's been established on this forum that Kendo isn't for self-defense nor is it a weight loss program. So if not to build character and teach self, what is it?



Mal

[Suhail_Merchant]

...Kendo isn't for self-defense nor is it a weight loss program. So if not to build character and teach self, what is it?


Are these the only options?

[Malek]

Are these the only options?

I intended mine as an open-ended question. I'm sure that Kendo is a lot of different things to a lot of different people. But to what end? There are numerous threads on here about why people started or why they don't quit, but they all seem to come down to a personal reason that tends to be part of their character.

I like simple definitions (they're easier to remember). So I'll define character as: Who you are.

This can be a self-disciplined person, this can be a friend, or this can be the person that knows when to argue and when to stop (some of us still lack that characteristic :tongue:).


Mal

[Neil Gendzwill]

Are these the only options?The intended purpose is educational. But of course people who take it have their own reasons. I think it's a lot of fun, and that needn't be at cross-purposes with the IKF goals.

[hl1978]

Isn't it? I think it's been established on this forum that Kendo isn't for self-defense nor is it a weight loss program. So if not to build character and teach self, what is it?



Mal

Questions and some rhetorical questions:

So how much time is spent by one's instructor guiding towards one's character development?
When does character become part of ranking requirements (not counting shogo)?
How do we know that our instructor' actually have good character?
What part of the curriculum guides good character?
How do we reconcile the fact that for the most part, only people who already possess many of the attributes associated with character (i.e. a self selecting process) continue to practice kendo,while those who don't have it quit soon after starting?
Looking from a historical perspective, why is there much more of an emphasis on character post war?
If one learns how to perfect their character through kendo, why can't they learn the same thing through playing hockey, football, soccer for 30-60 years?

[Neil Gendzwill]

So how much time is spent by one's instructor guiding towards one's character development?All of it. The physical process is what leads to the development, not any lecturing.

When does character become part of ranking requirements (not counting shogo)?Around the same time your local organization is looking at you taking a leading role in your kendo community.

How do we know that our instructor' actually have good character?How do you judge anyone's character?

What part of the curriculum guides good character?The hard practice part.

How do we reconcile the fact that for the most part, only people who already possess many of the attributes associated with character (i.e. a self selecting process) continue to practice kendo,while those who don't have it quit soon after starting?That's a western thing. Japanese people don't let their kids quit.

Looking from a historical perspective, why is there much more of an emphasis on character post war? During wartime, we've got survival on our minds, not high-falutin' concepts.

If one learns how to perfect their character through kendo, why can't they learn the same thing through playing hockey, football, soccer for 30-60 years?Bingo. The precise activity doesn't matter. It's the attitude you bring to it. The closest modern sports I can think of are the people who devote their lives to skiing or surfing.

[JByrd]

Questions and some rhetorical questions:

So how much time is spent by one's instructor guiding towards one's character development?
When does character become part of ranking requirements (not counting shogo)?
How do we know that our instructor' actually have good character?
What part of the curriculum guides good character?
How do we reconcile the fact that for the most part, only people who already possess many of the attributes associated with character (i.e. a self selecting process) continue to practice kendo,while those who don't have it quit soon after starting?
Looking from a historical perspective, why is there much more of an emphasis on character post war?
If one learns how to perfect their character through kendo, why can't they learn the same thing through playing hockey, football, soccer for 30-60 years?

I gravitated toward one particular sensei because he consistently emphasizes the character development aspect of kendo. After nearly ten years of spending time with him, both in and out of the dojo, I can see that his intention is sincere. I feel that way about most of the senseis I know well.

To me, the part of the kendo curriculum that builds character is the way we resist taking the easy way out (not just hitting, but hitting with good fundamentals), and the disapproval of selfish action (always showing good manners). Taking the easy, selfish, way out is a natural habit that must be forced out of our character by consistent application of self-discipline, and by being rewarded for getting it right by people we respect.

The sword hasn't been a useful implement of war for a long time, but leadership and command presence will always be useful in many fields of human endeavor. Kendo, I think, has successfully abstracted elements of combat training to help people build the confidence and self discipline to lead.

Football, soccer, etc., can certainly be applied in the same way. Some people actually still take that approach to team sports, but they are rarely rewarded for doing so. Modern society has placed so much emphasis on winning at any cost that the higher human aspirations have been shoved aside.