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The Miami Budokan philosophy

Kokkishin (克己心)
Created and gifted to the dojo community in 2014 by Kazuhisa Kaneda Sensei as a guiding principle for members to keep as martial arts practitioners, this calligraphy reads as Kokkishin or seeking “a spirit of self-denial.”
As a concept, it engages with the idea that one must defeat the self to effectively experience budo. If the mind is full of preconceptions, concerns, and unchecked emotions, it will lack clarity and freedom, leading to a sure defeat. Kokkishin calls for a dismissal of the self, freeing the mind from all things, including oneself.

“If you put your mind in one place, the rest of the body will lack its functioning. If you do not put it anywhere, it will go to all parts of your body and extend throughout its entirety… Because this is so, leave aside thoughts and discrimination, throw the mind away from the entire body, do not stop it here and there, and when it does visit the various places, it will realize function and act without error.”

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The Unfinished Ensō

Perfectly imperfect, ensō is a circle made in a single stroke. It represents enlightenment, and when unfinished, it speaks of the ongoing development towards perfection, balance, and harmony between all things.

The unfinished ensō in the dojo’s logo represents our never-ending desire to perfect character through dedication to practice. As the calligrapher must be fully committed to tracing the ensō so should practitioners be committed to a path in life.

Nintai

(忍耐)

Within the ensō of the logo stands the concept of Nintai which can be translated as endurance, perseverance, and patience, expressing adherence to the path you have set for yourself.

The practice of Iaido and Kendo, as well as the way everyone conducts themselves in their daily lives, require these elements for success.

Budokan

(武道館)

Literally “martial arts hall”, it is the space reserved for budo. Budokan also speaks to the image of community.

While members seek to perfect themselves through rigorous training and endurance, they also belong to a larger body of budo practitioners within the dojo and across the world.