Karate-Do

Karate is a martial art for the development of character through training. Karate-Do literally translates to the Way of the Empty Hand. There are three main objectives of Karate-Do. To Harden your body and gain flexibility To Sharpen your mind and spirit To learn to defend yourself in any situation

Counting

REI

Rei, Means "respect," as well as "courtesy." Students of Karate, treat people with respect as well as their school and uniforms. Karate student express respect by bowing. Student bow to the teacher before and after class. They also bow to each other before starting to work together in drill or sparring. Even before and after competition matches, they bow to express their mutual respect. By showing REI during Karate class, student and teachers are showing that they appreciate the opportunity to learn from each other. And by treating their classmate with courtesy and respect, student also recognize the hard work and discipline that everyone is devoting to Karate. By treating thing such as their schools and uniforms with respect, they make certain they do not take these things for granted. Remember, not everyone is fortunate enough to be able to learn Karate.
Apply the principles of REI to life outside of Karate  class, and you have simple etiquette. Thanking guests for coming to your party is an indication the effort they made to attend. Proper table manner are an expression of your respect for your dining partners right to enjoy a pleasant meal without being offended. As you become accustomed to expressing REI in Karate class, see if you can show similar attention to the etiquette of daily living. And never take good people, nor good things, for granted.

OSU

People who study Karate can often be heard saying the word OSU. Sometimes they will say it in a normal speaking voice, but just as often, they will loudly shout this
word, which can substitute for "hello", "good bye","yes", "okay", or "I understand." No matter how or when it is said, however, OSU reaffirms one of the most important lessons of Karate
The first character, O, means to push, and symbolizes one hundred percent effort. The second Character, SU, means to endure. Combined, OSU, is a pledge to do one's very best and to endure. However, SU by itself can also mean "to be silent," and the character is made up one of the radicals meaning "blade" and "heart." The Japanese idea of endurance, therefore, encompasses being silent, even if your heart
is cut with a blade.I t is very natural for people to seek positive reinforcement in return for their efforts. This is the very principal by which our society operates, after all. Professionals are paid for their work. Teachers
reward hard-working students with high marks. Parents pay children compliments for their efforts.

But  Karate is a discipline which involves a great deal of self-reflection, and self-reflection is more concern with irrefutable truths than with rewards. Unfortunately, there are some Karate students who pretend to work hard only when they believe their instructor is watching. These types of students devote more energy toward attracting their teacher's attention than to learning Karate. In other words, their efforts are not "silent."

What these students do not realize is that they are in class to learn Karate, not to impress the teacher. And how much they learn depends solely on how hard they work. If they give their best efforts only when the
instructor is watching and are lazy the rest of the time, this will inevitably be reflected in their technique. On the other hand, true Karate masters are usually humble and reserved. They realize their expertise in
Karate and the amount of the effort they have devoted to it are irrefutable, independent of the recognition of others. After all, a flower blossoming deep in a secluded forest is no less beautiful than one growing
in a garden where everyone can see. In fact many great Karate masters have spent time training on scheduled mountain in Japan, where they had to continually challenge themselves to work hard even though there was no one there to provide encouragement or reinforcement. Each time you say OSU during Karate class, remember that is a pledge to work hard and to endure. If you can say it honestly and with pride each time, you can be confident you are doing well.