My experience at a karate birthday party

As I opened my martial arts school one day, unlocked the door, turned on the lights, I began the normal work that led into a normal day. Classes began and ended as usual, and except for a birthday party for one of the kid’s classes, the day would have passed on like any other.

We sometimes throw birthday parties for the younger children, and as part of the party, we bring out the birthday cake and cut it with a samurai sword. Just as a bit of fun, the kids like it, and it’s a nice ending to the birthday ceremony.

At one of these birthdays, a young boy came in with his elder Japanese grandfather, who upon entering the building, sat in the corner and slumped over, watching the birthday activities without much interest.

At the end of the ceremony, I brought out the sword as usual and prepared to cut the cake. But at the sight of the sword, the old man in the corner began to take notice. His eyes were fixed on me, his back straightened up as though his grade school teacher had walked by with a ruler, and he seemed to come alive at the sight of this sword.

I wondered what had made this man so alert and intent all of a sudden as he followed me with his eyes when I crossed the room with the sword toward the birthday cake. When I pressed the sword into the cake, out of the corner of my eye, I could see the old man shrink back down to his old, disinterested self, no doubt disappointed by the meaningless display of the sacred sword.

From the instant that old man shrank down in disappointment, I experienced a personal failure, and when I made the decision not to use a sword in an inappropriate manner, I experienced a personal victory. Without having spoken a single word to the old man, he taught me so much, I have a renewed respect for the sword and its meaning, especially in the way of the samurai. And at the heart of this respect, I believe, is the desire to preserve the way of the past. As the world around us has changed and is still, most of us who practice and teach the martial arts recognize the value of tradition and the importance of keeping it.

As martial arts instructors, teaching our students the traditions of martial arts culture is just as important as the training. Our duty goes beyond merely teaching moves, but includes philosophy as well, and part of that philosophy is respecting the tools we use to empower ourselves, among them the samurai sword. Many Japanese warriors shed their blood on a thousand miles of battlefield to protect what was sacred to them, and the symbol of their dedication is the sword. The Bushido Code itself makes a strong point of samurai keeping their military equipment in working order and high regard and proclaims that Japanese culture is different from others in that even lower class people such as farmers, merchants, and artisans all treasure a rusty short sword. As a symbol, the samurai sword empowers its owner, as a weapon, its deadliness is matched only by beauty. Such an iconic thing deserves respect, and as such, shouldn’t be used to cut mere cakes at the behest of young students.

Now, reflecting on my past usage of the sword, I see it was disgraceful, but having been taught a lesson, I now know that certain things may seem commonplace, but the reason for that is based in a deep tradition, and we should never forgot or violate that.