Philosophy of Kancho T. Okuyama

In one of the children’s classes, Kancho T. Okuyama was teaching his philosophy of how to end a Kata.

He had a few students show how they finished their Kata. When the students did their last move, he told them not to rush to standing but to stay in the final movement. Once the student stays in the final movement or what Kancho T. Okuyama says, “Stop!” he tells the students to look. Look at your imaginary  opponent then stand up. He says that even when they are in standing position after their Kata, he points to where their position was in the final movement of the kata and says, their spirit is still in the final position there. He states that the students are there and they are here.

It is telling their opponent, that they are ready anytime. Their body and spirit is in that moment, and continues in that moment even though they left that physical place. It is why, say for example, when Kancho T. Okuyama visits another country, his spirit, his being is still in the other country, even though he is physically back in Canada.

In essence, this is our connection to each other and places, to being present, to doing everything we can with our inner most being and although we leave that place and say good-bye to people, our effort shows in our spirit there. That is how we can use this to affect people, everyone we meet, every place we go,… positively