Two Karate Masters Learn the Shortcomings of Pride Before a Single Blow is Struck

Gichin Funakoshi, the Okinawan father of modern Karate-do, penned an autobiography, My Way of Life, in which he tells a story related to his old instructor, Master Matsumura.

It seems that when Master Matsumura was 30 years old, he still retained the pride and hotheadedness of youth. One day he walked into an artisan’s shop and asked to have a design engraved into the bowl of his long-stemmed pipe. The engraver, a physically robust, bull-like man, recognized Matsumura whose great reputation had already spread across the land and earned him the honored position as karate instructor for the head of the local clan.

The engraver was a proficient martial artist himself but, recognizing an opportunity to be trained by one such as his visitor, he politely asked Matsumura to accept him as a pupil. Quickly, dismissively and rudely, Matsumura rebuffed the engraver’s request and began to complain about an issue that had bothered him for some time.

Over 100 days ago, the head of the clan had ordered Matsumura never to appear in his presence again. There was a grave disagreement. Matsumura had found the clan head to be an indifferent student. He did not work hard to refine his technique; he was lazy when he should have been training; he did not live up to the ideals of the martial arts. Irritated by his student’s sluggish behavior, Matsumura hastily instructed the clan head to attack him. When he did, Matsumura deftly countered with a move that injured his opponent’s shoulder, hand and leg. Outraged, the clan head dismissed him.

Since then, Matsumura had wandered the land in a haze of self-pity. He wished he’d never been asked to instruct the clan head; he even wished he’d never learned martial arts in the first place.

The engraver tried to cheer his visitor and expressed his respect for Matsumura’s talent by renewing his wish to be accepted as a student. But Matsumura’s self-pity was so great that he failed to recognize the compliment and instead called the engraver “pigheaded”.

Now it was the engraver’s turn to make a mistake. Rather than accept Matsumura’s rude behavior for what it was, the engraver decided he had to defend his pride, which had just been wounded. He challenged Matsumura to a match to the death, which the karate master did not want to accept, but finally did.

The two men met the following morning outside Kinbu Palace. The engraver renewed his challenge and assumed the gedan position in preparation for battle. But Matsumura only stood in a relaxed, unengaged position. Baffled, the engraver moved to attack. As he did, Matsumura fixed him with a gaze of such intensity that the engraver froze. His muscles went soft; he became overwhelmed by self-doubt. He was surprised by his reaction. Though an acknowledged master, Matsumura was neither very muscular nor physically imposing. He did not have the engraver’s bulk but was tall and lithe. The engraver struggled to regain his composure and released a shout—a great kiai—to attack but Matsumura fixed him with that same gaze and the engraver froze once again.

Matsumura urged his opponent to strike as the day had begun to pass; the engraver apologized for his hesitation and began a third attack but this time, it was Matsumura who issued a loud cry, which struck the engraver as a bolt of lightning. The engraver instantly realized his skill was no match for that of Matsumura and he humbly accepted defeat. He confessed that his pride had urged him to make a grave mistake in challenging his superior and now he understood why Matsumura was a recognized master.

But Matsumura had a surprising confession of his own. He thanked the engraver for the challenge for it had taught him something crucial also. It seems that Matsumura realized, when the engraver had challenged him to a match, that he’d let himself dwell on trifling issues, such as his own fallen standing and his position in the land, when in fact greater concerns such as his training and matters of life and death had sufficiently failed to occupy his mind (the very complaints he had vetted against the clan head!). Matsumura admitted that he came to Kinbu Palace knowing he might lose the battle and die.

Each man expressed gratitude for the lessons learned and moved on in life with great respect for each other. Shortly thereafter, Matsumura mended the rift with the clan head and was instituted—a wiser man than before—as his instructor.

Master Funakoshi asks his readers to consider the experience of these two karate masters.

1. Do not let foolish pride and the insults of others make you act foolish in return. The engraver let Matsumura’s hotheadedness injure his pride and therefore challenged him to a battle that he, the engraver, could not win.

2. Don’t let petty concerns such as your own misfortunes distract you from applying yourself to the most important principles of life. After disgracing himself with the head of the clan, Matsumura began to feel self-pity and neglected his training. Only when the engraver challenged him did Matsumura realize his mistake.

Written by Joe Kovacs