The 7 Virtues of Bushido (Part 4 of 7): Honor

Recently a small cardboard sign appeared on the dojo wall over the half-fridge at my dojo. I see it every time I go for water or use the bathroom. I read what this little sign said about the virtues of Bushido and began to wonder: It’s one thing to talk about integrity or courage, but how do these seven virtues apply to real life on the mat? What do these words actually mean? How do these virtues show up at a dojo? Do I see them in action? Where do I experience them in myself or in others? I decided to explore each of these principles to see whether, how, and where they have come alive for me in my training. So over seven posts, I will briefly explore each of these virtues and the commentary below it. I’ll quote the commentary, pull up a dictionary definition, and then add a thought or two about how this might work on the mat.

NOTE: For those interested in learning a lot more about Bushido and its history as well as where these virtues come from (Nitobe Inazō), check out the following Wikipedia link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bushido to begin your exploration.

4. MEIYO (Honor)

Warriors have only one judge of honor and character, and this is themselves. Decisions they make and how these decisions are carried out is a reflection of who they truly are. You cannot hide from yourself.

• Dictionary definition: Esteem, respect, reverence. Nobility of mind. Personal integrity maintained without legal or other obligation.

A dojo is technically just a training hall, but at its best it offers a proper space to become self-aware and to develop inner and outer skills. Since the space reflects the seriousness and credibility of the school, the dojo is regarded with respect and honored by serious students. Used wisely, it can be a space for deep self-development. But respecting the physical dojo is just the most superficial level of honoring ourselves enough to train there.

Training really is: slowly learning the skills of objective self-observation in the service of self-development. The warrior-in-training works to develop their strengths and to correct their faults and limitations as those arise (and they will). The more warriors know themselves, the more they can trust their choices and instincts, because the longer they train, the deeper and more intimately they know what works for them: what needs correction, what to practice, what to polish, where to stretch and grow. They begin to understand the mechanics of how to make techniques work in individual situations. The effects of tiny changes become more apparent with each new opponent. Over time, warriors become aware of when (and how) they are “off” and when they are ready for action. But this cannot happen unless a student begins to honor their training by allowing it to become a practice.

Developing a practice starts with training at regularly scheduled times. It continues with keeping promises you make to yourself, like showing up for class on time even when you’re tired, giving everything you’ve got during class, paying attention, avoiding distraction, and staying focused on your own journey. Training is something potentially wonderful we give ourselves. So why show up to class just to dissipate your energy on something trivial like joking around? Honor yourself and your goals, on and off the mat, on good and bad days. These things sound simple, but making them real is often very hard work. Our efforts to mature as martial artists deserve our respect, even honor, because only we can truly appreciate how we struggled and what we did to earn the skills we ultimately mastered in our training.