He who lacks foresight and underestimates his enemy will surely be captured by him.

Sun Tzu

Foresight is the ability to think ahead and envision possible future problems or challenges. It is the act of “knowing” something before it actually hits you right between the eyes, and it is vital when dealing with your enemies.

Warrior Samadhi in Kata

The brilliant beam of a search light sweeps past where this guy is hiding, crouched behind a dumpster.  The light slides down along the wall. For a second the darkness returns. Without a sound he sprints behind the building and disappears. He felt the lapse in his opponent’s perception and got away.

When you face off with an opponent, whether you are stalking slowly or darting in and out, you lock focus on each other. The instant you sense the slightest deflection in your opponent’s awareness you attack. The deflection in his awareness could be as obvious as a glance down to the ground, at your hand or over your shoulder, or it could be much more subtle – but if you can detect it you can exploit it.

If your awareness shifts then there is a momentary breach in your defense. You become vulnerable to attack. Not every opponent is sharp enough to take advantage of it but for an instant the opportunity is there.

Shoshin (初心) is a word from Zen Buddhism meaning "beginner's mind." It refers to having an attitude of openness, eagerness, and lack of preconceptions when studying a subject, even when studying at an advanced level, just as a beginner would.

We never actually stop beginning. We just forget every now and then as we get older and -- if we're not very careful -- more foolish. Perhaps we put on a black belt and start to think we are an expert. Perhaps we start to believe the hype and think we really know something about something. But really, our goal is to cast off trappings (emphasis on trap) like certificates and belts: they are helpful, but once they get in the way of our learning they are devastating. Once they give our egos a foothold, the road-map of rank is going to run us off a cliff.

Tesshu not only viewed swordsmanship as a way of disciplining the mind; he was also a practitioner of Zen and a master of calligraphy. Only his swordsmanship was passed down directly; the ‘spirit’ of his calligraphy was revived, (and is carried on by the Hitsuzendo) but perhaps it is better to say that it was by his example and spirit that he has most influenced modern disciplines.

A man’s word is his honor. Okinawan Proverb

Your word is your honor. In today’s world there doesn’t seem to be many people who think this way. People will say whatever gets them what they want, whether it is true or false, right or wrong. Most people don’t seem to care about their “word,” but then again, most people do not have a clue what true honor is either. You should think before you speak and you should honor what you say.

Honor consists of multiple parts. It is a complex idea in which intention plays a huge role. Think about the intentions behind your words and your actions. What is the purpose behind your words? Do your words even have a purpose?

Ego in the martial arts

Doing it halfway is no good; you have to do it all the way, give yourself wholly to it. Taisen Deshimaru

It is easy to get into the habit of thinking about “this, that, and the other thing” when you are in the middle of a workout. This is the result of an undisciplined mind. If you find yourself focusing on other things during your workout, stop yourself and refocus on why you are working out in the first place.

Walk a mile to avoid a fight; but when one starts, don’t back down an inch!

The true warrior doesn't like violence. He or she doesn't want to hurt anyone and will, in fact, do everything in his or her power to avoid fighting. The warrior understands anatomy and how easy it is to injure someone else, sometimes permanently or fatally. The warrior has no desire to permanently cripple or injure someone one.

In addition, he has no desire to waste his time dealing with our corrupt legal system which is just as likely to throw him in prison for defending himself, as it is to punish the predator that attacked him. For these reasons, and more, the warrior does everything in his power to avoid a fight.