THE ART OF REI-SPECT

Greetings O Ye Fans of Soul Music. Here's a question for ya. What does Otis Redding...Aretha Franklin...Ray Charles and Grand Master Hironori Otsuka have in common? That's right...three African American singers of soul and a skinny Oriental man. Well...the answer is RESPECT.

1. Otis Redding: In 1965 he wrote and recorded the song Respect.

2. Aretha Franklin: In 1967 she recorded Otis Redding's song Respect...and made it her own signature song.

3. Ray Charles: I don't know if he ever recorded the song Respect...but he should have if he didn't. Actually I just needed someone with the name Ray...to fit in with what I wanted to write.

4. Grand Master Hironori Ostsuka: Developed a style of karate in 1934 called Wado Ryu. Wado Ryu means the study of the Way of Peace and Harmony. This style is a mixture of karate and ju-jitsu. While peace and harmony may seem contrary to karate...they have more in common than you would think.

Way back in 1972...when I was 21 years old...I was attacked on the side of the road... by an angry man. As he was swinging away with his clenched fists...and I was blocking away as best as I could...I got in a lucky punch and he fell like Goliath did when David slung his stone. I turned around...and his friend threw up his hands and said that he was not going to bother me. There was NO peace and harmony in my life on that day. Later on in that year...I ran across a small ad in the Daily News Journal announcing a karate class starting and the cost was $15.00 a month. It was taught by someone I knew named Newton Harris...the school was Bushido School of Karate. The style of karate was Wado Ryu. We met in Cricholow School basement...and later on Vine Street in Murfreesboro. I took for a couple of years and then because of various reasons...dropped out. Later on...many years later...in 2001....when I turned 50 years old...I started karate again (see previous Ramblings for full details of this event).

I told my son (Phillip)...and my wife (Brenda)...that when I turned 50 I would start taking karate again. This was when I was in my 40's. Brenda and I stopped at Quizno's for lunch...and ran into Mr. Bill Taylor...who now owned Bushido School of Karate. I met Mr. Taylor back in 1973 at the Vine Street School...and sparred with him...back in the day of NO sparring equipment. I still have vivid memories of blocking one of Mr. Taylor's kicks...and the pain shooting up my arm. I told Mr. Taylor that I was thinking of returning to the school...but I thought I was a little old to start up again. He told me of a 76 year old woman who had her black belt...and then asked me..."What's your excuse?" I had none. Oh...by the way...that lady...Mrs. Coleman...is still kicking...and every once in a while...she is kicking at me....what an honor.

You may be asking your self..."Self...what does this have to do with Otis Redding, Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles and Hironori Otsuka?" I'm glad you asked. REI-SPECT. Rei is pronounced RAY (thus the inclusion of Ray Charles).

When I started back...I received my Student Guide for Bill Taylor's Bushido School of Karate. It outlines the program...gives the rules of the school, policies and procedures...and various bits of information about how to attain your black belt. Part of the book was BELT CURRICULUM. It outlined the various techniques that you would learn on your journey from White Belt to Black Belt.

The WHITE BELT CURRICULUM had five things that we would learn including how to do a front punch from a horse stance, how to do a front kick, and how to do a high block...BUT...the very first two things we learned were...(1) How to BOW (rei) (2) Why do we BOW (rei).

In the second collage you will see a pyramid shape with three words...that outlines...the proper way to approach what we learn...with the bottom being the foundation...before you get to the top. They are:
(1) Stances (2) Posture (3) Technique. Before you get to the fancy kicks...ya gotta get the basic stances... and in between that...ya gotta know how to hold your body upright, head up, eyes on the target, etc. There is one move...that needs to be the CORNERSTONE of the karate experience...and dare I say... our LIFE experience. That would be REI-SPECT.

We were taught the MECHANICS of the bow which included: (1) feet together at the heels with toes pointing to right and left at 45 degree angle (2) Arms/hands relaxed pointing down with hands open... not in fist (3) looking forward (4) At the command...REI...we bow (5) Slight bow at the waist (6) head and eyes up focusing on what's ahead. (7) return back to the upright, attention stance.

It does not take long to master the mechanics of the bow. The next step in the White Belt Curriculum is WHY do we BOW? In an age where RESPECT is a lost art...it is sometimes a process for us to truly understand why we bow/rei. I coined the term REI-SPECT because it speaks to me of the WHY we rei.

At our school..."karate begins and ends with respect." This is especially good for the young ones who are developing their life...and for us older ones...who may have become jaded and hardened by life.

We learn to respect from the moment we enter the dojo (karate building)...in the dojo dressing rooms... on the dojo floor. We bow when we enter the dojo floor...we bow to start out class with a series of three bows....to the front (Shomeni Rei) to respect our country, the country our style originated from, and the originator of our style of karate. We then bow to our instructor in gratitude for teaching us (Sensi/Senpai Rei) and then we bow to each other (Otagani Rei) as we begin to work with each other to learn...not defeat each other. We then bow prior to starting techniques...bow when we end techniques...and bow when we spar/fight (kumite') as we practice the techniques that we have learned. We then end class by repeating the three bows we did at the first of class....and then bow in succession to the ranks of belts as they leave the floor...turning and bowing again as we leave the dojo floor...and it is all about REI-SPECT.

To me...the REI...having REI-SPECT...is the most important karate move that I have ever learned... and am still learning everyday...on and off of the dojo floor.

NOTE: This is not some religious ritual...but basic life skills.

In my Christian walk...I relate the REI-SPECT...to GRACE. The word grace is from the Greek word Charis (Ca-reece)...which means favor, gift, free gift, unmerited favor. The best definition is found in Strong's Concordance...meaning...the divine influence in the heart...manifested in the life of the believer.

It is an inside out job...and not something that we can get our little hands on to manipulate. It is a God thang...that starts on the inside as I yield my life to Him...and what He does to me on the inside...will be manifested on the outside. With bowing/rei...we can learn all of the mechanics of rei....but that will not change what is on the inside. Over the years at karate...I am learning more and more what it means to RESPECT those that I come into contact with...by practice and repetition. Jesus said, "You shall LOVE the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind and strength...and you shall love your neighbor as yourself." Before you manifest His love with your strength...it is an inside out job in your heart, soul, and mind... and then it will be effective to your neighbor...but it starts with you...loving Him so you can love yourself. Then you can effectively love your neighbor.

Final thoughts...finally.

I love Wado Ryu...the way of harmony and peace...but the only way to true harmony with my God...and true peace (rest, wholeness) is through the cross of Jesus. Because of His Death (in my place as a substitution and propititation [satisfaction)for my sins), His Burial (representing the finality the work), and His Resurrection (raised from the dead)...D.B.R...NOTHING MORE...NOTHING LESS. "He saved us...not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness...but according to His mercy...by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit." (Titus 3:5)

"Therefore (since Jesus humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death on the cross) also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name (Jesus) that at the name of Jesus every kneee should REI, of those who are in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth and that every tongue confess that JESUS CHRIST IS LORD, to the glory of God, the Father." (Philippians 2:8-10)

Love and Very Rei-spectful Kisses
Rodney "Peace and Harmony" Boyd