A little story I found, although some of you might have heard it.
A man of Tao and a Little Man as it is told. A student once
asked,"What is the difference between a man of Tao, and a little
man? The master replies "It is simple: When the little man receives
his first dan, he can hardly wait to run home and tell everyone he
made his first dan. Upon receiving his second dan, he will climb to
the roof and shout to the people. Upon receiving his third dan, he
will jump in his automobile and parade through town with its horn
blowing telling everyone about it".
Sensei continues: When the man of Tao receives his first dan, he
will bow his head and his shoulders. Upon receiving his second dan,
he will bow his head and his shoulders. Upon receiving his third
dan, he will bow at the waist and quitely walk alongside the wall so
people will not see him or notice him".
Funakoshi sensei was a man of Tao. He placed no emphasis on
competitions or records. Instead, he emphasized self perfection.
Jeff sans Conclusion: I guess this story goes to show that there
are alot of people training in the Martial Arts for different
reasons, sometimes some being bad. We can all train to be the best
we can be, but the difference lies between who is humble and who is
not. I'm really impressed with the Shotokan style of karate and I'm
excited and honored to be taught by such great teachers.