The roots of Asian society lie in the careful attention given to
reflective thought on the needs of all society and in the conscious
development of effort as a process of spiritual awakening or
enlightenment (kaigan) for everyone, working in relationship and
harmony (wa). This is embedded in the East and is particularly
visible in Japanese culture.
Traditionally, the teaching of classical Okinawan karate also
integrated the principles of kaigan and wa and was imparted through
close one-to-one care, attention and guidance given to a student by a
master teacher. This was central to the teaching tradition of the old
karate masters and formed the core of the karate Program.
Master Teacher Defined
As with many words, common use of the term teacher has steadily
robbed it of any depth of meaning. It pays to examine it more
closely, and in particular to go beyond the term teacher and
understand what lies hidden in the further term master teacher. The
simple definition of a teacher is that he (or she) instructs another
in one or several subject matters. A teacher has achieved fluent
control of their area of expertise and they have established an
effortless relationship with the materials, processes and outputs of
their chosen field and are able to communicate this to others. A
master teacher is something more. A true master teacher has
progressed beyond this to a deep understanding of humanity itself so
that he/she is able to see what needs to be nurtured and at the same
time deeply understands and can guide the learner through the process
of struggle, learning and growth that yields maturity. He can grow
future teachers and indeed future master teachers. The result of a
teacher's work is output. The result of a master teacher's work is
people....

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