It is not important to be better than someone else, but to be better than yesterday.
To ask may be but a moment’s shame, not to ask and remain ignorant is a lifelong shame.
Walk a single path, becoming neither cocky with victory nor broken with defeat, without forgetting caution when all is quiet or becoming frightened when danger threatens.
The purpose of the study of judo is to perfect yourself and to contribute to society.
Nothing under the sun is greater than education. By educating one person and sending him into the society of his generation, we make a contribution extending a hundred generations to come.
Consider fully, act decisively.
Carefully observe oneself and one’s situation, carefully observe others, and carefully observe one’s environment. Consider fully, act decisively.
The teaching of one virtuous person can influence many; that which has been learned well by one generation can be passed on to a hundred.
The pine fought the storm and broke. The willow yielded to the wind and snow and did not break. Practice Jiu-Jitsu in just this way.
Judo teaches us to look for the best possible course of action, whatever the individual circumstances.
Judo is a study of techniques with which you may kill if you wish to kill, injure if you wish to injure, subdue if you wish to subdue, and, when attacked, defend yourself.
Before and after practicing Judo or engaging in a match, opponents bow to each other. Bowing is an expression of gratitude and respect. In effect, you are thanking your opponent for giving you the opportunity to improve your technique.
Judo should be free as art and science from any external influences, political, national, racial, and financial or any other organized interest. And all things connected with it should be directed to its ultimate object, the benefit of Humanity.
There are people who are excitable by nature and allow themselves to become angry for the most trivial of reasons. Judo can help such people learn to control themselves. Through training, they quickly realize that anger is a waste of energy, that it has only negative effects on the self and others.
Apply just the right amount of force – never too much, never too little.
For one thing, Judo in reality is not a mere sport or game. I regard it as a principle of life, art and science. In fact, it is a means for personal cultural attainment.
Judo helps us to understand that worry is a waste of energy.
In randori we learn employ the principle of maximum efficiency even when we could easily overpower an opponent.
In randori, one must search out the opponent’s weaknesses and be ready to attack with all the resources at his disposal the moment the opportunity presents itself, without violating the rules of judo.
Judo is the way to the most effective use of both physical and spiritual strength.
It is not important to be better than someone else, but to be better than you were yesterday.