For such a tiny and delicate creature, the butterfly has been a powerful symbol in many cultures since ancient times. It is often seen to represent our souls, and in some cultures it also represents resurrection.
Seamus O'Dowd
Seamus O’Dowd (6th Dan SKIF) has been a student of Martial Arts for thirty years, and has trained with many of the top instructors of Shotokan Karate in the world. He is an occasional contributor to a number of Martial Arts magazines, and produced a number of DVDs, including one entitled “Kanazawa No Bo” with the legendary Kanazawa Hirokazu Sensei. He also regularly travels to many countries to teach karate, tai chi and bo-jutsu.
Tomorrow I will make the long journey to Tokyo once again. I am fortunate to have been there many times before, and I hope to get to go there many times again.
In the old days, it was harder. If a person wanted to learn from an instructor, they had to prove themselves worthy first. There are many stories of students having to wait for months before being accepted into a dojo, or having been rejected outright many times, before their persistence proved that they had the staying power and determination required to be capable of the rigorous training regime. And once accepted, the students still often did not get to join the real training, but maybe got some very basic instruction and then spent the rest of their time at the dojo looking on as others trained, or even just cleaning up in the dojo. Again, a test to determine their worthiness.