二十訓The Twenty Precepts of Karate

The Nijū Kun (二十訓, “twenty precepts”) are twenty guiding principles set out by Gichin Funakoshi, founder of Shotokan, distilling his view of karate as a lifelong path of character development. The best known is the second — “Karate ni sente nashi” — “there is no first attack in karate.” Here is the full list, with the romaji, a standard English translation and a short explanation of each.

The twenty precepts, in order

#	Precept (romaji)	Meaning
1	Karate-dō wa rei ni hajimari, rei ni owaru koto o wasuruna	Karate begins and ends with courtesy (rei). Without a foundation of respect and humility, technical skill is worthless and even dangerous. Etiquette is the outward form of an inner attitude.
2	Karate ni sente nashi	There is no first attack in karate. The most famous precept — carved on Funakoshi’s memorial stone. Karate is fundamentally defensive: one never initiates aggression, literally or morally.
3	Karate wa gi no tasuke	Karate stands on the side of justice. Skill must serve what is right — defending the weak and upholding justice, never bullying. Power carries moral responsibility.
4	Mazu jiko o shire, shikashite ta o shire	First know yourself, then know others. Echoing Sun Tzu. Self-knowledge — your own strengths and limits — is the precondition for dealing wisely with an opponent.
5	Gijutsu yori shinjutsu	Spirit before technique. Mental and spiritual development outrank raw physical skill. A superb technician with poor character has missed the point of karate-dō.
6	Kokoro wa hanatan koto o yōsu	The mind must be set free. Keep the mind open and unfixed, never clinging to a single point — close to the Zen idea of mushin (‘no-mind’) — so it can respond fluidly.
7	Wazawai wa ketai ni shōzu	Calamity springs from carelessness. Misfortune and defeat arise from inattention and laziness. Constant awareness and diligence prevent disaster.
8	Karate wa dōjō nomi no mono ni arazu	Karate is not only in the dojo. Karate is a way of living, not an activity confined to the training hall. Its awareness and discipline belong in everyday life.
9	Karate no shūgyō wa isshō de aru	Karate training is a lifelong pursuit. There is no final mastery or endpoint; the way of karate is followed for one’s whole life, offering new depth at every stage.
10	Arayuru mono o karate-ka seyo, soko ni myōmi ari	Apply the way of karate to all things; therein lies its beauty. Perseverance, focus and humility can be brought to every challenge. When karate informs all you do, its subtle value is revealed.
11	Karate wa yu no gotoshi, taezu netsu o ataezareba moto no mizu ni kaeru	Karate is like boiling water; without constant heat it returns to lukewarm. Skill decays without steady practice. There is no coasting — ability must be continually maintained.
12	Katsu kangae wa motsuna, makenu kangae wa hitsuyō	Do not think of winning; think of not losing. A preoccupation with victory breeds ego and recklessness. The sounder mindset is to remain composed and free of exploitable flaws.
13	Teki ni yotte tenka seyo	Respond in accordance with your opponent. There is no single fixed response. Read the opponent and adapt technique, timing and strategy to the situation.
14	Tatakai wa kyojitsu no sōjū ikan ni ari	Victory depends on your control of emptiness and fullness. Manage kyo (openings, weakness) and jitsu (strength, readiness) — exploiting the enemy’s gaps while never exposing your own.
15	Hito no te-ashi o ken to omoe	Think of the hands and feet as swords. Every limb is a potential weapon, to be used with the seriousness, precision and control of a blade.
16	Danshi mon o izureba hyakuman no teki ari	Once you leave your gate, a million enemies await. The moment you enter the world, countless dangers exist. Stay vigilant and prepared once outside the safety of home. (Often given in gender-neutral wording today.)
17	Kamae wa shoshinsha ni, ato wa shizentai	Fixed postures are for beginners; later, move naturally. Beginners drill rigid stances to build a foundation; advanced practitioners move from a natural, ready body (shizentai). Form is eventually internalised.
18	Kata wa tadashiku, jissen wa betsu mono	Perform kata correctly; real combat is another matter. Kata must be precise to preserve principle, but a real fight is unpredictable and cannot be a mechanical reproduction of kata.
19	Chikara no kyōjaku, karada no shinshuku, waza no kankyū o wasuruna	Do not forget the hardness and softness of power, the body’s extension and contraction, and the slowness and speed of techniques. Effective technique blends these dynamics — hard and soft power, expansion and contraction, fast and slow.
20	Tsune ni shinen kufū seyo	Always be mindful and inventive. Continually think, reflect and find creative ways to improve. The way demands ceaseless, resourceful effort — never mechanical repetition alone.

A note on translations, and Nijū Kun vs Dōjō Kun

Translations vary between organisations — “no first attack” vs “no first strike,” “spirit before technique” vs “mind over technique.” These are translation choices, not errors; there is no single official English wording. The precepts were collected with commentary in the book published in English as The Twenty Guiding Principles of Karate.

Don’t confuse them with the Dōjō Kun. The Dōjō Kun is the five short rules recited aloud at the end of class; the Nijū Kun is Funakoshi’s twenty longer principles for study and reflection. Both express the same ethical spirit, but they are distinct texts of different length and purpose.

The famous first two. Precept 1 — “karate begins and ends with rei (respect)” — is heard in nearly every dojo. Precept 2 — “karate ni sente nashi” — is the defining ethical statement of Shotokan and appears on Funakoshi’s memorial stone at Engaku-ji in Kamakura.

Frequently asked questions

What are the 20 precepts of karate?

They are the Nijū Kun — twenty guiding principles by Gichin Funakoshi, covering respect, self-knowledge, spirit over technique, lifelong training and adapting to your opponent. The most famous is ‘there is no first attack in karate’ (karate ni sente nashi).

Who wrote the 20 precepts of karate?

Gichin Funakoshi, the founder of Shotokan karate, formulated the Nijū Kun; they were later collected and published with commentary (by Funakoshi and Genwa Nakasone) as ‘The Twenty Guiding Principles of Karate.’

What is the difference between the Nijū Kun and the Dōjō Kun?

The Nijū Kun is Funakoshi’s twenty longer guiding principles, studied and reflected on; the Dōjō Kun is the five short rules recited aloud at the end of class. Both share the same ethical spirit but are separate texts.

What does ‘karate ni sente nashi’ mean?

‘There is no first attack in karate’ — the second and most famous precept. Karate is fundamentally defensive; one never initiates aggression, both literally in a fight and morally in life. It is carved on Funakoshi’s memorial stone.