A kind o dominie cum janitor
Thare you wur, Sensei awa
Frae the bield o life in Okiniwa-
Bidin in a dormitory at the stert o karate in Japan
Enlightenment, the fist and zen as ane
Is makkit in years o graft and bluid
Abuin Shomyoji Temple ye skelp the makiwara
Echoes, growing noises an intense smack and spiral of movement….
A soond like a body batterin wee rice patties intae *mochi
Echoes aroon and further awa eneuch tae wake the deid
O the nearby cemetery tae.
A priest cums wi siller fer the rice cakes
Only tae find the small warrior is not that.
Mochi-a kind of ‘highly glutinous variety of rice cake’ I believe!
Gichin Funakoshi proposed there is no first attack in karate.
Inspired by the Article & Translation by Mark Tankosich www.marktakosich.com/ accessed on Sensei Iain Abernethy’s UK website.
