Our School Crest

Our school crest, or mon in Japanese, seen in the upper left of your screen is unique to us and carries with it a rich historical meaning.  It is our honour to explain its significance and why, for us, to wear it on our training uniforms is considered a special privilege.

• The outer circle represents the student's path to constant and never ending improvement. This philosophy, known as kaizen permeates all throughout Japanese culture (see article:Kaizen, by Tristan Barry). It has been especially noted by western companies competing against the Japanese. It is a formidable philosophy when applied to its full potential.

• The inner triangle represents the three primary components of classical martial arts training: 1) physical art, 2) self-defense, and 3) philosophy. The triangular shape also provides a graphical metaphor for the mind and body coming together in unison at the top, or Master Level. In eastern philosophy, mind/body unity generally refers to the ability to take the best and most appropriate action possible, based upon one's circumstances, without conscious thought. In martial arts terms, the practitioner aspires to respond to his opponent in such a way that the education he has received in training flows naturally and freely - from knowledge to action - without delay. No fear ... no hesitation ... only immediate, effective and appropriate action. This state, known as mushin, the state of "no mind" is regarded by most classical martial artists as the prime objective of training. Its transmutable qualities as expressed in daily life, it is believed, provide a conduit to the ultimate goal of enlightenment and thus the do (pronounced "doe", meaning "path") of Karate-Do (Karate's full formal name) and Kobudo.

• "No fear", which has lately been exploited as a commercial slogan is in actuality a much misunderstood statement. "No Fear" is not meant to suggest an aspiration to the total elimination of fear, as fear is a natural Human emotion, but rather, we as martial artists from whom this saying was adopted aspire to act with courage and conviction in full control of our fears when called upon by the circumstances, for example, when faced with a life threatening situation, the protection of loved ones, war, or other traumatic event.

• The bottom black portion of the triangle represents the Beginner or Black Belt rank. If you consider that classical martial arts are meant to be lifetime studies and the achievement of Black Belt takes roughly 4 to 5 years, then relatively speaking the achievement of Black Belt is only the beginning. Unquestionably it is as a Black Belt that the lifetime practitioner spends most of his time.

• The top red portion of the triangle represents the Master rank. In many Japanese and Okinawan styles, a master will often wear a red belt or a belt comprised of red and white stripes. This is not to be confused with the Red Belt rank in Taekwondo, which is actually sub-Black Belt.

• The gold-coloured background represents that we, the practitioners of Shintokukai, cherish the knowledge we obtain in training with the same reverence we do the beauty of this most precious metal. Knowledge obtained through diligent study is indeed a treasure, one sought throughout history and paid for in time, persistence and hard training.

• The Japanese characters depict the name of the organization, starting from the upper left character representing Shin to the upper right, toku to the bottom, kai.

• The depiction of the fist, a martial symbol, makes known to others that Shintokukai is a martial arts organization.