Quotes from Mas Oyama

Power is no more than a part, no more than the tip of the iceberg of limitless profundity and sublimate of Karate.

Reading good books implants good ideas in the mind, develops good aspirations, and leads to the cultivation of good friends.

My Way is the Way of Karate, which is also the Way of humanity, and which is consequently related to the Way of Heaven.

Personal greed and egoism are things that cause human beings to forget respect for others and to violate rules that have been established for the sake of peace and friendship.

If you do not overcome your tendency to give up easily, your life leads to nothing.

If someone asked me what a human being ought to devote the maximum of his life to, I would answer: training. Train more than you sleep.

A man who understands decorum and the courtesies is a great treasure; I hope to train and send into society as many such men as I can.

The fastest way to attain courage is to follow the chosen Way and be willing to abandon life itself for the sake of justice.

Come ye trials and challanges; come life's big waves, for I am ready?

Karate is Budo and if Budo is removed from Karate it is nothing more than sport karate, show karate, or even fashion karate-the idea of training merely to be fashionable.

A human life gains lustre and strength only when it is polished and tempered.

Human beings are capable of virtually limitless degradation; they are also capable of virtually limitless improvement and achievement. Success depends on goals and on diligence in pursuing them.

In the martial arts, introspection begets wisdom. Always see contemplation on your actions as an opportunity to improve.

One becomes a beginner after 1000 days of training. One becomes a master after 10,000 days of practice.

One must try, everyday, to expand one's limits.

The path of Martial Arts begins and ends with courtesy. So be genuinely polite on every occasion.

Always remember that the true meaning of Budo is that soft overcomes hard, small overcomes large.

As far as possible, I want nothing more than to don my training gi and teach Karate.

I have not permitted myself to be ignorant of any martial art that exists. Why? Such ignorance is a disgrace to someone who follows the path of the martial arts.

1-2 out of every 100 students reach Black Belt and of those only 1 out of every 1,000 achieves his 2nd Dan

Behind each triumph are new peaks to be conquered.

True courage is born only when it is accompanied by justice.

The most significant life is the one lived on the basis of a personal sense of justice and the desire to see justice realized everywhere.

The most important are the eyes. In a fight if you look down out of fear you'll certainly be defeated