This song, Karate-do Sanka, attempts to epitomize some of the most important aspects of karate. The most important lines of the three verses are: Kokoro o kitau, mi o kitau”; “Kokoro o mamaru, mi o mamaru”; and “Kokoro o tadasu, mi o tadasu”. Kokoro means spirit, heart, mind, or feeling. Mi is the body. Since the word Kitau means training or practice, the first line may be translated as “Training spirit and body”, i.e.. making not only the body strong through the many repetitions of years of continuous practice, but also strengthening the spirit to be able to tackle the most difficult tasks, both physical, mental, and also spiritual.
The second line combines with the word for defense, mamaru. Hence the total meaning is defense with body or the blocking and attacking method of the Karate-jutsu, and more importantly the ability to avoid fighting even when it means walking away from the insult or some other difficult situation. In other words, defense with the spirit, or in rough approximation, courtesy.
The third line builds us up to the most important and difficult of the three concepts, Character and Etiquette. Tadasu means to make straight and so the literal translation of this is “Make a straight spirit and a straight body”. In other words, to correct and perfect the very way in which each individual thinks and acts on a moral basis, as determined by his society and religion.
Content provided by the Okinawan Karate Club of Dallas