I was lucky enough to attend a tea ceremony at the grand opening of a friend’s karate dojo this past weekend. It was a beautiful ceremony, and the perfect way to cap off the day. But what do karate and the traditional Japanese tea ceremony have in common?

Lots, as it turns out.

The Real Value is Beneath the Surface

At face value, someone on the outside looking in would think karate is all about fighting and the tea ceremony (called “chado” in Japanese) is all about serving tea.

If that’s where your exploration of those arts stops, you’ve missed 99.9% of the value of each.

I could go on forever about the other values of karate, but let me give you one parallel between the two to get you thinking. When you take a closer look at either art, you begin to realize that both place a heavy emphasis on refinement. That refinement applies to the motions and movements of the art, as well as to the character of its students.

In karate, we practice basic blocks, punches, kicks and stances over and over and over again. Why? Refinement. Practice makes perfect. In our dojo, we have a set of core values hanging on the front wall; values like honour, respect, integrity, courage and compassion. Why? Same answer, except that in this case the refinement applies to the person. We work to uphold those values in our daily lives, even when it’s tough – especially when it’s tough.

The same goes for chado. The tea ceremony has a very specific series of motions, and very specific placements for the various implements used during the ceremony. These movements aren’t random by any means – each is specifically taught and learned, and the goal is to refine those movements and, through them, the character of the participants.

Speaking of the movements, let’s dive a little deeper there…

No Wasted Movements

Every movement has meaning, in both karate and chado. When punching in karate, we’re taught to pull our other hand back to our ribs in a fist. This motion helps to generate power, but it also trains our body for the necessary motion to grab and hold another person’s limb. The same goes for stances. Some stances look and feel strange at first, until you realize that they’re designed to facilitate a takedown.

In chado, one of the first steps of the ceremony is to pull out a handkerchief and snap it horizontally, making a soft “cracking” sound. Like the other steps of the process, this isn’t for show; it’s to signify the beginning of the ceremony. The same goes for the way the bowl of tea is handed to the other person. It is very specifically handed over with the design side (the bowls are usually decorated in some way) facing the recipient, and done so with a bow of respect.

These arts have evolved and transformed over hundreds of years, and the movements that have survived as long as they have are there for a reason.

Kimochi (Intent) is everything

In karate, even the untrained eye can immediately notice the difference between someone punching lackadaisically versus someone punching with force and intent. One looks lazy and sloppy, while the other looks focused, polished and impactful.

That intent is known as “kimochi,” but what I think many people miss is that kimochi doesn’t just apply to striking. For example, kimochi plays just as significant a role in chado as it does in karate. Just as there are no wasted movements, there also must be an intent that accompanies each one. The intent is just different in chado.

I’m no expert in chado, but I know kimochi when I see it. The best way I can describe it is that there is a certain care placed in every moment, a deep sense of respect for the process that you can see in the participant’s eyes and feel in their soul. If the kimochi isn’t there, you won’t get any of that.

I think once you understand this, you can see kimochi in any art, even those of non-Japanese origin. In dancing, we might call it emoting, and in music we call it soul. These are all part of the same concept.

Wrapping it Up

Ok, one last parallel: the founder of Shotokan karate, Gichin Funakoshi, was responsible for adding two very important letters to the end of karate: “do,” meaning “way” or “path.” This suffix is present at the end of both chado and karate-do, and it hints at the true value of these arts. They hold value that extends beyond the art, to the betterment of those studying them.

Saying that karate is only about fighting and that chado is only about pouring tea is like saying that going to a Michelin star restaurant is about getting vitamins and minerals, or that driving a Ferrari is about getting from point A to point B.

Like Transformers, when it comes to these arts, there’s more than meets the eye.