"I have been asked by a good number of people about the symbolism of the Shotokan Tiger.
The Tiger symbol stands for the strength and the power of Karate-Do and the circle represents the self-discipline which controls that power.
The philosophy of Karate-Do demands that the more powerful and effective our Karate turns out to be, the more important the mental control over that power becomes. This philosophy must be reflected in the teaching of our Karate. The most obvious example of that teaching philosophy can be seen in the teaching of KUMITE with Zanshin Shotokan where we have a powerful execution of Karate-Waza followed by breathing technique which simultaneously includes a mental control exercise."
Sensei Frank F. Nowak |
