[Excerpt - MQ Magazine, October 2005 - Linked Above]
There is a strong affinity between the philosophy of Shotokan Karate and Freemasonry, and this led to the formation in 2002 of the Shotokan Karate Lodge No. 9752, which is made up predominantly – but not exclusively – of brethren with a past or present interest in martial arts.
The principles and tenets of the Craft ever bear a near affinity to those practised by instructors and students of Shotokan Karate in their dojos – martial arts training centres – and their daily lives.
If ever there was a physical and spiritual activity in total harmony with the objectives of Freemasonry, then it is surely Shotokan Karate. Both Art and Craft have been enriched by the formation of the Lodge which, by its very nature, ensures that brotherly love, relief and truth are practised daily beyond the temple door, and in ways that bring credit to the movement, the Lodge and its members.
Fraternally, Philip Carter / Facebook / Great is Truth and mighty above all things (I Esdras 4:41)
Very few of us have ever thought of the combative nature of Freemasonry, nor have others ever thought of the contemplative teachings and morality of the Martial Arts; or even compared the tools or instruments of the two organizations.
Just as the working instruments of the operative masons (square, level, plumb rule, chisel, mallet, etc.) became the symbols of morality to speculative masons, so too do the modern instruments of the Martial Arts (KATAN or sword, SAI or forks, NANCHAKU or chain with wood dowels attached) whose operative origins came from the need for self preservation, the handling of sheaves of grain or bales of hay and for the hand threshing of grain, respectively, became the symbols, in modern times, of inner reflections and morality.