七転び八起き

Nanakorobi yaoki

Fall down seven times, stand up eight.

I rather prefer the rendering my sensei has always used, and which forms the title of the book of his time studying the martial arts: "Seven times down, eight times up". I re-read it - for the empty-somethingth time. It is mostly made up of excerpts from the many letters he wrote home to his wife during the six months he trained in Japan in 1967. It is always such an inspiring read, I feel like jumping up there and then to do a few hours of kata.

On top of it is my old Chidokan karate membership book from back in the 70s and 80s.