By Fátọ́lá Abdullahi...

A Martial Art icon and mentor, Sensei Paschal MacBrown, founder of Kishikan-Ryu Martial Arts college Lagos, in his thanks speech delivered on the April 16, 2016 birthday celebration organized by students of the college, charged his students to abide by the principles guiding Shito-Ryu karate (a martial art style taught in the college) capable of grooming reputable leaders, fit in mind and body. He made them realise that the general saying of the public that leaders are born is untrue, revealing that leaders are made and not born.

Kishikan-Ryu Martial Arts college, in proximity to 30 years of its existence, has its pledge begin with, "To train both mind and body..." which nullifies the perception of non-martial artists who believe the art is all about training to fight on the street. According to Sensei MacBrown, self-defense can be broken down into three (3) parts, ability to sense a problem and avert it, the display of self-control by walking out of a fight and finally, protecting yourself and your neighborhood from danger when all alternatives have been exhausted.

Sensei MacBrown also revealed to his students that bad leadership most time has its symptoms originate from the lack of mental fitness. Shito-Ryu karate-do, a karate style practiced in the college, trains mental, moral and physical abilities of human.

Shito-Ryu Karate-do was founded by Master Kenwa Mabuni, who he and his contemporaries decided to change the translation of 'karate', initially known to be 'Tangte' meaning 'Chinese fist', already in existence far back 4th and 5th Centuries B.C., to "karate-do" meaning "the way of Empty hands". Master Mabuni derived Shito-Ryu from first kanji characters in the names of his grand masters, Ankō Yasutsune Itosu and Higashionna Kanryō with "Shi" for Higashionna and "To" for Itosu.

We can however deduce that there are some general principles you will find common in virtually all martial art styles or branches that is worth building articulate and reputable leaders here in Nigeria and across the world.

Humility, Modesty, ability to persevere, self-control and Indomitable spirit, are principles Martials Arts work with, and we can vividly tell that these principles can help distinguish between leaders ready to pursue visions that won't "...intimidate, oppress or threaten the existence of humanity" as enshrined in the Kishikan-Ryu Martial Arts college's pledge, and leaders with visions capable of hurting the society they govern, making the followers who gave them the mandate to lead regret their decisions.

Source:
https://ibadanelite./2016/04/24/martial-arts-build-leaders-leadership-demands-mental-fitness-sensei-macbrown/