06/17/2026
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法剛柔呑吐
This is a well-known motto in Goju-Ryu Karate from Kempo Hakku and is often translated as:
"The principles of hard and soft are expressed through breathing."
Character by character:
法 (Hō) – law, principle, method, way
剛 (Gō) – hard, strong, firm
柔 (Jū) – soft, yielding, flexible
呑 (Don) – inhale, swallow in
吐 (To) – exhale, spit out
It reflects one of Miyagi's core principles: effective karate combines both hard and soft techniques, tension and relaxation, force and yielding, all coordinated through proper breathing.