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Submitted by i-Budo member Faryn Sand of New York city
On September 11th, 2006, see the world unite as one strong and intense global community for Universal Harmony Day 2006!
Not only are we joining the existing nationwide movement to transform this day of mourning into a day of giving back to humanity, we are also expanding it. This vast project will unite the world at large, and will dedicate itself to everyone in every country who is either incarcerated by his or her own suffering, or is suppressed by others. The first in a series of annual televised events that will document the philanthropic efforts of martial artists everywhere, Universal Harmony Day 2006 will reach literally the entire world via live broadcast and pre-filmed footage; in the spirit of true martial arts philosophy, it will focus on protecting and enhancing the lives of society’s children, as well as senior citizens and any fellow human being who seeks respite from grief. Together, individuals across the globe will concentrate the consistent human desire to impact society into one unforgettable, historic day.
We invite and strongly encourage you to take part in this unprecedented event, and we ask you to remember that your actions are not confined to the present! What will define the state of humanity in ten years from now? In twenty? This might seem an impossible question, but in fact the answer is rudimentary: the future of the human condition depends on your actions now. True action, after all, is timeless, for it has the incredible ability to transcend the synthetic and illusionary divides between “past,” “present,” and “future.” That is, with enough passion, intensity, and drive, on Universal Harmony Day 2006—and on this day every year thereafter—your actions will possess the power even to reshape the past and, unquestionably, to redefine the future. Help give birth to the tradition that will outlive us all!
"If ever there was a man serious about the future of mankind, and particularly our children, that man is Sensei John.” (Bill Beutel, ABC News). Mr. Beutel, one of many celebrities to train under the instruction of Sensei John P. Mirrione, Jr.—owner of New York City’s Harmony By Karate school—was also one of many high-profile participants (along with Kathleen Turner, Luc Robitaille, and Z-100’s Eliot Segal) to offer their support when in 1997 Sensei Mirrionecreated, organized, and facilitated the first Universal Harmony Day, a highly successful philanthropic event that took place in New York City and aimed to heighten awareness and collect money to fight child abuse. Now, Good Will Ambassador to World Black Belt and Universal Harmony Day 2006 director for New York City, Sensei Mirrione is expanding his vision. Like the original event, Universal Harmony Day 2006 will unite all willing human beings in their efforts of philanthropy, genuine kindness, and utter humanity. This time, however, it will be bigger.
World Black Belt, whose Founding Members include Bob Wall, Chuck Norris, Don “The Dragon” Wilson, along with many other media and martial arts icons, are already preparing to participate in the new Universal Harmony Day. Special events will take place in major cities throughout the world. No matter where you live, though, if you are doing something to help others in the spirit of Universal Harmony, we want to know about it! We will therefore be accepting letters, emails, photographs, and videos, which will be posted on WorldBlackBelt.com for worldwide access.
So join the fight to unite and get involved as some of the biggest names and biggest hearts in the martial arts take the world by storm!
The Philosophy
The philosophy of Universal Harmony—which advocates discovering the true self as a way to achieve genuine, indiscriminant accepting of and caring for all others—is an underlying theme of all traditional arts of self-defense, and binds the mosaic world of martial arts. Today, numerous and diverse art forms and self-defense systems abound but, regardless of differences in technique and approach, or the diverging of certain styles from their original form, all true martial arts remain united in their ultimate pursuit to unite. Shorinjiryu Karatedo is one such example, for it has retained its characteristic spirit through sixty years of evolution.
1946: Shorinjiryu Karatedo Emerges
In the mid-twentieth century, Japanese karatedo master Dr. Kori Hisataka, merged the ancient fighting system of the Chinese Buddhist monks, called Shorinji Kenpo, with Okinawan karate. The amalgamation of these two systems yielded a new style: Shorinjiryu Kenkokan Karatedo. Shinan Hisataka wanted to emphasize the importance and necessity of individuality in the martial arts, and used his Shorinjiryu Karatedo system as a medium for this message. His motto, “Spiritual Development of Individuality in Mind and Body” indicated that each student not only could have, but must have, his own way; through karate’s spiritual training, then, students would develop a oneness with the self that would allow them better to understand their own abilities and limitations—both mental and physical. This theory was progressive for its time, as it not only acknowledged, but insisted, that there was in fact more than one correct “way”.
In 1964, at the World’s Fair in Queens, New York, Dr. Kori Hisataka’s students participated in what was the first Japanese government-sponsored martial arts demonstration in the country, and officially brought Shorinjiryu to the United States. Today, Shorinjiryu employs traditional techniques, katas, and kumites, while also evolving techniques characteristic of the style (e.g., the vertical punch), and incorporates punching, kicking, and grappling into a thorough system of self-defense. As Dr. Kori Hisataka intended, it demands all the realism of full-contact schools (Students fight bare-handed and use chest protectors that allow for complete execution of techniques.), while simultaneously denouncing violence; this ensures a comfortable training environment that prepares students for real situations. Shorinjiryu Karatedo is a spiritually progressive style that, physically, is both safe and challenging.
1994: The Harmony By Karate School Opens
Motivated by the need for self-defense at a young age, Sensei John P. Mirrione began his training with his father, Shihan John A. Mirrione, who founded a school of Shorinjiryu Karatedo in 1979. He received his black belt at age nineteen and, in 1990, grateful for and inspired by twenty-five rewarding years of training under the guidance of his own father, opened his own school in Ridgefield, New Jersey. Although he had to leave that endeavor after being called upon as an Airforce reservist to serve in Operation Desert Storm, upon his return Sensei Mirrione decided to realize his vision for a unique and progressive karate school.
Three decades after Shorinjiryu Karatedo had first come to the United States, Sensei Mirrione earned his Harmony By Karate school a place in the prestigious Reebok Sports Club/NY when, upon being questioned as to why he desired to teach at their location, he responded, “Because the members of your club are the leaders of society. If I want to make a positive impact on society, I need to teach them.” And make a positive impact, he did. Sensei Mirrione’s Universal Harmony Day in 1997 was one of the most large-scale and publicized martial arts events geared toward philanthropy ever to take place.
From 1997 to 2000, he also appeared on the Z-100 morning show once per week to discuss his Philosophy of the Week, using the media to offer positive insight and perspective to society. Most recently, Sensei Mirrione has even further indulged his belief in Universal Harmony and vision for unification by accepting the role of Good Will Ambassador to the renowned World Black Belt organization, as well as New York City’s director for Universal Harmony Day 2006. These new endeavors will allow Sensei Mirrione better to realize his dream of transforming Universal Harmony Day into a permanent and pivotal part of a new human culture.
2006: Universal Harmony Day II—Televised!
It’s going to span the globe. And it’s going to have heart.
It’s going to be the biggest televised event in martial arts history! On September 11th, 2006, World Black Belt and Sensei John Mirrione, the creator of the event, will sponsor the second Universal Harmony Day, this time a worldwide live broadcast and documentary on the philanthropic activities of martial arts schools throughout the world! This undertaking will mark the commencement of the new annual Universal Harmony Day; it is a project that will commence now and grow indefinitely. One day in the near future, every martial artist in the world will participate in this celebration of humanity, forever transforming a day of human tragedy into a day of human grace—a positive worldwide experience reminding us of generosity, gratitude, and a fundamental human connection.
So join us as we instate a tradition that will redefine this decade, and will recreate the next century! Special events, which will be broadcast worldwide, will take place in New York, Los Angeles, Houston, and Toronto, as well as several other major cities to be announced, but no matter where you are, you can be a part of this revolutionary tradition that will endure. Remember: “Traveler, there is no path; paths are made by walking” (Antonio Machado). For every step you venture today, there is a footprint that materializes halfway into the next generation—because each single moment, without exception, is the beginning of a potentially new future.
That is what we will show the world on Universal Harmony Day 2006, when martial arts schools and individuals everywhere will have the opportunity to share their acts of good will, generosity, and love, and to show that not only has their training given them physical strength, but also strength of spirit. Join the fight to unite!
Universal Harmony Day
It’s The Event We’ve All Been Training For
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