I realize that it is easy to be cynical and place no trust in this modern world of ours, but I remember reading about Arthurian legends when I was a boy. The tales of knights and their heroic deeds captured my imagination. Fantasies about adventure, protecting the weak, and “using might for right” appealed to me. Perhaps, my interest in Martial Arts and police work was borne from those early seeds. It may seem corny to say, but taking an oath and having your badge of office pinned on your chest made one feel like a modern knight. Receiving a black belt requires adherence to another knightly code, a Japanese one in this case.

Steve Weber

As I mentioned last month, the first of the seven virtues in this warrior’s code is rectitude.

Simply put, rectitude means to make right decisions and accompany them with right actions.

In Japanese culture, an honorable man uses correct judgment in his dealings with others. Justice requires courage to right a wrong. Moral propriety, uprightness, decency, goodness, and probity are all synonyms of rectitude. Having the integrity to keep one’s principles incorruptible leads to respect and the recognition of good character.

Mr. Weber is the chief instructor at the Aikido Academy of Self-Defense located at 16134 North Oracle Road, in Catalina. He has more than 40 years of experience in the Martial Arts and has achieved skills in a variety of disciplines. He also teaches Tai-Chi with classes on Wednesday from 11 a.m. to noon and Saturday from 9 to 10 a.m.

Please call (520) 825-8500 for information regarding these and other programs. If you wish, check out the website at www.AikidoAcademyOfArizona.com.