shijū ichi 始 終 一

Literal meaning:

• 始 (shi), beginning
• 終 (jū), end
• 一 (ichi), one

Taken together, the phrase points to a single, unbroken continuity from beginning to end. The start and the finish are not separate. They are held within one line, one mind, one action.

This idea appears often in Zen and in martial traditions, even when the exact phrase varies. You may know the fuller expression 始終一貫 (shijū ikkan), meaning consistency from start to finish. Here, the calligrapher has stripped the idea down further, removing explanation and leaving only the spine of the thought.

In practice, this speaks directly to budō, kata, and daily discipline. A movement is already complete at its start. The bow, the first step, the final posture, all belong to the same act. There is no rushing toward the end and no attachment to the beginning.

Visually, the brushwork reinforces the message. The strokes are confident but not decorative. The spacing is generous, allowing each character to breathe. This is not meant to impress. It is meant to remind.

Placed in a tokonoma or dōjō, this scroll quietly instructs without words. Begin correctly. Continue without wavering. Finish as you began. All of it is one.