What KARATE means to me

By Sempai Evan Roberts

Karate is the ultimate of the unarmed Martial Arts. The word Karate means empty hands, Kara - empty, te (pronounced tay) - hands; therefore empty hands, or without a weapon. Actually the hands, elbows, feet, and other parts of the body are the, karateka's (persons) weapons. Karate specializes in striking blows, such as kicking, punching, clawing, chopping, stabbing, and gouging techniques, along with a few locking, breaking, throwing and choking techniques which are used in instances where it is more practical to throw, lock, break or choke, than deliver a strike or blow.

Karate is made up of a lot of different things, not only is it self-defence, but there are numerous other benefits to karate as well.

Self-defence: Karate teaches self-defence with its strong sense of not only awareness, but also creating agility and fitness. It also promotes discipline, guidance, strength, sense of purpose and a great way of life.

Awareness: Awareness, this is surely one of the most important aspects of karate in its truest form, to be able to see all around and taking in and analysing your immediate surroundings. This is vital and karate helps you to achieve this quality.

Flexibility: Flexibility is a great element of being able to move quickly away from situations that require quick reflexes, the faster you move the less likely you would be hit and the more likely you can retaliate with a hold or inflict a painful strike to ward off your attacker.

Fitness: is highly on the list not only for better cardiovascular, but also helps build stamina and endurance that may be required if or when you may have to fight off more than one opponent. It is also healthier for the mind as well.

Friendship: Friendship always brings out the best in people as in most types of sports, but karate is special in this way. It is special because although a competitive edge is nearly always there, a special comradeship or bond normally develops.

Either by helping or guiding each other, this generally shows. Strengths and weaknesses will also be brought out and hopefully all your weaknesses will be built into strengths.

Achievement: Your achievements from the start of your first involvement with karate will always improve with your learning of self-defence and of course self esteem. From learning the basic skills like blocks, punches and kicks, into the more difficult manoeuvres of takedowns, grappling and holds. The fact is you will always gain a much better understanding and accomplish a great deal, the more you strive to achieve.

Learning: When I chose the path of karate, my choice to better myself was always in front of me. When I start to learn things, sometimes it seems to be very hard and often my life dictated what or when I did it. The path of a true karateka will always help in our every day life. The more I learnt, the easier I dealt with other problems, such as mental and physical stress, the way I see and feel about other people. Your every day thoughts will take on a new meaning. You as a student will never stop learning about different attitudes in your approach to a better life with karate. Your new book of learning will be endless. While I was doing my training, I often thought that when I achieved my Shodan grading that I would slow down on things to learn, but I was totally wrong, it was like always being in the same room and never knowing what was available to me. When I passed that level, the door burst open and there I found many other doors that must be opened. I have started to open one at a time and am viewing them in awe. The thing is you will never close the book on karate; there is so much to learn.

Sensei: (Master) Your guiding light, a person who always strives for perfection, someone who is always there to help you through your toughest moments and your triumphs. They are someone who devotes all their time and energy to their students to make them a better karateka. A true mechanic with the different components-of karate.

Kata: Kata is training method used in teaching karatedo. It is a sequence or series of movements, which include blocking, evading and countering techniques that are used against one or more imaginary armed or unarmed opponents. The study of Kata looks at different elements, such as power, awareness, speed and breath control which all focuses on the application or bunkai of each technique. All Kata should be learned and taught seriously and all movements should be clearly understood. Kata should be done in your own style with smooth actions and good balance. You should never hurry Kata, just keep calm and let it flow. Often students doing kata fail to see its importance, they get too caught up in just getting it finished.

You need to understand that on a purely physical level, Kata forms the principle and teachings of your karate. In creating Kata, the masters in the past didn't say "I'm going to invent a Kata to which we will learn fighting techniques", Kata came the other way around, they were made into a series of movements through which the techniques could be practiced and perfected.

Bunkai: Bunkai means application. All techniques have hidden applications, for example a block becomes a strike becomes a capture becomes a lock, the wealth of possible combinations are endless. Always try to keep your bunkai simple but effective.

The importance you should understand is that karate is not just a fighting system consisting of a seemingly endless supply of techniques, which can be taught and learned rote fashion, (doing but not understanding). True Karatedo leads the practitioner who seeks to learn and better not only their life, but also that of others, to seek higher fulfillment of the human spirit and potential. Enlightenment can be achieved by traveling many pathways. However, for those of us studying the martial arts, the conscientious practice of Karate offers great opportunities for personal growth and development, but only if we are willing to extend ourselves and reach beyond the purely physical aspects.

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