Why Study Karate?

"Do your best as long as you can. You won't be disappointed." 

- Master Ron Chapél

Why does anyone study karate anymore? In this modern age, with modern challenges and modern weapons, what value can there be in training in an ancient form of unarmed combat? What value is there, in a world of guns, in training in the techniques of the warriors of a world of swords and axes? Why would a modern man or woman spend their time practicing and perfecting a skillset that some think was rendered obsolete hundreds of years ago?

The answer is not simple, and it is not singular. For some, karate is a tool for self protection, like a can of mace or a home security system. You learn enough to defend yourself in a violent encounter with a predator, and then you are done with it. Like learning how to change a tire on a car or program a video cassette recorder, karate is nothing more than a basic skill that they acquire. They aren't going to become mechanics or engineers, but they know how to kick someone in the groin, and run and scream for help. And that is why they learned some karate.

For others, it is a sport. Karate players compete for victory or awards and compare their performances of different kata and engage in block and strike point fighting and the purpose is to “win.” Winning is important, not because it reflects the possible outcome in a real combat environment, but simply for its own sake. Because winning is the “goal.” They learn karate, and practice karate, so that they can continue to compete at a high level with other people who learn karate and practice karate for the same reason.

There is a third group of people for whom karate is a social experience. It is like belonging to a club and they can hang out with a group of people who all share a similar hobby, and they can discuss their separate opinions on the focal subject. They show up to class early and they hang out afterwords and during training time they talk about their lives and the things that are on their minds. They train so that they can train with others, and they advance with their friends who do karate because they do it all together.

Some people view karate as a spiritual practice. They ritualize the physical training, and focus on the mental discipline and meditative practices of their arts. In some less common cases they may even include elements of ancestor worship and “enshrine” former Masters for either tributary or religious purposes. The pursuit of technical perfection is not for the purpose of application, but because the pursuit itself is a form of spiritual cleansing and improvement. Karate is a path to enlightenment, and the practice is a vehicle for transcendence.

For some, karate is a hobby. Like collecting butterflies or building model airplanes, karate is for the hobbyist a strange mix of escapism and obsession. As an avocation karate is a leisure activity for these students. They enjoy the physicality of the practice, the aesthetic trappings of the art, and the traditions and culture of the karate school. They come to class and train outside the school because it is something fun to do in their free time.

Then there are others who do karate for fitness. Maybe they don't find running stimulating or they don't have the equipment for weight lifting. Maybe they find that after they left school, it was more and more difficult to find time in their day to engage in pure physical activity. For whatever reason, instead of joining an athletic club or a gym they chose to join a karate school. They practice to get their sweat up, they train to build and tone muscle, and they supplement their karate liberally with calisthenics and aerobic exercise. They train to stay healthy and get stronger, and they keep training to maintain their fitness level.

Some do karate for the discipline. Often, when they bring their children to karate schools, one of the most important things parents are looking for is for their child to “learn discipline.” Committing to the rigorous and repetitive training necessary to succeed in karate requires the practitioner to focus his mind and return again and again to the hard work of actually doing it, despite the challenge and because of the task. They practice because the act of training the body is a method by which they learn to strengthen their will.

Finally, there are those who turn the practice of training in karate into a Way. For them, it is more than any one thing, there is more than one motivation and more than any one goal. Karate isn't just hobby, or mental practice, or athletic activity, or physical performance. Karate is a path, leading throughout one's life. It guides and informs the practitioner, not only in the ways of violence, but more importantly in a method to achieve success in all things. The “secret” to karate is that hard work and dedication are rewarded with accomplishment. The lessons of karate; establish a solid base, stay fluid and be ready to adapt, avoid conflict and be judicious in your use of strength, all apply to more than just fighting. The mental and physical discipline leads to a long and healthy life. The focus on constant and unending improvement drives the practitioner to do more, to be better, in every facet of his life. Karate is not just “a thing to do when you aren't doing anything else.” Karate becomes the thing you are always doing. The thing that everything else is influenced by. Karate becomes everything, at all times, because the practitioner realizes the great lesson of the practice.

You will never understand all of karate. It will take all of your life to learn it, and even if you could live ten thousand years you could not know every part of it. We do not train in karate to Master it. We train in karate to master ourselves. Because ultimately, all of us will only ever train for a short time in a small way. If you train your whole life your motivations will probably change and evolve over time, but whether you train for fitness, or as a hobby, or because you revere the old Masters your training will always improve you. It will always make you stronger, and healthier, and more capable. In the end, we train in karate because it makes us better. 

Every step down the Way of the martial arts is a step forward. And because the Way has no end, there is no limit to how far you can go.

Drills -

Beginner: Practice your karate with an aim towards improving your physical performance. Get faster. Improve your flexibility. Develop your core strength. The more you improve your health and fitness, the more karate you will be able to do. As each of us age, our bodies will begin to corrupt and fail. Work on developing your physical abilities now, and you will live longer and more fully.

Intermediate: Develop your mental discipline. Practice your patterns again and again. Focus on perfecting the movements. Train through the exhaustion and pain. Train until you want to give up, and then force yourself to confront the frustration and the fear and then overcome it. Discipline your body and you will discipline your mind.

Advanced: Apply the lessons of karate to your life outside of the studio. When you are confronted with adversity, practice perseverance. When you are confronted with aggression, step off the line of attack. When you are weak, appear strong. You are not only learning about kicking and punching. If you choose, you are learning about life.