Why Should One Do Karate
Besides these obvious physical benefits that may be derived from the practice
of karate, there are other deeper reasons and the purpose of this article is to present these multiple benefits in an effort
to encourage more and more people to take up the study of this noble martial art.
Let us deal first with the purely physical aspect. Karate is a superior method for attaining
maximal physical fitness. It offers the student a systematic form of exercise for the entire body to provide total body conditioning,
cardiovascular stamina, muscle tone, and flexibility. Karate training is not reserved strictly for the machismo of men but
may be taken up by women, children and the elderly, where practice is adapted to suit their own pace, gradually building their
bodies and developing their technical skill. In the modern age of television, video games and Nintendo, karate especially
offers children the perfect vehicle for getting rid of passive exercise and encouraging them to become active. Karate training
teaches children what it means to push their bodies to the limit and keeps them limber and balanced.
An important feature of karate practice is that no specific area, equipment or partners are
necessary. Living rooms, gardens, garages and corridors all serve admirably for general karate practice. And, with the possible
exceptions only of gymnastics and ballet, no other form of exercise fully develops neuromuscular co-ordination. The kata alone
present major challenges to learn and master, while kihon and kumite aid in bilateral body development without favouring the
left at the expense of the right, and vice versa.
Now let us examine the deeper meanings behind karate-do and how they may benefit the
student.
• The physical benefits of karate training soon becomes obvious, but unlike
other sports, karate cannot be mastered in a short period of time but must be studied for many years. It requires an adherence
to strict discipline, courtesy and good manners, values particularly relevant to children. It requires patience and a calm
mind, both of which foster the development of self-control.
• Practised correctly and sincerely, karate training offers a return
to traditional values that modern Western society appears to forget. Karate-do is firmly rooted in Confucianism, which holds,
among other things, certain virtues as most important: loyalty, faith in friendship, respect for elders, and respect for hierarchy.
Students must submit themselves to the leadership and knowledge of the instructor, and must
perform a task called "rei". Rei may be defined as "the actions people must follow when interacting with others so that social
order is maintained: a ceremonial gesture used to express respect to others; gifts or words to carry feeling of appreciation
to others".
The most literal English interpretation of rei is to bow and it is sometimes equated to a handshake.
But the bow signifies more than a congenial greeting. It is an integral part of the Japanese cultural view of respect for
one another, an act of humility, aimed at developing in us a respect for all people. Karate-do thus fosters a spirit of co-operation
in the dojo which in turn influences daily living.
• Karate training is invaluable in helping people to overcome difficult
emotional obstacles. In the dojo the student is confronted with all sorts of people at close range, particularly during kumite
training where there is always an element of danger. The opponent may be weak or strong, aggressive or timid, but the student
has no choice in the selection of his training partner and he is forced to deal with whomever he faces up to. The only escape
is to quit but by staying the course and never giving in, one learns to deal with these different opponents and to protect
oneself from them. This direct association on the dojo floor develops self-confidence, enabling one to come to terms with
and mange the stresses of daily interpersonal relationships outside of the dojo.
• Coupled with this is the concept of zanshin, meaning "continuing
awareness" and in the dojo it means "never take your eyes off your opponent". A good example of zanshin in everyday life is
that of a nurse. She is never intrusive on her patients but she is ever vigilant, alert to their every need, able to react
quickly to a given situation and to make the right decisions for their protection.
In karate zanshin develops alertness with a calm mind so that one may move quickly and forcefully.
Over time and with regular training, practising techniques repeatedly, the student arrives at the point of taitoku, the mastering
of the essentials through experience. The point is that there can be no growth in karate after a short spell. It is not a
form of recreation or play. Only long treadmill years of painful training and ritual will afford the student a proper insight
into the art. Good instructors will teach their students that ten years of training is only a beginning. They will put their
students through hard physical and mental training in order to stimulate the development of taitoku, which in turn helps the
student to refine not only his technique but also the virtues of courage, humility and integrity.
• Finally, karate training aims to develop moral character. The founder
of modern karate-do, Gichin Funakoshi, emphasised the spiritual rather than the physical aspects of training and distilled
his philosophy into one broad statement:
The ultimate aim of the art of karate lies not in victory or
defeat, but in the perfection of the character of its participants.
