the purpose of Traditional Karate
The purpose remains tied to the historical, anthropological, and philosophical framework of Okinawan society, but has universal meaning which transcends time and nation. Karate combines methods of defense with moral obligation. Most importantly, it aims to provide its practitioners with the tools for understanding the self and negotiating any situation.The roots of traditional Karate developed in Okinawa during the sixteenth century during a time when a new centralized government, in an attempt to end civil war, prohibited the use of weapons. Patrick McCarthy's historical work Koryu Uchinadi: Ancient Okinawan Martial Arts explains that Okinawan aristocrats devised their own eclectic fighting methods influenced largely by Chinese gongfu in order to defend themselves during this time of uncertainty (McCarthy, 93). Over time, law enforcement officials systematized and codified these self-defense methods, and passed along this knowledge from father to son or to only a select few students. Karate, a system of "empty hand" defense, grew out of political and social need and was perpetuated through family and clan connections.Traditional Karate requires the practice of formal kata and today is passed from Sensei to student through kata. As described by Miyamoto Musashi in his Book of Five Rings, the teacher is the needle and the disciple is the thread. One must practice ceaselessly (Musashi, 14). Although Musashi was a member of Japan's samurai class, his philosophy mirrors the student/ teacher connection necessitated in Okinawan Karate. Kata have been patterned after real life battles in which blood was shed and lives were lost. In Traditional Karate, purpose lies in delving into these kata, learning their stances, techniques, and complex meanings, and keeping them alive from generation to generation. Dave Lowry translates the pictograph of "Kata" to mean "the architecture of meaning" in his book Sword and Brush, the Spirit of the Martial Arts (Lowry, 27). Lowry compares the practice and study of kata to the illumination of the recesses of a room - study reveals the textures and subtleties of Karate, and of the inner self. Traditional Okinawan Karate practitioners, as with the best Chinese and Japanese military strategists and martial artists, were, and are, bound by moral obligations. The purpose of Karate lies in defense. Bubishi, detailing Monk Fist and White Crane gongfu, is touted as a "manual of military prevention" in Patrick McCarthy's translation. Karate giants Funakoshi Gichin, Higashionna Kanryo, Miyagi Chojun, and Mabuni Kenwa were all influenced by this anonymous Chinese work (McCarthy, 23). Likewise, the ultimate victory, according to the Chinese classic Art of War, is one in which no force is used (Kaufman, 27). The most valued traits of the samurai warrior included not just veracity, courage, and loyalty, but also sincerity of heart, and benevolence of soul. The first principle listed in Musashi's epilogue to The Book of Water states: Do not harbor sinister designs (Musashi, 16). Likewise, Funakoshi's Karate-Do, My Way of Life admonishes us to be mindful of courtesy, etiquette, and to avoid fighting if at all possible (Funakoshi, 112). karate teaches how to maim or kill. Yet, the empty hand of Karate must never cause harm.The ultimate goal of the Traditional Karate practitioner is to take the self-reliance, discipline, and moral responsibility fostered by training, and apply this to everything that we do. The 'way' of Karate-Do is open to anyone willing to do so. Funakoshi's writing reminds us that the challenge is to: "remain not master over others, but over ourselves" (Funakoshi, 115). True power comes not from domination, but from self-knowledge.'Empty hands' should nurture within us clear minds, strong wills, and hearts empty of the need to injure or destroy. thus, kata should not only illuminate techniques and foster spontaneous responses, but should also encourage inner reflection. We should not only be prepared to bow to karate teachers and classmates, but also to everyone that crosses our paths - everyone has something to teach us. We fight with ferocity in the dojo but take care not to injure our competitors. We must defend ourselves when threatened but no more than we must in order to escape safely. Traditional Karate's purpose brings us to a deeper understanding of self, and teaches us to respond with spontaneity and responsibility to any and every situation.Certainly, Karate teaches self-defense and self-reliance and is perpetuated through the transmission of technique and form from Sensei to student. Likewise, Traditional Karate serves to create a safe society of morally responsible, and responsive people. Most importantly, Karate teaches the invaluable mastery of self. Karate's purpose remains as essential today as it ever has been. As long as road-rage is accepted as normal, domestic violence deemed commonplace, and school shootings viewed as a regular news bite, society needs all of the presence of mind, strength of spirit, and abundance of compassion that it can find.