What is Karate

Morally:

Karate is a discipline of both mind and body. It is not primarily a method with which to learn to fight, or give one a feeling of physical superiority over others. This attitude is purely egotistical and defies the way the Dai Ichi Karate Association is trying to teach karate.

True, karate is an excellent method of self-defense and can be used as such,but it is much more than that. It should serve to put the mind and body on a disciplined plane of awareness where the two forces of mind and body are in a delicate balance and remain sensitive to each other.

This sort of unification is a much more rewarding feeling than being able to think that you are able to beat up anyone because you know karate.

Physically:

Simply put, Shotokan karate is the application of the laws of Newtonian physics to physiology, with the restraint of economy of energy.

Ideally speaking, there should be no wasted energy in any motion or position.

Anything that breaks these laws is either an exception due to the necessity of the situation, or an error in form or tactics.

The way one learns to apply these principals to his practice is to always strive to do every move to his very best ability, and most efficient effort.The body will find the most efficient way to properly apply physics to it’s physiology by necessity. With the endurance of hard repetitive practice, the body will learn not to waste energy.

On the other hand, a good instructor will attend to the basics of the student and constantly correct his form and application of motion.

Mentally:

Karate is a complex “decision tree” of conditioned responses that have been trained into the somatic nervous system, creating a “reflex arc” of “specific motor outputs” for sensory inputs.(Wikipedia).

Depending upon many variables in the defender when the attack is perceived,such as balance, the location of the hands, the direction of the threat, the condition of the ground (ice, snow, gravel, elevator, aisle of an airliner) and a host of other conditions, a response will be drawn out of the mind that has been “burned” into it through repeated practice of basics,combinations, but mainly kata. Once that defensive move is begun, then the conditioned response will be followed to the conclusion of the encounter.Whether the conclusion ends in a counter attack, or just an evasion, or block will again depend upon the specific situation at hand.

This training of the mind will happen when the karate-ka has worked hard onkata for some time, and very importantly, has performed those kata with the proper mind set. So many are frivolous in doing kata. Others do their kata “academically”. They step through the kata, but there’s no determination, there is no intensity, there is no seriousness, there is no fighting spirit.

For many years, I have judged whether a karate-ka is black belt material by standing somewhere on the embusen when he performs kata, and waiting for them to “project” down the embusen where I stand. If they do not make my”hair stand on end” (so to speak) they are not black belt material in my opinion. I have seen some through the years that had beautiful physical movements, but their mental power was “flat”.

The most important practice, mentally, when doing kata is mu-shin – no mind.As time goes by the student who practices seriously will be able to switch from a rational, logical, thinking state of mind to the intuitive state of mu-shin in a instant.

I personally have practiced making that mental switch at the beginning and ending of every kata when moving from heisuko dachi to hachiji dachi whentaking the position of yoi, and back again at the end.

Mu-shin is that mind that will keep the defender from being overcome with fear in a tense encounter. It is mu-shin that enables the defender to see clearly what the attacker is doing, without being distracted by preconceived thoughts so that he can respond to it properly. It enables him to see through an attempt to fake one technique, to deceive the defender, so another technique can be successful.

It is not a passive state of mind, but rather a heightened state of awareness, instantly discarding any stimulus that is not relevant to the moment.

It is illustrated in Mr. Nishiyama’s book as mizu-no-kokro, tsuki-no-kokoro,and hen-o on page 20 of Karate The Art of Empty Hand Fighting.

Some of the characteristics of this level of ability are that the karate-kawill be more sensitive to his surroundings, noticing the approach of other people before they notice him.  He will no longer be startled by loud noises. As he grows in his mental discipline, his reactions will speed up tot he point where he will not react at all in a less than serious situation.

There are many acquaintances that like to play the game of  “I could’ve had you” by suddenly throwing a punch at the karate student,hoping to see him react to the simulated threat. In the beginning, he can get are action from the student. As the student grows in ability, diligent practice of kata will make him so perceptive of his surroundings that he will not react to non threat assaults. On the other hand, he will react to a real assault,that perhaps to a bystander does not appear to be so threatening, but is in truth a serious assault.

If the reader is interested, he can read two “mostly true” stories that illustrate this point. 

In summary, the key to karate mentally is correct repetition, over time,with the right frame of mind. However you practice will be “burned into your nervous system” (so to speak), and that is what will come out when itis called for. As the body ages, it will change, losing those physical attributes of youth: flexibility, speed, strength, and stamina. Even in old age, what has gone into the nervous system is still there as it has been trained there. All that is necessary for it to be used is for the nervous system to be acquainted with the “older model vehicle” that it is driving. The training in later years will not be as rigorous as in earlier years, but with regular practice, all those years of training will be available upon command. The nervous system will know that it is no longer driving a”hot rod”, and will compensate for the limitations of the older model. The older mind will increase in intuition, perception, timing, and wisdom, and will direct the “older model” to execute the techniques that it has practiced so many times with the same precision as it has performed them through the decades.

At Sierra Camp some years ago, Hanshi Cruz gave me a coffee cup that said”Karate is like boiling water.  If you do not heat it constantly, it will cool – Master Funakoshi”.

One note about practice, versus usage. Many have said through the years that”the way you practice, is what you will do when the time comes to use what you know. If you’ve trained yourself to pull your punches then you will pull your punches when there is a need for contact in a real self defense situation”. Through the years, that has not been my experience. All that needs to change from practice, to usage is “intent”. It requires al ot of fine tuned skill physically, and concentration mentally to properly judge the distance on a fully executed, extended, applied, and focused technique to avoid hitting the target by the small distance of two inches or less. It is a difficult thing to do, and requires practice to prevent unintentional,accidental contact on the target. On the other hand, all it takes to intentionally make contact on the target is just to “decide to do it”. Of course, that decision is easy to come to when one is attacked and forced into a position where one must defend oneself.

Spiritually:

In one simple statement I would say: “Karate is the study of the spirit of man”.

Karate is primarily a study of self, therefore, spiritually, the study of your own spirit. It is a discovery of who you are, and when that is known, what you will do. In the process of learning this, you will learn to read the spirits of other men.

Years ago I learned “an old Chinese proverb”

“Before one can know others, one must first know himself”.

It was many years before I heard that there was a second part to that proverb:

“Because when one knows himself, one will know others”.

The reason for this saying is because when one knows what he will do when placed in a certain situation, he can know what others will do in that same situation, because they will do the same thing that you would do.

For example, if someone throws a “hay maker” at your face, you will either dodge it, block it, or get hit by it.  That is also what the next guy will do.

Before the reader thinks that I have “gone off the deep end” let me give some rational references to my thinking from a source that is the final word on spiritual things: the Holy Bible. At the same time, let the reader understand that I am an unashamed Bible Believing Christian, but I do not write this article to speak to you about the Bible, but karate. If you want to discuss the Bible, contact me. I would be happy to talk to you about that subject.  In any case, let me voice a warning at this point. Any time you enter the realm of “spiritual things” you need to know that there are malevolent spirits that also operate on this turf that do not have your best interest at heart. You had better be careful.

Job 32:8 But there is a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding.

Proverbs 25:28 He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls.

1Corinthians 2:11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.

That last verse says that there is a spirit of a man in a man, and a man can know the things of that spirit. The reader should stop right here and think about what he has read so far.

We are not speaking here of religions, but that essence of man that lies within, beyond the mind and nervous system. The mind communicates with the spirit, and the spirit with the mind. “Who you are, and what you will do” will communicate with the mind to formulate the action, which willt hen be passed through the nervous system at 273 miles per hour and carried out by the muscles of the physical body. The spirit is the source of the will,(what you will do) and also the source of intuition. It plays a big part in perception if the mind is not blocking it by preconceived thoughts. When the mind is in a state of mu-shin, then the spirit is playing a major role in the activity, whether it be training, practice, or actual situation.

The reason so many never reach this point is that they are too frivolous physically, and especially mentally, in their practice of basics, combinations,and primarily kata. It is my belief that, in karate training, it is in kata where the first breakthrough to the spirit occurs. The serious karate-ka should practice on his own, with no one able to watch, doing his “dead level best”.  Any kind of “show off” is detrimental to the discovery of what lies within. One must practice past what the body says is enough. It must be the will of the man that dictates what he is going to do, and not just his passions(mental), or his fatigue (physical). After a time of this serious practice, the karate-ka will begin to discern the influence of his own spirit. He will begin to conduct himself according to what he believes is right, not because he is tired (physical), not because he is riled up (mental). Some might call this self discipline. It’s source is the spirit of the man.

As the karate-ka becomes acquainted with his own spirit, he will be able to read signals from other men’s spirits. It might be said that he reads their minds.  At least their immediate intentions in regard to the attack they are about to make.  All attackers project their intentions, if they are intent enough about what they are doing to not be frivolous. And you can read them, if you are sensitive and disciplined in your own spirit.

Among other things, that is what the kata Meikyo is about. The name of thekata is “To Polish the Mirror”. In times past I have heard the first move of Meikyo referred to a s “cleaning the mirror”. Mr. Nishiyama refers to this subject in his book Karate, The Art of Empty Hand Fighting under the paragraph on Psychological Principles.

The illustration is that when you come before a mirror, a clean mirror instantly reflects the object that is before it. Although the mirror isi nanimate, the spirit of man is not. If your spirit is like a mirror, then whatever comes into view, can be read, by reading it in the mirror of your own spirit. You will be able to read the attitude, and beyond that, the intentions of someone who directs themselves at you with “sincerity”. By that I mean that they are serious in their intentions.  In plain words: they really mean to hurt you.  The more aggressive their attitude, the louder they will broadcast.  Through the years several have told me “I just knew what he was going to do.  I don’t know how I knew, I just knew”.  They were reading the attacker’s mind, or more accurately,his spirit, or perhaps you prefer “his will”.  As you grow in your acquaintance with your own spirit, it will happen to you more often.

To some degree, we can experiment with this phenomenon in the kumites, if we have an attacker that can “put on a sincere attitude, maintaining only enough sanity to keep from really hurting the defender”.  This is the way I have phrased it for years.  I use the word “sincere”meaning: trying his best to put on an actual attitude, aggression, and intention of a real attacker.  Fighting spirit is part of this attitude,but fighting spirit is also present in the attitude of a defender, however inthe defender it is different. Of course, a real attacker is completely sincere.  He fully intends  to do you harm.  That’s what makes him what he is. 

Much can be learned in Ippon kihon kumite, specifically “the moment of attack”.  An extremely important piece of information.  When assaulted by a firearm, or a taser outside the distance of the defender’s”ma-ai” (effective range for technique),  the defender’s best hope may only be to evade at just the right moment.  That moment after the shooter’s will has said “go” (so to speak) and the shooter’s impulses are screaming through the nervous system from the brain to the trigger finger.

The reader should stop right here, and think about what has just been said in the first sentence of the paragraph above.

Once you have experimented here, then you can graduate to Ippon Jiyu Kumite,  and then what I call “advanced” Ippon Jiyu Kumite.  Then to “Five On One Kumite”.  In times past, we have performed this multiple opponent exercise with eighteen on one.  What we found was that five was the optimum number.  Only five opponents can get at the defender at once.  If you have six opponents, one will be crowded out by the others.  Besides that, it is impossible to referee.  What I mean by that is that many times the attackers will not realize that they have had an effective technique placed on them.  Of course, if we were making contact, then they would drop.

It has been my experience through the years that the problem in the kumites is the role of the attacker.  If his interest is strictly on the technique,and his attitude is “flat”, then there will be nothing projected to the defender.

But I digress.

Accompanying the growing perception of the spirit will be the effect of ki,as well as the gaze. Meikyo, and Tekki Sandan are pertinent examples of the practice of the effect of the gaze.

But we are already so deep into this mysterious subject that we have lost some. At this point you will just have to discuss it with me personally.

I will offer this “mostly true” story as an illustration.

My daughter and I had gone to a buffet restaurant for a meal. As we were sitting at the table eating, a young man passed by, not noticing me. I said to my daughter “that young man is a martial artist”. She asked me”how do you know?” I said “He has a spirit about him, I just know”. I returned to my meal, and in a few minutes he came toward me with a full plate of food.

When he saw me he said “Sensei!!!! how are you doing?” His salutation took me by surprise, because I did not recognize him at all. I could not place him. He recognized me from being in one of my classes several years earlier, as a child. Now, being grown up, his features had changed, as is a common thing. He had advanced to upper level green belt training during the time that he was with me. We exchanged pleasantries, and I encouraged him to come back to the class, although he never did. When he walked away to his own table I told my daughter “I told you he was a martial artist, he was oneof my own students”.