The History of Karate
Karate-do is a physical and mental discipline of self-defense based on courtesy, respect, humility and nonviolence. Though karate emerged from a background of physical combat and continues to offer one of the best known forms of personal unarmed self-defense, it is practiced for more important reasons. The foundation in rigorous and demanding physical training, together with the environment of strict discipline, is used as a means to self-development. This is guided by the etiquette of showing respect to the instructor, to oneself and to one's opponent for participating in and providing the opportunity for such growth. When the training is done within this tradition of martial arts as a do (from the Chinese Tao, meaning a "path" or "way"), the emphasis then becomes overcoming ones own limits rather than overcoming the opponent. The "opponent" then, is one's own limitations, which must be met with discipline, courage and perseverance. Each training session tests the student's endurance, patience and ability to meet the challenge of confronting his or her own limits and to grow beyond them. It teaches the student humility while instilling courage and the confidence that with persistence and effort the student can succeed. The training and even the training area, the dojo (literally, the place of one's path), is regarded as sacred in the sense of being devoted to this most central of human activities educating (educing or bringing forth) the best in each person.
There are discernable but unified aspects or levels in karate that all converge to offer such a path. Mental discipline, physical conditioning and mastering technique lead to the development of expertise in self-defense. This ability can be tested in the controlled environment of sport karate. It is important here to recognize that this aspect or level of karate, which is only decades old, is the least important, though it can be very useful in the larger context of a wholesome approach to the art.
