Truly understanding what Okinawan Karate isn't...and is.

First, this isn't going to be an exhaustive exposition about Okinawan karate, its origins, history, evolution, etc. I don't think I really have the writing skill to accurately condense and convey that in one short blog post. There are many, many sources out there which can cover that in vast detail, and much better than I, so this is going to be pretty down and dirty.

First...Karate, what it ISN'T...according to society.

The term karate is often mentioned in discussions about martial arts, particularly by those who have never practiced it. People frequently make incorrect and absurd assumptions about what karate is, how it looks, and how it functions. Some common misconceptions include the beliefs that karate isn't for serious martial artists, that it's only for children, or that it's not truly about "fighting". My personal favorite is that karate isn't a "real" martial art. That last one really makes my brain hurt.

Lets address these and I'll try my best to explain what karate IS...

If it's not specifically for kids, who is it intended for then? The answer is that it's actually for everyone, which naturally includes children. In today's world, the ability to defend oneself from physical violence is crucial. Protection from harm can range from simply being aware of your surroundings and steering clear of conflicts to surviving an ambush by multiple attackers where you're fighting for your very life.

So yeah, if you're a person interested in protecting yourself, karate is designed to work for you.

Next, it's not about "fighting". Well, it is AND it isn't. One thing to make crystal clear here is that the Okinawan arts are not combat sport arts. Combat sports are, in fact, designed for fights, but contests that contain mutually agreed upon conditions that influence who can get the upper hand on that particular day. None of which pertains to real, chaotic, ever - changing scenarios. At its core, Okinawan karate is an art focused on "life protection" versus testing certain skills in a controlled environment. While sport martial arts training can indeed be beneficial in an altercation, the primary distinction between the two lies in the mindset of the practitioner. Are you trying to win or are you trying to survive? So then, what would you do to protect your life? Ideally, the answer is to do whatever is necessary, and that's what the life protection arts of Okinawa aim to teach you. Beyond the physical techniques and skills acquired, the art fosters a mindset of "anything necessary".

Finally, it isn't "real". But what do you mean by "real"? Are you talking about the techniques themselves, their training, or their application in life? Are your perceptions based on what "works in the cage," or on movies/TV that claim to depict karate? To put it simply, karate is as "real" as any other martial art, such as wrestling, jujitsu, or boxing, and in fact, Okinawan karate includes the same exact elements found in those arts. What sets it apart is the inclusion of techniques that are universally banned across combat sports. As a well-known martial artist once remarked, a punch is simply a punch. In the same way, an arm drag is an arm drag, a choke is a choke, and eye gouges are always extremely unpleasant. So yes, karate is real.

To sum up, the Okinawan martial arts are in fact for anyone and everyone. They include anything and everything you could or should do to survive a life or death situation (and yes, that does mean some ground based training!), and... they're certainly real alright.

My hope is that this helps to give at least a little more understanding of the Okinawan way of life protection to anyone who may be reading this.

Now go train as if your life depended on it.