“I think karate is to be practiced to toughen yourself, every time over and over…. As for having my own students, I learn a lot from them.…I teach what I know about karate, and say, let’s do it together, let’s improve together. Well at least this is what I am trying to do.” (end quote) – Kenyu Chinen 9th dan Shorin Ryu Oshukai

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Sometimes, we need a little inspiration to get us going. We all need someone to look up to, in the hope that someday we may achieve greatness too.

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Apart from attending classes, how much time do you devote to training martial arts? Do you watch videos? Workout after class? Ask your instructor questions? Research? All these are part of training too! All the work you put in outside of class undoubtedly gives you an edge over someone who doesn’t.

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Ask any good martial artist, and you’ll find out that they’re constantly trying to improve themselves – both inside and outside of the dojo. This is what drives them to push their limits, day after day.

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If you really want to get your karate to the next level, it’s imperative that you train at home, EVERY DAY. Especially so in the current unpredictable environment we all find ourselves in.

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By constantly challenging yourself, you are not only opening yourself up to new opportunities but you are also making yourself a better martial artist. On the way, you become a well-rounded individual too.

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It takes a long time to build your karate skills, but you can lose it fairly quickly. If you are away from training for any reason, your skills and conditioning will diminish quickly. Karate needs constant, daily practice to stay effective. Like Gichin Funakoshi adequately said: “Karate is like boiling water: without heat, it returns to its tepid state”.

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Photo Credit: TRAVEL 67 : Chris Willson Photography & James Pankiewicz, Asato Dojo, Okinawa. Quote from an interview with Chris Willson & James Pankiewicz. Masters of Okinawan Karate #6