(Approx 2 minute 35 second read)

Itosu Anko was in his 70s when he finalized the Pinan kata. Those forms were simplified and organized into a curriculum suitable for instructing larger groups, particularly within the Okinawan school system. Karate was to be promoted as a way to encourage physical education, discipline, and moral character in students.
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However, it’s not too much of an exaggeration to say that, due to this shift in karate methods, the original highly effective and efficient combative methods seen in Okinawa became watered down. The karate taught in schools bore little resemblance to the methods used by Okinawan practitioners who honed their skills for real combat. This led to the development of a form of karate that prioritized structure and form over combative functionality.
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Karate isn’t just a collection of techniques; it’s bound by principles that give those techniques purpose and understanding. It’s a way of moving and using your body to the fullest in a combative scenario. To do this with authenticity, you must understand ‘why’ you’re doing something, not just ‘how’. Without a solid grasp of the underlying principles, techniques become hollow and often ineffective.
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Many instructors today learn by watching their own teachers, which is understandable. I wrote about this in a recent article. However, even those with long histories in the martial arts sometimes miss out on the deeper understanding of what they’re practicing. This isn’t necessarily a problem – as long as they’re willing to admit it. What becomes dangerous is when someone teaches this limited knowledge as the “real thing”, leading their students down an incomplete path.
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Teaching, regardless of the subject, topic, or discipline, is difficult. One major mistake we often see is students being chosen to teach far too soon. Many practitioners, whom I’ve witnessed, have only a rudimentary grasp of the basics. Their skill level does not reflect their ability to convey the necessary depth of understanding, leading to partial and often misunderstood concepts being passed on to others.
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Being able to do something with a basic knowledge doesn’t mean you intellectually understand what you’re doing. In my opinion, this intellectual understanding is a necessary prerequisite for teaching.
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Many associations are conservative in nature and often discourage innovation. The focus remains on preserving a certain ‘tradition’ – just following the head teacher. I have experienced this first-hand. My own pragmatic and practical approach didn’t sit well with the higher-ups in the association I once belonged to. When I eventually moved on, not by my own choice (the head instructor felt threatened by my approach and realized he didn’t know as much as he thought), I felt a great sense of freedom.
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Unfortunately, many instructors today don’t experience this same freedom, and remain tied to the ‘traditional’ approach.
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Martial arts are both wide and deep in scope. They are complex and difficult to fully grasp, let alone teach effectively. And today, there’s an ever-greater desire for more practical approaches. More and more instructors are seeking information to help them shift towards a realistic perspective, as people naturally want to protect themselves and their loved ones.
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To be effective, karate must be taught with an eye toward reality – real situations that people may face.
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It’s essential to acknowledge that some practices within karate today may be dysfunctional. They were developed during karate’s rapid expansion in Japan and, in many cases, don’t make much combative sense. As instructors, we must be honest with ourselves and our students. If certain practices no longer align with practical combat, be honest and teach them as such – not as the ultimate truth.
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Written by AC.
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