空手を続ける想い (Karate o tsudzukeru omoi) – To keep practicing karate means……. “Passing down the karate our great masters created to the next generation, and promoting it to the world: that’s our responsibility.
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As Master Uechi Kanei said; ‘conditioning the body is important in karate’. Some people think karate is in the mind, but if you don’t condition your body, it’s not karate. Whatever you do, don’t treat conditioning lightly. When you condition your body, you will understand karate’s attraction.” (End quote) – Takara Shintoku 10th dan Uechi Ryu at 90 years of age.

Karate-ka need to develop in many areas beyond just technique. The need for strength and power, endurance, flexibility, speed, balance, core dynamics, structural stability, sensitivity, mobility, etc. is just as important as their key karate skills. As karate-ka we are fortunate that some methods of training can tick multiple boxes for us.
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Strength training for karate is vitally important. But weight training for body building is COMPLETELY different from weight training for power lifting; and this is also COMPLETELY different from weight training for karate. Granted, they all use the same tools, but not in the same way.

In karate we have to build skill in applying the attributes we develop for self-defense. Strength is no use unless its functional strength and power can be utilized effectively. So the main focus for karate-ka is not simply building attributes and bigger muscles, but also using them in a way that supplements and enhances our karate skills.
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It’s not good enough that we build strength and power alone, but we must also allow the body to work as intended – an integrated whole.
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Resist the urge to become more muscular and stronger. For a body-builder or power-lifter, this approach is necessary, but for karate-ka it is counter-productive in ways which will have a negative effect on your karate skills. This is NOT the purpose of strength training for karate. 
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And finally….. “I can’t do anything but karate.” – Takara Shintoku
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Quote from: OKINAWA KARATE SPIRIT YouTube channel interview with Takara Shintoku
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