(Approx 2 minute 40 second read)

A question for the instructors out there: what do most of the students who come into your dojo want?
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I stopped and asked all my young and beginner students this question a while back. Without exception, they answered that they wanted some form of self-defense – something to protect themselves.
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If that’s true for most dojos – and let’s assume it is – what are you actually giving them?
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The traditional karate that many believe combines self-defense with a mix of other things – we all know it’s not real self-defense anymore. It’s wrapped up and advertised that way, but as instructors, we know better. Don’t we?
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Yes, karate was originally built around combative principles. It was a method of self-protection. But it changed. When it moved to the Japanese mainland in the early part of the 20th century, it became the behemoth it is today – combining tradition, competition, ritual, aesthetics, and character development.
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Many people tell me they train purely for fitness, fun, competition, or meditation, and that’s fine. But when that happens, karate is no longer functioning as it was originally designed.
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The problem is when people do that and still claim it’s the same thing it always was – a method of self-protection. That’s where the confusion – and the dilution – comes in.
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People can practice karate for whatever reasons they like. That’s never been the issue. What I often address in my articles is when people start redefining what karate is.
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It’s a bit like buying a fire extinguisher and using it as a doorstop. That’s your choice – but let’s not pretend you’re using it for its intended purpose. And that’s okay too, as long as you understand what you’re doing.
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If you’ve been practicing karate for some time, the truth is, most people do know that what they’re doing isn’t combative.
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You can’t practice the same block-and-punch sequences for years and genuinely believe that’s how real violence unfolds – not if you’ve ever reflected on it.
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So I don’t think they’re clueless. I think many simply accept it as their karate – and that’s fine.
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But let’s be honest about what it is.
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The real danger is when people believe that karate and its kata only contain unrealistic exchanges – that’s just misunderstanding.
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Personally, I like the idea of calling karate what it is in practice: sport-karate, 3K-karate, children’s karate, karate-jutsu – whatever fits. I call mine ‘karate-jutsu’, for me, ‘Practical Karate’.
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Define what you’re doing, and don’t pretend it’s all the same. Because it’s not. But that kind of clarity is rare – too many want to be everything to everyone, yet understand nothing deeply.
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Like the guy who messaged me yesterday about the person I mentioned in one of my articles.
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The shodan I mentioned in the article had jumped styles, transferred his rank, and then left again to set up his own gym. The guy who messaged me claimed that because this particular shodan had done all that, he somehow knew more than someone who stayed and trained continuously in one system.
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Personally, I don’t think so.
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Again – nothing in depth, just superficial knowledge repackaged and sold as something spectacular.
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That’s not karate as it should be. But I’m not trying to convert anyone. Most people won’t change their minds from reading an article – especially if they’ve already decided they know all there is to know.
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And that’s fine.
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I write for the ones who feel like something’s missing – for those who train hard, but quietly wonder if there’s more.
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Karate’s surface is polished with tradition, sport, and ritual. But underneath that surface lies the core – the real method of survival it was originally built on.
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It’s just up to you whether you stay on the surface, or dig deeper to find that core.
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Written by Adam Carter