Frequently Asked Questions about Karate

Isn’t karate inherently violent?

                There is a saying that karate students live by:  ”In karate there is no first strike.“  Karate is a defensive art.  It teaches students to use the least amount of force necessary to resolve a conflict situation.  Because students are trained in this way, and because they learn to manage their knee-jerk fear response, they are often able to resolve situations with less physical force than people without training.  The karate ideal is to never use one’s skill outside class or legitimate competition.

Isn’t karate dangerous?

                We know that the techniques we do are potentially dangerous.  For that reason we constantly train with an eye to safety.  Students are warned against possible danger and trained to avoid them before they are allowed to practice any given technique.  Classes are tightly controlled by black-belt instructors who have been trained to recognize potential dangers and liability issues.  Students wear safety gear when participating in contact exercises.  And everyone makes it their personal responsibility to keep their fellow class members safe.  As a result, karate is one of the safest hobbies in the country.  Studies have shown that it results in fewer emergency room visits than either bowling or golf.

Does karate teach Eastern mysticism and philosophy?

                Some karate systems do.  We don’t.  We do not practice any elements of either Zen Buddhism or Taoist religion.  We occasionally use words like ”chi“ or ”energy,“ but we use them to refer to scientifically measurable physical phenomena.  We use focus drills and mental imagery but do not engage in the kind of meditation that empties the mind or aims to achieve any kind of Eastern enlightenment.  Karate, as we practice it, is not a philosophy or religion.  It is a way of strengthening the body and mind using a traditional physical art.

Why do karate people bow?

                Most Asian martial arts have their origins in Okinawa, China, and Japan.  In those societies bowing is a form of greeting, like a handshake is in Western cultures.  Bowing shows respect.  It has none of the connotations of worship or obeisance that it has in the U.S.  We use bowing and wear karate uniforms in much the same was as chefs wear distinctive hats or West Point students wear archaic uniforms.  They are marks symbols of our heritage, part of our tradition.

Why do karate people use Japanese?

                Karate people use Japanese titles for their teachers:  ”Shihan“ means ”teacher or teachers“ and is the title we use to refer to Johnny Linebarger.  ”Sensei“ means ”teacher“ or more literally ”one who has gone before,“ and is used as a term of respect for teachers, especially for the studying teachers have done to get to the place where they can lead a class.  We also use some Japanese terminology for techniques we do.  These terms are mostly technical terms, and we use them in the same way that lawyers use Latin terms, doctors use Greek, mathematicians use Arabic, and airline pilots use English.  Doing so allows us to train with karate students from around the world because we share a common technical vocabulary.

I’ve seen a couple martial arts movies, and I don’t like what I see.  Is that what’s being taught in this karate program?

                No.  Definitely not.  Martial arts movies are a caricature of the physical movements used in karate.  They are brutal, sensationalist, and unrealistic because that’s what sells movie tickets.  They do not reflect the spirit and values of karate.  Martial arts movies are no more about the martial arts than science fiction movies are about science.

Is karate mainly for young, fit athletes?

                A great number of young people have benefited from karate, but one does not have to be young or particularly athletic to benefit.  Techniques in the martial arts are modified all the time to meet the needs of those using them.  Allowances can be made for size, shape, range of motion, physical stamina, and age.  KoSho has had students ranging in age from two to seventy-two (though our usual range is roughly three to sixty).  We have had students with developmental disorders, severe physical limitations resulting from brain damage, and ADD and ADHD.  One student was amputee, having lost a foot in military service.  One of our teachers has less than full range of motion in one arm from an auto accident.  We have had students with arthritis, asthma, lupus, Parkinson’s disease, and cancer.  Our teachers recognize that all of our students have their strengths and their limitations, and we do our best to help each one grow to be the best martial artist they can be.

Is karate a good exercise?

                It’s some of the best exercise out there.  It builds strength, endurance, balance, flexibility.  It also challenges the mind and strengthens the memory.  It increase awareness, body intelligence, and promotes habits that keep one safe in an increasingly dangerous world.  In other words, it doesn’t just build the body, it helps build healthier, more well-rounded people.

Is there anything taught in karate that would clash with my faith or values?

                Here’s a quick look at traditional martial arts values and priorities.  We value:

The ability to focus the mind to a task, to eliminate distracting and self-sabotaging thoughts and to concentrate fully on the task at hand.

The ability to set goals and achieve them.  The martial arts teach students to take large dreams and to break them down into smaller goals.  They encourage steadfastness in the achievement of those goals.

Respect for parents, teachers, training partners, and all others with whom we have day-to-day contact.  Each drill begins and ends with a gesture of respect.  Students learn empathy for training partners as they take personal responsibility for their safety during drills.  Sulking, trash talk, profanity, and all other shows of disrespect are strictly prohibited.

Self control.  One of the cardinal precepts of martial arts training is this:  ”Do not provoke another to violence.  Do not let yourself be provoked.“  Students are taught to avoid using their karate on impulse.  They are called to account for their behavior and choices both in class and outside.  We teach that using karate techniques is only acceptable in self defense, and then only when all other nonviolent options have been exhausted.

Honor.  We take responsibility for our words and our behavior.  If we must use our karate, we take full responsibility for having done so.  We value the truth.  We strive to honor our word.

Well-rounded physical fitness.  The martial arts not only benefit the student by increasing strength and stamina, they also improves balance and coordination, foster flexibility and the ability to relax at will, and generate a coordination between mind and body that is unrivaled by any other art or sport.  We train our bodies to be able to do the marital art we love, and our martial art keeps us fit so that we can live healthy lives.

Giving back to the community.  Martial artists are taught to teach and to lead because as they move through the ranks, they are expected to give back to junior students, their school, and the community at large.

Community.  We help each other improve as martial artists.  We celebrate each other’s accomplishments.  We encourage each other to make healthy lifestyle choices.  And we sometimes become close friends and companions through life’s ups and downs.

These are the things we value as martial artists.

We would be happy to discuss any of these things further with you as well as to demonstrate any of the techniques we will be teaching, explain any of the procedures we will be using, and answer any question you may have.