Unit 10

Karate is a very dangerous activity

Karate is a very famous martial art in Japan. It shows the Harmony of Body and Spirit and is a very effective self defense for those who would like to learn more about the Japanese art and sport and for advanced students it is a great chance to exchange experience.

There are many reasons that people take up karate lessons, some of which I have discussed in other articles. Some articles cover why those reasons might not be the right reasons for you. Many people doing Shotokan today will disagree with me strongly for zeroing in on the negative aspects of taking up Karate. For more than ten years they have been howling with protest that I am doing a disservice to the very concept of Karate as an art. Some say that I am disrespectful of “the Shotokan Community.” A few chuckleheads have even tried to invoke Buddhist ancestor worship and have claimed that I am smearing “The Legacy of the Masters.” Let them gripe and complain. People who are heavily invested financially in selling Karate lessons and supplies, and people who are emotionally invested in receiving their self-esteem from their sense of being an authentic Karate expert want people like me to only say and write very positive and uplifting things about Karate.

I think that it’s fine to stay positive. Focusing on only the negative aspects of something like Karate can ruin it as a hobby for just about anyone, including me. We should acknowledge the good things and talk about how we enjoy them. But I prefer not to be dishonestly positive to the point that I am basically spreading my own rationalizations and denial. I am not going to spread only promotional and marketing materials about Karate. Good lord, we have enough of that already. I don’t mind contributing my honest opinions about the things that are good about training Karate, but let’s not white-wash the bad and pretend it isn’t there in the name of encouraging people to sign up for lessons. Let’s be honest and tell it like it is.