Student of Karate

To become a student of karate may seem simple enough when viewed through today’s model of karate. In a traditional way it could be a bit more daunting. It seems that finding a sensei in the pre-1900 era of practice that students just didn’t go to a dojo, walk in and sign up. It seems as if there were steps one had to “endure” to gain entrance and to train. 

It becomes apparent when studying the available historical data concerning martial arts that to gain entrance, in some cases, required a recommendation from someone familiar with the dojo and its sensei. In other cases one might apply only to be subjected to requirements that would reveal a potential students, “Patience, determination, courtesy, restraint, calm, determination, daily behavior, attitude, character, personality, understanding and the level of compassion one needs to learn, understand and control themselves through training into every day life. 

It also speaks toward the potential to display and live a life of humility. It seems that to learn a traditional system requires traits in the person to achieve an understanding of the full potential of that system as well as the ability to grow with it to achieve the same level of internal control necessary to practice, train and apply such a system in the dojo - dojo being a place of training and practice, being a place to practice and apply in every aspect and moment of life, in and out of the dojo proper. 

Karate training should expose its practitioners to scenarios that will test their abilities such as handling criticism and unexpected difficulties. To apply restraint when and at a level commensurate to any given situation. Ginchin Funakoshi spoke of daily life being considered as our true dojo, when one learns through karate practice how it applies to everyday life. 

While learning the physical a student should be exposed to the ethics of karate through Zen like koans or sayings they work out with guidance from sensei and senpai along with learning from stories told that exemplify karate-ka as to the same ethical requirements. Karate teachings should include how one practices in the spirit of humility so that in crucial moments one can be utterly and completely in that moment to handle said crises. 

Karate should enhance the students ability to behave appropriately while understanding how to apply the mental, spiritual and physical to achieve defense with the physical applications as a last resort. It is knowing that when the physical is needed that somehow the ethics and essence of karate was circumvented and the time to learn this is before it comes to blows. 

Being a student of karate is more involved than mere sport, it means making your dojo life itself where the training hall is everywhere and every moment between sleep and waking.