"Karate was born when peace, the heart of the people of Okinawa, was incorporated into the spirit of Zen expressed in the Chinese boxing of Shorin Temple." S. Toguchi
In the above sentence there are some key elements that help us understand the purpose and practical application of Karatê:
Peace is the core of Okinawan people, indicating the significance of peace in their way of life [4].
This way of life merges with the practice of Zen in the form of Chinese temple boxing.
Karate can then be understood as a means for peace [4], where the practice of a confrontational art (or violence) is pursued as a means for pacification.
Does this not seem contradictory?
"Martial": pertains to war or suitable for war.
"Art": a skill or disposition directed towards achieving a practical or theoretical purpose, performed consciously, controlled, and rationally.
"Martial Art": Physical and mental practices derived from war techniques [2].
A martial art should inherently be a skill related to war, weapons, designed to kill or harm as many opponents as possible [1]. All martial arts share this primary objective [1].
Including Karate...?
"My belief is that Ken (fists: a reference to Karate) and Zen are the same." - C. Miyagi
Training in Karate involves practicing Zen to enhance the body and mind [3, 4, 5, 8]. It is crucial to understand that, unlike other martial arts, Karate is purely personal defense [1, 4], with its fundamental principle being defense [1, 4]. To defend to ensure the maintenance of peace.
"Do not be struck by others. Do not strike others. The principle is the peace without incident." - C. Miyagi
However, defense and offense are interdependent [1]. Thus, training defensive techniques inherently involves training offensive techniques [1, 3]. Defense does not imply passivity or permission.
Deterrence. Killing and injuring are not Karate principles [1].
"Karate Ni Sente Nashi" (There is no first attack in Karatê) - G. Funakoshi
This art, flowing from Okinawa's heart, aims at self-protection. It equips practitioners to counteract aggression and violent impulses from opponents [6, 7].
It isand crucial to recognize that Karate is essentially a personal defense system. Each movement, each technique has an application for preserving the practitioner's physical integrity against imminent violence [6].
Every practitioner of Okinawan Karatê understands that training in personal defense, isolated from the "rest of the techniques," is a contradiction, a lack of understanding of the roots of Karate, its essence, and its principles.
"Anyone who learns this art [Karatê] will be able to forge their body and mind into something strong, capable of standing firm in terrible situations and breaking an opponent's hands while protecting themselves." - C. Motobu
There is no doubt that as Karatedo-kas we must seek peace through Zen in Karatê practice. In this sense, it is important to realize that there is an internal enemy challenging us daily, and it must be deterred. This is also a critical aspect of self-protection.
"Let me address an important aspect of Karate in Okinawa. In Okinawa, Karatê is not practiced as a sport... The people of Okinawa consider Karate a lifelong activity, to be practiced as training for both body and mind." - M. Higaonna
References cited:
1 - Toguchi S. 2001. Okinawan Goju-Ryu II: Advanced Techniques of Shorei-Kan Karate. Ohara Publications 173p.
2 - Artes Marciais. In: Wikipédia, a enciclopédia livre. Flórida: Wikimedia Foundation, 2023. https://pt.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Artes_marciais&oldid=66464731. Acesso em: 23 ago. 2023.
3 - Nagamine, S. 1998. The Essence of Okinawan Karate-do. Tuttle Publishing 273p.
4 - Hiagaonna M. 1985. Traditional Karate-DO - Okinawa Goju Ryu Vol. 1 Fundamental Techniques. Sugawara Martial Arts Institute 169 p.
5 - Miyagi C. 1934. Karate-do Gaisetsu.
6 -Abernethy, I. 2010. Karate ni Sente Nashi: What the Masters Had to Say. https://iainabernethy.co.uk/article/karate-ni-sente-nashi-what-masters-had-say. Acessado em ago. 2023.
7 - Abenerthy, I. 2010. No First Attack in Karate? https://iainabernethy.co.uk/article/no-first-attack-karate . Acessado em ago. 2023.
8 - Choki, M. 1923. Karate Jutsu: Kumite. Eric Shahan 134p.
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