The Philosophy behind karate is vast and complex. It stems from thousands
of years of armed and unarmed combat. Techniques that were perfected
hundreds of years ago, are still being perfected over and over again by
each new generation. Buddhism, Taoism and the "Code of Bushido" have
all played a part in the development of the martial arts philosophy.
The
minds of martial artists are filled with various techniques they have learned;
jabbing, blocking, punching, kicking, sweeping, throwing, deflecting, locking
as well as hiding, escaping and running away. These skills were only
used as a last resort and only in self defense. But, once the moment
to fight came, the martial artist would use every technique, every ounce
of energy and determination to overcome his opponent quickly and effectively.
The body was finely tuned by thousands of punches, blocks and kicks during
extreme heat and freezing cold temperatures. A martial artist's
body became accustomed to exhaustion, sweating, strains and bruises, all
in an attempt to achieve self perfection. To be able to defend themselves
in any situation or to be able to perfect a kata and execute it exactly
every time, this is the martial artist's ultimate goal.
"Kime", sometimes referred to as "Ki" or "Chi", and "Zanchin" are important
philosophical terms and play an important part in the martial arts.
"Kime" or spirit is the backbone of most martial arts systems. It
is what martial artists use for inspiration, ideas, courage, and focus.
"Zanchin" is also used in conjunction with "Kime. "Zanchin" or state
of total awareness is also used when training and in combat. Zanchin
allows the martial artist to be aware of what's around him, to have a sort
of sixth sense, brought about by experience and instinct. The samurai
used his zanchin during battle, in order to properly prepare his mind for
victory or death.
Another important concept is "Do", translated as "The Way". This
is a path, or way of life, by which martial artists follow. Many
martial art systems have incorporated this philosophy, such as; Aikido,
Tae Kwon Do, Judo, Kendo and Karate Do. Even though most karate names
don't incorporate the "Do" into the name itself, it still is there in spirit.
The "Code of Bushido" or code of ethics by which the samurai was to conduct
himself, played an important role in the philosophy of karate. Respect,
honor, courage, and loyalty are parts of this code and have been integrated
into the martial arts.
The religions of Zen Buddhism and Taoism have also been used as a basis
for the philosophy in the martial arts. Because Zen Buddhism and
Taoism are so complex a subject, they will be mentioned only briefly.
Zen Buddhism, which requires many hours of meditation, is he belief that
through self reflection one's mind will reach a point of "Nirvana" or enlightenment.
Taoism is the belief that man is one with nature and the universe.
It embodies the philosophy that nature and the universe are in harmony
with one another and that one can not live without the other. An
example of this is the Yin and Yang symbol which is commonly referred to
in many martial arts systems.
Yin is characterized as the negative force of darkness and emptiness.
Yang is characterized as the positive force of light and fullness.
These two forces are combined into one creating harmony and unity, and
each can not exist without the other. Other examples would include;
day and night, being and non being, hard and soft. No matter what
the example, there will always be an opposite.
Philosophies are sometimes misunderstood. It is often thought that to be
truly great at karate, one would need to be able to call upon hundreds
of various techniques. However, learning hundreds of techniques and
also being proficient at all of them is very difficult. In karate,
it is better to have quality then quantity. Martial artists choose
only a select few techniques rather than trying to perfect hundreds of
techniques. Within our own style, which and a large number of katas,
it is better to learn a few katas perfectly than to be average al all of
them. Everyone is different, so not all techniques will be suitable
for every person because of age, size, weight and natural ability.
Instead, it is up to each person to determine what their strengths, weakness,
and limitations are and build upon them.
Another
concept which is misunderstood is the belt. Many people are too concerned
with their rank rather than their ability. Always remember that knowledge
is in one's mind and not around their waist. These philosophies are
just a few of the many a philosophies that exist in the martial arts.
As you become more experienced, you will learn more about other philosophies
and be able to incorporate them into your karate-do.
