A message to Philippine Karate: Karate -a way of life

arc.angel (47)in #philippines • 7 years ago (edited)

To my fellow karate-kas:
I hope you find this a good read (both my post and the article I've included). I hope that we could all learn from this.

I found an article about the difference between Okinawan Karate and Japanese Karate -even traditional and modern Karate has been mentioned, and I find it relevant to relate it with Philippine Karate.

http://www.karatebyjesse.com/10-differences-okinawan-karate-japanese-karate/

I have much respect to both 'ways' of Karate (Okinawan karate and Japanese karate). Whatever your roots are, there is no need to disrespect any style. On the contrary, there's a lot to learn from each style.

Just because you are practicing one particular style and you know little or nothing about other styles doesn't mean you have to devalue them. It is not about having the best style or the best dojo because nothing and no one is perfect; there are always strengths and weaknesses. This kind of mindset will create a cycle of hostility. We should instead focus on our training because putting others down will not make us earn our black belts. It will not increase our speed and strength or improve our Kata. It is through diligent training and having the proper mindset that we improve.

It's about becoming your best self as a Karate practitioner and choosing a style that works best for you.

Much of the essence of Karate has been lost to us (particularly, in our country) because everybody wants to claim that they are the best and that they're better than everyone else that it reaches the point of demeaning & disrespecting others just to raise one's position and for one's own self-interest.

If you decide to practice Karate as a sport and for competition, well and good. Keep at it! If you decide to teach Karate, be sure to pass down the good values that comes with it and influence the students to be better people and sensible karate practitioners. There's nothing wrong with wanting to compete or teaching to earn but it would also be good to learn the tradition, history and essence of Karate so you can maximize what Karate has to offer - which is more than just throwing punches and kicks; it is a way of life. I'm not saying you should but I would suggest that you train for more than just competitions and you teach for more than just earning money.

Train and teach because you love and respect the art. Maybe then you would understand that Karate is not self-serving; maybe then you would learn to respect other people and understand each other's differences.