What is a "karate-ka?"
Let me add to the confusion by defining, according to google translate, the three characters for karate practitioner. First is a character that by itself means, "sky." [ 空] The second character means, "hand." [手 ] The third character means, "home." [ 家] Yet, oddly enough when combined and translated mean, "karate practitioner or empty hand practitoner." [空手家 ]
In reverse the words karate practitioner provide for the same characters. Now, more confusion, I will take the two words and see what they provide seperately. Karate means or translates to, "空手," which matches. The word practitioner means or translates to, "開業医,' which translated in reverse translates to, "Practitioner."
Wow, one is "空手家" while the other is "空手 and 開業医." Now, more confusion so lets translate back, "空手開業医," to see what it means in English, "Karate Practitioner."
Yet, it has two different sets of character in Japanese kanji, interesting. Why go to this extent on a topic that is about a question as to what is a karate-ka? To find an answer we need to understand that intent and its relation to the person or persons regarding beliefs, customs, language, and such things as the Japanese mind regarding ambiguity, benevolence, silence in communications, perseverance, social obligation, unspoken communications, modesty, seniority, simplicity and elegance, and so on. History and the ancient practices/classics and any connections to other cultures is also necessary.
Ergo, this initial and fundamental translation of the Japanese characters and how they are applied is to assist us in understanding the literal and ambiguous meaning of the word.
Simply stated, a karate-ka is a practitioner of karate. It seems very simple and for me is very simple. A karate-ka denotes one who practices the Okinawan system of empty hand. In today's view that means either karate-do, karate-supo-tsu, or karate-jutsu (empty hand way, empty hand sport or empty hand technique).
A very wide and open meaning of the word karate-ka with far reaching meaning and repercussions as to how any one person decides to attach a meaning. That meaning will depend on perceptions as to what karate is thus what a karate-ka means.
Complicated? Yep, but for a reason. All things of life are simple yet complicated. Sometimes it bears fruit to keep it simple and sometimes to accept its complexities. Take language as one of them. A simple yet complex form of communications that can be good and not too good to really bad.
If you keep it simple karate-ka simply means a person who practices karate or empty hand. If you want to know what that person is actually practicing under the heading of karate then it gets a bit complicated. Is it spiritual? Is it competitive/sport? Is it fighting/combative? Oh, and it can get even more complicated so understanding and awareness of all that it could "possibly" be is of value. Especially as an Instructor/Sensei/Teacher/Mentor/Sempai, etc.
No comments:
Post a Comment