Karate is a Metaphor

"Karate is a metaphor to life, with benefits." - Charles James

It is a physical manifestation of life in a symbolic sense that has the benefits associated that are directly applicable to each of us both personally and socially. The direct and sometimes shocking lessons that karate provides also gives us many life lessons that puzzle us daily.

We Americans use "football" as a life metaphor where coaches, captains, tight ends, full backs, centers, etc. all relate what is done on the field to what is done on the field of life. Karate also relates what is done on the dojo floor to what is done on the dojo floor of life.

The fundamental principles of martial systems provide us the foundation of karate. It provides us a foundation to live our lives. This is why what is done in and out of the dojo becomes of great importance.

We have play-books for the team, we have the playbook of karate in kata for the dojo. In the playbook we have strategies and tactics for various scenario's while we have strategies and tactics for various fighting scenario's. The football patterns govern how players move and handle situations while the enbusen and bunkai are patterns that allow us to move and handle threats.

The benefits of the football team is to gain goals, to score, to not lose to other teams. The benefits of karate are to gain advantage and not get hurt. Football promotes health, fitness, and well being along with team and individual spirit. Karate promotes health, fitness, and well being along with individual spirit that also achieves team spirit, i.e. Sensei-to-Deshi, Sempai-to-Kohai, etc.

The team works to achieve a goal in football. The dojo team works to achieve self reliance, self discipline, and self improvement to both individual and dojo members feeding each other to achieve proficiency and ability. So does the football team.

Football/Karate is a metaphor to life, with benefits. Lets not forget that the I Ching of life is also the symbolism of the movie, the Godfather :-)