Karate is Not …

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Karate is not a fighting art. Karate is not a combative system. Karate is not a self-defense system. Karate is a striking system and that means it is governed by those human conditions. How can I say all these things? Well, it comes from my studies and one of those is about using our fists. Using our fists means something that does not equate to violence at levels where grave bodily harm and/or death are involved except by accident (you punch a guy in the face, guy loses balance, falls, gravity takes hold, guy hits head on curb, guy dies).

When you begin to look closely at how karate is practiced and then take into consideration certain human conditions you start to realize that karate, in and of itself as a striking system, does not have those requirements that would cause grave bodily harm and death. Think about it and consider the next set of examples.

In karate the tori and uke tend to face one another. In karate sparring tori and uke use strikes and strike at only those targets that actually provide the human body protection, the bodies natural armor. In the majority of human fights it is of a social nature and therefore meant to be a communication tool rather than a means of causing great damage and death. In karate there are rules, rules for safety that incorporate less effective application of certain principles meant to deliver force and power. 

In karate the non-striking aspects that are far more effective in damaging and killing were removed. One reason was to promote health and a mental state of socially driven spirit that was meant to bring people together for the common good of the society toward survival, i.e., early 1900’s for the sake of war. Those non-striking aspects are just know coming to light and are just in the last decade or so being brought back into the discipline of karate for a more well-rounded system that can actually cause grave bodily harm and even death as the force decisions of both defense and combat may dictate. 

In commercial karate that has not happened except in a limited way. There has actually not been a real combative system using only striking, the empty hand. 

In regard to causing great harm and/or death striking is actually to most ineffectual method to get the job done. This can mean that karate, a striking system, may actually be more of a tribal or social communications and enforcement tool where grave bodily harm and death are not the goal. It may be that karate, the striking art, is the use of the ineffectual hitting of another to convey to the recipient they have broken some rule, some cultural requirement and possible some group dynamic that would expose the tribe to harm or death. Think about the use of the, “Educational Beat Down.(see this article by Rory Miller: http://ymaa.com/articles/more-about-violence-dynamics)” 

Rory Miller wrote, “There are societies and sub-societies where violence is merely an easy way to solve problems; where a beating is considered as easy  and more effective than talking.” 

In human terms survival is about the group (I will refer to groups as tribes as well; interchangeably) and the group runs in a hierarchal model where within the group some will seek to challenge another in the group for increased status. The group will also have issues about certain unwritten rules as well as written rules, laws and such where, as the quote states, a beating will serve better to pull together and keep things in proper order, the EDB. Karate as a striking system and how striking works along with certain human conditions is a great way to enforce such human social group hierarchal systems. 

Also, take a look (actually read) the eBook by Marc MacYoung titled, “Writing Violence III: Getting Hit and Hitting,” and you will begin to see how karate, a striking discipline, is more appropriate and effective as a communications tool for such a group dynamic for survival. Except in rare cases where accidents cause grave harm or death the application of most of karate is far less effective, specifically the striking part using the hands or fists, so if applied in most socially driven conflicts it will not end in grave bodily harm, i.e., making the member of the group unable and ineffective in group survival needs, or death thus losing a valuable member and contributor to the group for survival. 

“In certain groups, this is normal. A casual beating is how rules are enforced and community standards, such as they are, are upheld.” - Rory Miller, More About Violence May 23, 2011 YMAA Article http://ymaa.com/articles/more-about-violence-dynamics

When you really understand human dynamics and group dynamics and how socially driven monkey dances are done it becomes a bit more clear as to a more realistic meaning of karate, karate as a communications and enforcement tool rather than a deadly combative fighting system to cause grave bodily harm and death system. 

Note: There has been a huge effort by a few dedicated professionals to actually bring back, if it ever truly existed in karate from its ancient origins, those aspects of fighting and self-defense that are actually more effective in causing bodily damage and death. Some liken it to revealing secrets and/or discovering ancient combatives lost, etc. In truth whether it existed in those ancient early times or not the effort to install them into karate and other martial disciplines is here today and only time will tell of that success, success in morphing karate, the striking system, into a truly effective combative fighting discipline OR an effective and comprehensively complete self-defense system.

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