Styles of Karate

Blog Article/Post Caveat (Read First Please: Click the Link)

I took some liberties as a Marine, inactive status, by taking the Marine Rifleman's Creed and adopting it to the way I felt a karate-ka should address the honor of being, especially, a black belt. It addresses certain variable traits of karate and the styles with emphasis on one that I practice(d), Isshinryu. Here is that creed adjusted to fit:

Isshinryu, this is my style. 

There are many styles like it, but this one is mine.

My style is my best friend. It is a way of life. 

My style, without me, is useless. 

Without my style, I am useless.

I must practice my style true.

I must train my style superior to my adversary who is trying to damage me.

I must strike him before he strikes me. I will...

My style and myself know that what counts in self-protection

is not the techniques we use,

the noise of our kicks and punches, or the yells we make.

We know that it is the force and power of our methods that count. We will apply our methods...

My style, like me, is as foible as I, because it is my life.

Thus, I will learn it as a brother.

I will learn its weaknesses, its strengths,

Its principles, its enhancers, its methodologies and its limits.

I will keep my karate ready, capable, powerful and forceful,

even as I am ready, capable, powerful and forceful.

We will become a part of one another. We will...

Before my Sensei, I swear this creed.

My style and myself are the protectors of myself, my family and my clan.

We are the masters of our adversaries.

We are the protectors of our lives.

So be it, until victory is ours and there are no adversaries, but peace, tranquility and harmony!

In truth, although I have used the term styles, I feel styles are merely symbolic characteristics assigned to the methods of hand-to-hand of Asian origins that are principle based and universal to all hand-to-hand protection, defense and combative disciplines. 

Styles are those human individual distinctions unique to one person, originally, that are taught to other like minded people making them styles as defined today in karate and martial disciplines. In truth, there are no styles but an individual manifestation and personality of one person and group of persons to differentiate how they train and practice multiple methodologies of principled based applications and methods to achieve the same objective of protection and defense. 

Bibliography (Click the link)

The Marine's Rifleman's Creed, click to read lager view.