Historically Speaking on Karate

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Kinda, sorta and maybe historically speaking karate of Okinawa was referenced as a means of training, a prerequisite to weapons training, to teach fundamentals of empty hand before taking on the much more challenging training of weaponry. 

I quote, "empty hand was used to train the novice warriors of Okinawa to pass on fundamental principles so one could first and foremost master themselves, i.e., body, mind and spirit, as a requirement to train in sword, spear and other weaponry of the times." 

Much like our modern military where one learns the basics of hand-to-hand combat because there are always chances and times when weapons may not be there or available, for what ever reasons, so one must have the ability to combat the enemy with their bodies, i.e., hands, etc. 

It has been only in the last few decades that our modern militaries have embraced the martial disciplines to supplement and train the mind, body and spirit of a warrior as found in the more modern martial discipline of the Marines, i.e., the MCMAP or Marine Corps Martial Arts Program. 

In another reference to Okinawan history, proceeding the entry of Japan into WWII there was that effort to promote karate into the educational systems as a means of creating, developing and educating youth in preparation for military service. It was watered down to fit the young adult minds and bodies and was never meant to provide empty handed skills in combat but provided a more robust mind-set development that would help them enter into and endure the rigors of military service. A prerequisite within the educational systems in preparation for what was to come. 

In the brief reference of one historical document of early Okinawa there in was described an outdoor space or doujou if you will, where recruits would train their bodies and minds developing a military warrior spirit, if you will, that created a base or foundation necessary to take on weapons training. I believe that further research into the Greeks history will show that hand-to-hand was used not as a primary but a prerequisite development model leading to the more dangerous and robust training of weapons like the shield and spear made famous by the Greek 300. 

For those of us using karate as a means to train for self-protection for self-defense it is to be understood and embraced that empty handed defenses for protection is more a lead toward that discipline wherein one learns to master themselves to enhance the understanding and abilities to avoid dangerous violence prone situations and environments of the modern world. 

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