Empty Hands

two empty hands is all humans have along with:

• two ears 👂 👂 
• two eyes 👀 
• two nostrils 👃 
• two shoulders 
• two elbows
• two wrists 
• two hands
• two hips
• two knees 
• two legs 🦵🦵 
• two feet 👣 

These are the tools, the only tools 🧰 humans have with the ability to enhance and extend their functionality through weaponry.

There are only so many functions one can perform with these tools and we call that, in the dojo, karate 🥋.

Every conceivable strategy, tactic and technique has to operate within the confines of these tools ⚒️. In that applicable arena there are only different combinations that, hopefully, result in success. 

Therefore karate styles are fundamentally the results of human creativity, creating perceived unique renderings of combinations using these tools to accomplish some objective be it hoeing one’s garden to putting an attacker down - NOW!

You see, humans survive only through social group collectives and they are driven toward that clan being different from “other” clans in a unique way that provides them a means of surviving, especially in regard to the use of violence. 

Humans need, nature’s requirement, things like status, rivalries, etc., within and without the group to follow natures requisite in the game of survival even in these safer modern times, ergo, we create tribes and label 🏷 them, “Shorin, Isshin, Uechi, etc.”