Philosophy

The main element of karate philosophy is karate-do (the way of the empty hand), based on the history of karate and martial arts, as the use of weapons was strictly forbidden to the Japanese people of that time. Thus, they trained secretly without weapons.

But to truly internalize karate, the karateka must also learn to empty their mind. A "full mind" is no longer ready to concentrate on new things. A "full mind" cannot act responsibly in all situations. The goals of a karateka are the development of their own personality through self-mastery, concentration, and inner calm. They want to constantly improve mentally and physically. The path is therefore the true goal of martial arts.

For all other aspects, there is no single philosophy; almost every karate club has its own philosophy, normally that of the chief instructor who teaches. The instructor has either adopted a similar philosophy from their own master or developed one themselves over the course of their life. Of course, the philosophy also depends on the style of karate practiced in a club.

However, all these philosophies have origins. The oldest has its roots in India, which was transmitted to the Shaolin temples in China. Thanks to commercial and cultural exchanges between China and the island of Okinawa located south of Japan, the philosophy and techniques of this martial art arrived in Japan.

Below we will mention some philosophies that are widespread in the world of karate: