An ancient art, Karate attempts to instill in its practitioners a sense of morality,dignity, and self-respect, along with physical development and mental well being. Regardless of the age of the practitioner, this true spirit of Karate enables us to develop respect for our man by physical and mental growth, and most importantly, to develop a perfection of character.
2. Meaning of Karate
Karate is an ancient form of physical fitness and self defense developed over hundreds of years. The name "karate" is a shorter form of the Japanese word "karate Do". This name is derived from "kara" meaning "empty", "te" meaning hand, and "do" meaning "the way". So translated the word we know as Karate means "The way of the empty hand".
In Zen philosophy, "empty" connotes "to render onself empty" by achieving a state of psychological awareness without the distraction of emotions such as fear, anxiety, or anger. Thus, the aim of Karatedo is to develop a mind that is tranquil yet flowing. A mind that is not rigid but is receptive to whatever it confronts. The objective is to develop a mind able to react intuitively, fearlessly, and without hesitation to whatever any given situation demands.
