Why Do I Practice Karate?

You must enjoy you training, as I have said before, life’s short, make the most of it!

I do not practice karate just for fitness, fighting, character building, socializing, a hobby, or any of the many advertised reasons.

I love karate, I practice karate because I want too and because of a combination of all the above reasons.

Why do you eat chocolate? It’s not because it’s healthy, it’s not because you have too, I would hope, it’s because you like it, well, that’s the same reason I practice karate.

If I just wanted fitness, I would join a gym, if I just wanted fighting, I would practice no holds barred fighting, if I just wanted character building, I would join a monastery, if I just wanted socialising, I would go clubbing and if I just wanted a hobby, I would choose an easy one!

I have had lots of people tell me why, for fitness, I should be doing this or that, for fighting, I should be doing this and that, I have been told I shouldn’t be doing kata, because it doesn’t help in a fight, but I don’t care if it works or not. For character building I should do this. Linden you should do this, do that.

I say to most of them (in my mind, because I don’t like to be rude), please go away, or words to that effect. I like what I’m doing, you go off and do what you want to do, I’m happy for you.

As everybody knows, in life there’s always someone waiting to give you advice, waiting to let you know how you should be living your life, they can’t wait to tell you their way and how you to can be just like them!

The hard part, is knowing the difference between good advice and poor advice. But remember good advice to one, can be bad advice to another.

I always listen to people’s advice, the people that make sense to me, great, I’ll take their good advice and implement it, the people who don’t make sense, can take their advice and……………

I look for people that like training the same way as me. When you have a group of people that all want to practice martial arts the same way, not only is it a great feeling, it’s also very powerful.

I do listen to people, but most of what I hear, I don’t like. That’s not to say that what they’re saying is rubbish, it just doesn’t make sense to me.

People should first determine what they want from the martial arts, the way to do this is to try different clubs, styles and instructors. It shouldn’t take long to find the right martial arts school for you.

If you want to cage fight, mixed martial arts is the way, if you want slow gentle movement, Tai chi is probably the way, if you want to keep fit, go to aerobics, etc, etc.

So, in a nutshell, the reason I practice karatedo is because I want too. 

Ossu

Linden

Shotokan Karate