The Way
It is a common misconception that Karate is something that you do only with your hands and feet. This is true, but few schools teach Karate. Almost all “Karate” schools are teaching Karate-Do. “Karate-Do” translates to “The way of using the open hand”. The reason it is said that way, is because we focus on the ethical and moral practice of using karate as much as we do on the ability to punch and block.
Shifting Focus
As a student begins learning karate, the main focus will be on moving, blocking, punching, and the physical aims of karate. That in itself is overwhelming and a lot to focus on. As the student progresses and becomes more accustomed to learning the physical aims of karate, they will then be introduced to the ethical and mental aspects.
Not Theology
This should not be confused with religious or theological teachings. It is not. The reality is though; as you learn karate you begin learning many things that could leave a person hurt or dead. In learning these powerful techniques, you must always recognize that these should only ever be used in protecting yourself and others. There is more to say on the subject than this handbook could ever fit. Just be aware that there is much more to karate-do than simply moving your arms and feet. It is something that integrates itself into your life and how you think, and we are all working to be better every day at this.
That’s a good point, Theo. For your non-martial arts readers however ‘do’ is not just transliterated from ‘path’ in English. If it were, it would be not dissimilar to words like methodology, system, approach, etc. This would not clarify much to an english-speaking person except to communicate that karate has a different methodology of say teaching (or stylistic performance, etc) to taekwondo or other schools. Where I come from, words carry their own gravitas. When we speak, and when we intone certain words, the gravitas such words carry is acknowledged. ‘Do’ for instance, is one of these words where the first utterance would naturally be followed by a pause. Speaker and listener would be attuned to the gravitas of that word and would recognise there are higher order perspectives the speaker is acknowledging. This may or may not be verbalised but their cummulative meaning and the associated higher-level thinking from other conversations are invoked by the speaker. The gravitas of this specific word ‘do’ exists because it is a fundamental to our culture. Its power comes from the willingness to go beyond. To dedicate one’s entire life towards a path, typically devoid of the notion of self gain, in order to seek mastery and to transcend one’s limitations. This in fact is why the same concept has to be explained to people not wholly understanding it’s cultural significance; many confuse this with religious fervour. Religion for instance is often marked by some form of transcendence after some form of anointment or baptismal. ‘Do’ leads us to expertise because we clarify issues while finessing technique, but people who do not understand would simply confuse it with religious fervour.