Way of Life

Karate-do or "way; empty hand." Often you hear someone say that they practice karate as a "way of life." Poppycock! Nothing and no one person could or should be the focus in the way you live your life.

A way of life is what the individual lives and they should rely upon themselves to achieve a better way of life. Projecting onto others or other endeavors such as the practice of karate, martial art, flower arranging, tea ceremony, etc. is not healthy nor is it true. Like many things in the practice of karate/karate-do/karate-sho this is misleading semantics and literally cannot be true.

No activity such as this can or does lead to a better way of life. This is tantamount to saying to yourself that there is no way in the world you could possibly achieve a better life with out either a person, persons, organizations, society, etc. or some external activity providing it. It cannot be done, it is not possible, it takes the free will and open minded individual to bring about change within themselves.

No one else and no other outside source can give you a better way of life. This is an internal thing! If you achieve a better way of living then you and you alone changed yourself, that is it, just you. Your mom didn't do it nor your dad and neither did anyone else in your life. They may have provided some insight but in the end it is still you and you alone that decides to change or to become a better person leading a good life, a better life, a way of life.

When someone says they practice karate/karate-do/karate-sho as a way of life actually means they use the practice to help validate the thoughts and idea's you gather yourself so you can make a better decision as to what it is you and you alone wish to incorporate into yourself to live better, to be a better person and to lead a better life. No one can dictate to you what that is or how to achieve it. They can mentor you, they can provide information to evaluate and either assimilate or discard, they can only do this and only you can make the decision to change.

Karat-do is a "WAY" to open the mind and teach us there are no limits to what we can achieve and that is why they say it can "help us" to achieve greater self confidence, etc. but understand that it cannot "GIVE US" self confidence, only you can decide if you can or cannot increase it.

Education, experiences, interactions with others in society; those things you "see," "hear," "feel," "touch," "taste," etc. with the unique gift nature provided to assess, evaluate, decide, assimilate or discard to create our OWN life and way of living it. Everything else including the practice of karate are simply the tools you, you alone, decide to use to achieve your goal of a better way of life.

Education: the studies you do such as reading and understanding the various classics that are possible ways to live you can incorporate, if you choose. This includes both the physical and esoteric practice of karate, etc. All are a part of educating yourself.

Experiences: those we have living life, associating with others and being attentive/observant, that which we learn by "doing" such things as karate, etc. to include your travels to other places, people, customs, and courtesies and so on.

Interactions: those you experience with your parents, brothers and sisters, school mates, teachers at school, work, vacation spots, social groups, other places and activities where you are interacting with others which includes the tribe/group dynamics of karate practice/training.

All those external things that you are able to bring into yourself through sight, sound, touch, feelings, etc. are contributors to your decision to assimilate or discard to achieve better ways of living life.

So, in lieu of saying, "I practice karate as a way of life," you might say, "I use karate to achieve a way of life."