(Approx 2 minute 15 second read)

Someone said to me recently that I keep writing about the same thing, and that this page “used to be great”. It was meant as criticism, and I’ll admit, it stung a bit. But maybe it’s true that I keep coming back to the same subject. Perhaps that’s because it’s one that matters deeply to me.
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A while ago, I read a comment that said, “If karate was simply about self-defense, I would have given up long ago.” At first, I disagreed. For me, self-defense is a major part of karate, in fact, it’s the starting point. After all, karate-jutsu, as I prefer to call it, was born from the need to survive.
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But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that the reason I’ve kept training all these years isn’t just about defending myself. It’s about what I’ve discovered ‘through’ that process, what training itself gives back.
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We often say the journey is more important than the destination, and I think that’s true. After over fifty years in karate, I’ve realized my study has never really been about one thing. I’ve explored tradition, competition, self-defense, kata, application, and more. Each of them, at different times, has felt like the essence of karate. Yet none of them truly stand alone.
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Karate isn’t a fixed point. It’s a journey through many doors, each leading to the next. Early on, I was drawn to the physical side, the fight, the power, the structure, the discipline. Later came the deeper study: the meaning behind kata, the principles of movement, and how real violence shapes what we train. These experiences didn’t replace one another; they built on each other.
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What I’ve learned is that karate isn’t about choosing between old and new, tradition or function. It’s about understanding how they connect. The cultural roots of Okinawa, the practical needs of self-defense, the science of how the body moves, all of it matters.
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When practiced with intent, karate becomes more than just a martial system. It teaches awareness, humility, and balance. It’s a mirror reflecting where we are in life. When we’re young, it challenges the body, as we age, it refines the mind and spirit.
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For me, the journey continues. I don’t see myself as tied to one part of karate, but rather shaped by all of them. The art changes as we change. Its purpose, I think, is not to arrive at one truth, but to keep searching, to keep learning, questioning, and moving forward.
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Yes, sometimes I do need to explain things more than once. Not everyone reads or understands something the first time, and clarity matters. And when comments turn personal, and I keep receiving email and messages, I’ll respond, not to argue, but to keep the conversation honest and protect what I believe in.
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So yes, maybe I do write about the same thing. That’s what a journey really is, returning to familiar ground with new understanding, seeing the same landscape from a different place along the path.
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In the end, I write and share not for everyone to agree, but for those willing to see, learn, and understand something a little differently. Perhaps I don’t always succeed.
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Written by Adam Carter – Shuri Dojo
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Photo Credit: IGK Victoria