(Approx 1 minute 55 second read)

When you find what’s truly right for you in your training, you stop needing to explain it to anyone.
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Apart from teaching at the dojo, I train every day. Not to fight, not for show, and not to prove anything. I train because it matters to me. It’s personal. I don’t need to justify it – because I know I’ve got it right as it’s saved my life on more than one occasion. That’s enough.
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For me, karate has to be functional. Practical. That starts with knowing exactly what you need from your training. Your goals might not be mine – and they’ll probably shift over time – but if you don’t define them, someone else will.
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For me, karate is a system of self-protection. That’s the foundation. Other things have grown from it – but they grow because the base is solid. If it doesn’t work under pressure, the rest doesn’t matter – but I never lose sight of that core purpose.
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And when I say self-protection, I mean more than just dealing with violence. I’m talking about staying fit, staying healthy, keeping the body working as I get older, finding some kind of balance, mental clarity, emotional steadiness, resilience. If you’re not training with those threats in mind, what are you preparing for?
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I know some people say they train to build character – and if that’s their aim, fine. I’m not here to argue with that. But it’s never been my reason. I don’t believe the martial arts build character. I think they reveal it.
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We are mostly who we are. Time, age, and experience teach us more about ourselves, about others, and about life – but not everyone learns the same lessons. Showing up in the dojo a couple of times a week doesn’t guarantee that.
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So if your training brings insight, great – but keep it functional. Keep it real. If it doesn’t work outside the dojo, if it doesn’t give you a sense of safety in some way, then it really doesn’t mean anything inside it.
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Sooner or later, you have to make it your own. That means stripping away what doesn’t fit. Personal study isn’t optional – it’s the only thing that makes the practice yours.
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The aim – at least for me – has never been to understand life. Life’s too big for that. If anything, I’m just trying to understand people a bit better – including myself.
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And even that’s hard. The way people react, the way they respond – I’m still surprised sometimes.
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So I keep training. I keep stripping things back. It helps me stay steady. Helps me function.
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Maybe that’s enough. Maybe that’s the point.
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I don’t know. I’m still figuring it out.
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Written by Adam Carter