As Karate has evolved over the years and its popularity grew, some Sensei, due to their inexperience or by their own motivation for monetary gain, emphasize physical display and tournament oriented techniques. This will create a false sense of security and is unfair to their students.
It requires many years of diligent training to develop your physical proficiency and mental concentration to work as a unit. Much harder to comprehend is Karate-Do. After receiving instructions and guidance from your Sensei for many years and living its part, you start to understand the philosophy of Karate-Do.
PRINCE DARUMA, in teaching the Monks, emphasized developing a strong body and mind to become a complete person.
Students must be taught to be responsible for their actions and to be compassionate to others’ suffering. By emphasizing the development of strong mind and body, Karate-Do not only allows each student to challenge himself and learn his potential, also, to be aware of his weakness
and limitations. He must acknowledge his weaknesses and learn to compensate for them.
Diligent training will lead to refined and controlled techniques and a strong character. In time, our strength fades with age, and will be left with less, instead one should learn to come to terms with life and death and work to control personal pride and ego.
We must always strive to be honest to others and especially to ourselves. When our egos begin to take over and we become overly critical, we only deceive ourselves. Our search for truth must never end. Karate-Do provides an excellent opportunity for self-development and the search for the truth.