The Number One Reason You Should Stick With Your Karate Training

There are many reasons that people first get startedhealth and fitness as well as some cuts, bruises,
in the martial arts. Usually the reasons are forpulled muscles, the odd broken bone and several
self-defense, health and fitness, discipline, confidence,doses of hurt pride.
self-control and spiritual growth among others. MostI've come to realize that just because I know the
of us have heard about these benefits of the martialmoves to a kata (form), that I don't necessarily
arts, yet despite knowing the potential rewards ofknow the kata. The movements are just the tip of
karate, it is not always clear why we should stay onthe iceberg. There is so much more to be discovered
the path for the long term.beneath the surface. Just because I can throw out
I would like to let you know what I believe is themy hand in front of me doesn't mean I have a good
number one reason for you to continue with yourpunch, and just because I have a black belt around
karate practice. Before I do that let me give you amy waist doesn't make me a better person than
very quick rundown of my own personal karateanybody else.
experience.Karate teaches me humility and constantly challenges
I have been practicing the martial arts, specificallyme to be better. Karate teaches me self discovery -
traditional Japanese karate, for more than 25 years.it helps me to learn about who I am, how I react
Initially my reason for enrolling in my first karate classunder pressure and what it is that gets my fire
was to learn self-defense. For the first 6 or 7 yearsburning.
of training my reason for practicing karate wasOver 2000 years ago a Chinese General named Sun
physical strength and fitness.Tzu compiled a military strategy that is still read and
Then after about 10 years of training (around thestudied to this day. His strategy is called The Art of
time that I was entering the adult world) I began toWar, and in it he writes:
appreciate the deeper philosophical insights of the"So it is said that if you know others and know
martial arts. Later on in my training during my threeyourself, you will not be imperiled in a hundred
years in Japan, karate was mostly about perfectingbattles; if you do not know others but know
my technique and improving my overall knowledge,yourself, you win one and you lose one; if you do
Now as an instructor karate is about giving the giftnot know others and you do not know yourself, you
of what I have learned to others.will be imperiled in every single battle."
As you can see my primary reasons for studying-Sun Tzu, The Art of War, Translated by Thomas
karate have changed with time and with my ownCleary
personal development as a martial artist. However if IIt would seem that the importance of self discovery
were to condense all of my knowledge into one keyis timeless and the martial arts are one such path for
reason for training then it would be this: Selfdiscovering your own strengths and weaknesses on
Discovery.your journey to self improvement.
Everything that I have learned about punching, kickingIf you would like to learn more about taking your
and blocking; everything I have learned about formskarate all the way to the Black Belt then please read
or sparring, pale in comparison to what I have learnedmy FREE Report on "Achieving the Black Belt: How
about myself in the past 25 years of my karateto Successfully Take Your Karate to the Next Level".
training. During my training I have experienced the fullYou can download it at
emotional roller coaster of passed and failed gradings,Good luck and best wishes on your journey in karate.
successful and unsuccessful tournaments, great