Okinawan Karate Is About Yourself
I was talking some of my members the other night in class and they were all asking me different questions of how Karate has helped change me over the last several years.
Let’s see . . . how has Karate effected me over the last say . . .20 years? This much I can tell you. Everyone lists all the positive things that Karate can do for us. The list always looks something like this:
-Learn Confidence
-Learn Balance
-Learn Self Defense
-Build Strength
-Learn to focus
-Build reflexive response time.
… and the list goes on and on and on. While all these benefits are without a doubt learned and developed through a GOOD Karate Program, the reality is this. Okinawan Karate teaches each one of its students everything they need to know about THEMSELVES.
Hard work and sweat go a long way.
A top notch Okinawan Karate Program will help build all the above mentioned AND More! ! Through a very well structured system, Okinawan Karate starts with what we call the basics. These basics are designed to slowly build strength, Speed, coordination, Balance, and here’s a big one. Structured Focus.
What many perceive as just punching or kicking or jumping up and down the floor, is actually a simple way of showing each one of us EXACTLY what our strengths and weakness’s are. These drills systematically show us what, and then HOW to improve these areas. By revealing our weak areas, we then know exactly what we need to work on.
Yes these stances make strong legs!
Okinawan Kobudo Adds a Whole New Challenge!
This is why so many people start a Karate Program and eventually drop out. Why? Because it is very hard for each of us to realize how unbalanced we are. And when we are showed this . . . its really hard for some people to swallow. That is why the ones that stay, and WANT to improve themselves both physically and mentally experience all the rewards that they hear Karate can provide for them.
Case in point. I have a handful of members now that on a routine basis tell all my new members that start out. “Its okay. Don’t get frustrated or disappointed you are not able to do a particular thing as well as the senior members.” They say this because each of my seniors are now able to see just how far they have evolved since they started.
This is the part I enjoy most as a teacher. To be able to see these guys and gals really begin to glow in class. You can almost physically see there Self Esteem begin to radiate from them. And the best part about it is this. There is no limitation to Okinawan Karate. The MORE you train, the better you will get at whatever that particular exercise is teaching.
I’ll have more on this next time.
-Robby Bray