Karate, as it is practiced in modern times, is absolutely nothing like the Karate invented centuries ago. There are many reasons for this phenomena, cultural, historical, vested interest, and on and on. This article will pin point the exact reasons the art of Karate has changed, and why it is considered a failure in the eyes of many people.

Karate was developed to defend the king of Okinawa. The techniques gathered together were specific in their intent, and that intent was shaped by having to deal with a variety of soldiers and weaponry. Interestingly, Karate had very little to do with blocking and striking, though that can be considered as valid, and more to do with disarming and maiming.

The Japanese eventually forced the King of Okinawa to reside in Japan, where he was treated like a guest, but was still nothing but a prisoner. With the king gone, what reason did the bodyguards have to teach and pursue their art? Thus, lessons were taught to children to give strength and good health, but the maiming and butchery of the pure art was left out.

Eventually, Karate migrated to Japan, where it proved more than comparable to the arts of the Japanese. One must take into account, however, that the Japanese had stolen the imperial king. Thus, if the teachers of Karate even knew the truth behind their art, would they be willing to teach the people who had stolen their king?

The next step in the degradation of Karate came when the Americans conquered Japan. They did this by dropping an atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and now we have the same scene as described in the last paragraph. One has to ask whether the Japanese, if they even knew the true art, would teach the people who had used atomic weapons on them.

Finally. the art arrives in America. It is commercialized, made safe for children, and altered for tournaments. People are more concerned about reaching black belt and seeing the latest fight night than they are about the potential for knowledge through the art.

Finally, the art starts to fail as a system of valid self-defense. People laugh about MacDojos on every corner, and the brutality of MMA, at least workable, is held up as a new standard. Yet, the question must be asked at this point…what was the original art?

What is that art that was designed to maim and destroy in defense of honor and king? What is that art that plumbs the soul and reveals the depths of the man? I say it is still there, the true martial art is still there…you just have to be willing to look for it and work for it.

Al Case has examined martial arts for over forty++ years, and has been a writer for the magazines since 1982. If you want to explore his theories concerning what has been to Karate, and what to do about it, visit him at MonsterMartialArts.com. A free ebook is offered on the homepage of the site.

Tags: Self Defence