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Health & Fitness

What Is Traditional Okinawa Karate and What Are The Main Benefits

Benefits of karate training

Karate was created many years ago when Okinawa was known as the Ryukyu Kingdom. As a small island connecting the Pacific Ocean and East China Sea, the people of this island needed methods of self-defense. They were invaded by pirates and Japanese samurai alike. This art though very old, is still very effective today.

Karate was created as a means of “life-preservation”; it was never meant to be used to attack others but as a last resort method for defense of your life or the life of your loved ones. Through the harsh and repetitive training methods developed extreme self-control and endurance.

These two aspects are a direct result of training in true traditional Okinawan karate. The self-control that its students achieve through the training is immeasurable and is applicable in all aspects of a person’s life. From kids in school or working adults, people who train become better students, workers, as well as overall better people. The self-control expands out into great humility, honor, and patience. This creates people who care about the job they do, making sure it is a top grade performance. Students end up doing better in school and going on to very successful careers as adults. The intense self-control helps people’s endurance also and not just physical endurance. Karate students develop incredible endurance for physical and mental pain. This helps deal with the hardest parts of a person’s life. When things get bad, karate students persevere through good and bad times, regardless of the situation.

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Now to be clear, not every school is a traditional school that holds to these traditional values. Martial arts training has become extremely commercialized and many schools / instructors are very willing to treat their students and parents of students has customers and not as students or extended family. When this happens parents and students end up spending thousands of dollars on equipment that is barely used and ranks that are not earned. These schools are the equivalent to the fast food industry but they are selling martial arts ranks, not to be confused with martial arts lessons.

There is an old saying in traditional Okinawan karate that nothing is free and everything is earned. This is incredibly true, I just feel it is unfortunate that to run a school, it costs money and of course in turn tuition and testing fees have to be charged so that the school can stay open. However the saying does not refer to money:  it refers to hard work, dedication, loyalty to the school and your training. These are the things that define the benefits of training in a traditional school and these are the things that build a person’s self-confidence, self-discipline, courage, focus and physical fitness among what has already been discussed.

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These benefits of the training will change a person’s course in life, allow them to be hardworking very productive, and successful people. Not to mention Okinawan karate is an activity that anyone can do regardless of age for a lifetime.

Ichariba Chode,

Brandon L. Fisher, Kyoshi / 7th Dan

Okinawa Karate Of Twinsburg

Okinawa Shorinryu Karatedo / Ryukyu Kobujutsu

Seijitsu Shin Do Kan Dojo

(330) 888-8262 / www.fisherkarate.com

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