Art or Aggression?

One does not have to have trained for very long, or trained at all, to be aware of the demanding nature of studying a martial art and the kind of mentality training requires. Often, it can be easy to misinterpret  this and have a somewhat distorted view of what it means to practice karate (or any other martial art, for that matter).

When some people find out I practice karate, they look mildly surprised. I suspect this is because I do not normally exhibit the aggression stereo-typically associated with studying such a seemingly combative discipline. I do not posses the aggression or machoism that can be very present in the world of modern karate.

It can't be denied that many individuals perceive karate as a system devoted to combat and glorifying violence. First, I should draw attention to the fact that there is a difference between learning to 'fight' and learning to 'defend yourself''. Self-defense(as karate is often portrayed) is used when faced with another individual wanting to inflict serious harm. The point I want to make from this is that defending oneself is not an act of violence. It is used as a result of the use of violence. It is a hostile world out there where people get hurt. A self-defense system can't be blamed for the violence in this world, it occurs as a result of many other things. It's not ideal to have to harm another being, but for those desperate situations that nobody wants to be faced with, we have no choice if we want to leave the situation and still be alive.

That is an example one of karate's more extreme aspects and how it does not encourage anger and violence. But what about more everyday aspects, such as life in the dojo? I think what can alarm many people about dojo training is how the restrictions that appear in most other walks of life do not seem to be there. Take jiyu-kumite (freestyle sparring) as an example, when else do we find ourselves, (most of us),consciously and deliberately attacking a person who is not a threat? For most, if not all karateka, the answer is never. But in spite of this, I think kumite does very little in the way of glorifying violence. The skill it teaches a person is how to improvise under pressure, not how to harm someone else. Also, before and after sparring, it's traditional to bow/shake hands as a mark of respect, a vow to not give your partner too much more than they can take, to avoid injuring them. It's more an exercise in self-control and trust rather than hurting someone!

Where I train, before we go through basics or katas at full speed, my Sensei often says, 'do it like your life depends on it'. I think this sums up very well the type of mindset needed when doing karate full power. The fact that it's combative motions (kicking and punching etc...) done with this sheer conviction make it very easy to project aggression on to karate. Not to mention that, for once in life, not having to maintain a well-mannered, calm facade is very liberating.

I would be naive to say that the world of modern karate is devoid of aggression, necessary or not. But, in spite of my inexperience, I do feel I make a valid point when I say that we should ask ourselves how big a part of karate do anger and violence really make up.