The benefits of Traditional Karate Training

Sita Ganesan, Shudokan, Canada

Goju-Ryu, which means hard and soft, is beneficial for both physical and mental health. Combining respect and discipline with self-defence and physical training, karate showed me a way to keep a healthy mind and body. Not only that, but it opened a door to a community. This community has die-hards and the not-so-die-hards, and everything in between. This community is part of my family. 

Karate was created in Okinawa for the people to defend themselves, for they were not permitted to use weapons. Today, people from all over the world practice the style of Goju-Ryu. I am one of those people. 

For the past six years, I have trained under and with many different senseis and senpais. Each has had something of value to offer, and has helped me better myself in karate. Like those in Okinawa who used karate to defend themselves, our style doesn’t use weapons. As sensei says, my best tactic would be to run as fast as my legs can carry me. If my opponent happens to be faster, I can probably make sure they don’t come after me again. I don’t carry weapons on my person, and I take great comfort in the fact that even if I did, I wouldn’t have to use them because I know how to defend myself empty-handed, even from a person with a knife.

Obviously, self-defence is a large part of Goju-Ryu, but what else does it teach us? With many styles, the physical part is pretty much the whole point. However, throughout the course of my training, I have seen that our style is different. Yes, I have partly learned how to defend myself, but I have also learned respect and discipline, both of which are important components in everyday life. Karate takes both of those values and infuses them with daily training. We all are taught to respect others, but the words go deeper than that. It’s like a feeling that we all are one, which is why we must respect each other. But I didn’t only learn how to respect others. I developed a healthy measure of respect and admiration for my senseis and senpais.

Discipline is another quality that karate has endowed to me. It is the voice that keeps telling me to go strong, though I may be dead on my feet. It is the voice that tells me to do what is right, though I may not want to. It is the voice telling me to go for the gold, though I may want to give up. It pushes me to my limits, making me go that extra mile. In the end I come out stronger than before, and for the better.

 I have family scattered all over the globe, some of whom I’ve never even met. Some people might argue that half of those people are not my family, but they are simply friends. I say they are wrong. I count all the other karatekas as a part of my family, especially those at Shudokan Dojo. Sure some people are a little odd, but we all share a passion. Sure we sometimes have differences, but we also stick up for each other. Why? Because that’s what families do. We look out for each other, we protect each other, and we can count on others to be there for us when we need them.

Six years ago, I was offered the choice between taking ballet and taking karate. At the time, I chose karate because it seemed less girly than ballet did. Looking back, I am extremely glad I made the choice I did. Not because of the lack of lace and frills, but because of the community and skills I have learned. If I had chosen ballet, I would have had friends. Instead, I chose karate and got landed with a mixed-up family I wouldn’t trade for anything in the world. 

For me, karate is not a just a martial art. It is a way of life, one that I will take with me until I die. Honestly, I couldn’t live without it or my family.