Inspirational Karate Quotes January 29, 2007

“OW is not a karate word” “There are two rules to being successful in karate. Rule 1: never tell anyone everything you know” 

“A punch should stay like a treasure in the sleeve. It should not be used indiscrimately.” “The ultimate aim of Karate lies not in victory or defeat, but in the perfection of the character of its participants.” 

“Karate-do may be referred to as the conflict within yourself, or a life-long marathon which can be won only through self-discipline, hard training, and your own creative efforts.”  “Think of the frog with its legs hanging out of the stork’s mouth and with its hand around the stork’s throat. NEVER GIVE UP!” 

“You’ll know you’re really good when you don’t have to show it!”  “Do not fear pain, for as long as you feel it you know you are still alive”  

“Karate is about discipline and the first discipline is showing up for class.”  “Some people think a martial artist has to be tough against everybody – that’s not true at all. A martial artist has to be strong against bad people. But we must also be able to know and understand the feelings, moods and mentalities of good and bad individuals before we can comprehend when to be strong and when to be gentle.”  

“Karate-do… has no such narrow ideal as the winning of championships. Human progress in the art is like climbing a series of stairs or steep steps. As the mind and body grow together, the student moves continuously onward and upward, one step at a time. Even when the body declines, there is still another step ahead in the seeking of chracter perfection. Until the day you die, the process is endless, because no one is perfect, but we can all become a little better if we keep trying.” “Karate is a way of life which teaches self-confidence, health, and physical stength. Every effort in karate teaches you … commitment … for any task in life. You build karate and life at the same time. You grow spiritually and physically at once. Individual change comes through self-study. Then you find your own special techniques — and you find yourself. The final goal of training is to act against any opponent with maximum efficiency.”  

“Karate is a lifelong challenge that is explained by the dojo kun — seek perfection of character, be faithful, endeavor, respect others and refrain from violent behavior. Studying techniques gives you self-confidence and that gives you self-defense. But, self-defense is a state-of-mind, not a combination of techniques. The best defense is avoiding trouble. Karate is not the study of fighting, but of people.Kata and kumite are like the two wheels of a bicycle. Kata hones the edge of your sword … kumite is using the sword.”  “Modern life is too quick and competitive, changes are rapid, and karate helps us see past the world around us and into ourselves. Our pace of living keeps us looking ahead, karate helps us rediscover ourselves. Studying kata is like basic education and kumite is the final examination. The only diploma is using karate in everyday life.”  

“Pain is the best instructor, but no one wants to go to his class.” “There is no first strike in Karate.” 

“Karate is not about winning. It’s about not losing.” “Karate is for life, not points.” 

“A black belt is nothing more than a belt that goes around your waist. Being a black belt is a state of mind and attitude.” “Karate is a defensive art from beginning to end. “ 

“When pure knuckles meet pure flesh, that’s pure Karate, no matter who executes it or whatever style is involved.” “1-2 out of every 100 students reach Black Belt and of those only 1 out of every 1,000 achieves his 2nd Dan.” 

“It’s not just self defense, it’s about…self control, body discipline, and mind discipline…and breath techniques. It involves yoga. It involves meditation. It’s an art, not a sport.”  “Humility, Patience, Self Control, Awareness and Self discipline shouldalways be before Self Defence.” 

“Do not get into a fight if you can possibly avoid it, but never hit soft. Don’t ever hit a man unless you must, but if you hit him, put him to sleep.” “The black belt is not a mark or symbol of the end of the journey to ones mastery of the arts; rather it is the mark that one is done packing for their journey and may now take the first step in their true journey. This a journey which can not ever be complete, only traveled…”  

“To win one hundred victories in one hundred battles is not the highest skill. To subdue the enemy without fighting is the highest skill.”  “From white belt to black belt you shape the tool, at black belt you start to learn how to use it.”  

“A black belt with out wind, is a black belt on pause…….. you might as well hang your black belt on the back of the door.” 

“karate is like christmas. it is better to give pain than to recieve it.”“I come to you with only Karate, empty hands, I have no weapons, but should I be forced to defend myself, my principles or my honor, should it be a matter of life or death, of right or wrong; then here are my weapons, Karate, my empty hands.”

“While being trained, the student is to be active
and dynamic in every way. But in actual combat,
his mind must be calm and not at all disturbed.”

“I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times”

“Repetition is the mother of skill”

Train hard… fight easy. Tomorrow’s battle is won during today’s practice.If you think you are beaten, you are; if you think you dare not, you don’t! If you’d like to win, but you think you can’t, it’s almost certain you won’t. If you think you’ll lose, you’re lost; for out in the world we find Success begins with a fellow’s will; it’s all in the state of mind! If you think you’re outclassed, you are; you’ve got to think high to rise. You’ve got to be sure of yourself before you’ll ever win the prize. Life’s battles don’t always go to the stronger or faster man; but sooner or later the man who wins Is the person who thinks he can!

“My best punch was the one I didn’t throw.”

“Wear your rank in your heart, and not around your waist.”

“The karate state of mind is not shaken by any situation or change.”