Modern day Karate is self-defense training that has developed from ancient Okinawan and Japanese martial arts. Those who practice “Karate-do”, the way of Karate, improve their physical fitness and skill by mastering the punching, kicking, shifting and blocking techniques fundamental to Karate training. More importantly, Karate training generates confidence and self respect, which provide valuable personal insights. Through the discipline of Karate-do, students find themselves achieving goals beyond the limits they believed possible in all aspects of their lives. In keeping with the -do nature of modern Karate, there is a great emphasis on improving oneself. It is said that there is no first strike in Karate, meaning, among other things, that the art is for self-defense; not injuring one’s opponent is the highest expression of the art. Many people study Karate for self-improvement.
