The Essence of the Martial Arts Lies Not in Strength or Style, but in What You Find Within Yourself.

 

Posted by ADAM CARTER on JUN 14, 2025

The Essence of the Martial Arts Lies Not in Strength or Style, but in What You Find Within Yourself.

(Approx 1 minute 55 second read)

When you find what’s truly right for you in your training, you stop needing to explain it to anyone.

Apart from teaching at the dojo, I train every day. Not to fight, not for show, and not to prove anything. I train because it matters to me. It’s personal. I don’t need to justify it – because I know I’ve got it right as it’s saved my life on more than one occasion. That’s enough.

For me, karate has to be functional. Practical. That starts with knowing exactly what you need from your training. Your goals might not be mine – and they’ll probably shift over time – but if you don’t define them, someone else will.

For me, karate is a system of self-protection. That’s the foundation. Other things have grown from it – but they grow because the base is solid. If it doesn’t work under pressure, the rest doesn’t matter – but I never lose sight of that core purpose.

And when I say self-protection, I mean more than just dealing with violence. I’m talking about staying fit, staying healthy, keeping the body working as I get older, finding some kind of balance, mental clarity, emotional steadiness, resilience. If you’re not training with those threats in mind, what are you preparing for?

I know some people say they train to build character – and if that’s their aim, fine. I’m not here to argue with that. But it’s never been my reason. I don’t believe the martial arts build character. I think they reveal it.

We are mostly who we are. Time, age, and experience teach us more about ourselves, about others, and about life – but not everyone learns the same lessons. Showing up in the dojo a couple of times a week doesn’t guarantee that.

So if your training brings insight, great – but keep it functional. Keep it real. If it doesn’t work outside the dojo, if it doesn’t give you a sense of safety in some way, then it really doesn’t mean anything inside it.

Sooner or later, you have to make it your own. That means stripping away what doesn’t fit. Personal study isn’t optional – it’s the only thing that makes the practice yours.

The aim – at least for me – has never been to understand life. Life’s too big for that. If anything, I’m just trying to understand people a bit better – including myself.

And even that’s hard. The way people react, the way they respond – I’m still surprised sometimes.

So I keep training. I keep stripping things back. It helps me stay steady. Helps me function.

Maybe that’s enough. Maybe that’s the point.

I don’t know. I’m still figuring it out.

Written by Adam Carter