Seeking Solutions: Progress Only Comes When You Look for It.

 

Posted by ADAM CARTER on NOV 30, 2025

Seeking Solutions: Progress Only Comes When You Look for It.

(Approx 1 minute 35 second read)

There is so much hatred in the martial arts world on social media that I sometimes find myself wondering whether it’s all worth it.

I’ve stepped back from closed minded groups and associations, simply focusing on my own path, staying in touch only with the people who genuinely help me along the way.

Maybe shutting down and keeping to myself is the way forward. A selfish thought? Perhaps. But maybe that’s why I write so much, because writing gives me somewhere to put it all.

I began my karate journey in 1974, and through no fault of my own I ended up changing styles a couple of times due to moving area. One of those times, in the early 1980s, I chose to start over as a white belt. They knew I had already graded elsewhere, but I wanted to experience everything from the beginning.

That style was heavily involved in sport, which I enjoyed at the time, yet I quickly realized that some of the practices didn’t hold up outside their own niche, their own practices. To me, you shouldn’t allow yourself to become fixed in one method. If you have questions, you should look for answers, not be stuck wondering.

I’ve always preferred seeking solutions rather than sitting comfortably in what everyone else accepts. Step outside what you normally do and look. You might be surprised at what you find.

Someone said to me recently that this approach is very Western. In the East, questioning the teacher is frowned upon. Perhaps that is true in some places. But I’m not from the East, and neither are my students. Should we pretend to be something we’re not just because it’s the norm somewhere else?

I mean no disrespect. I’ve trained with teachers from Okinawa and Japan who were open, honest, and happy to discuss things, so I don’t believe the obedient, unquestioning approach is universal.

Whichever method you follow, looking for solutions gives you the chance to progress, to move obstacles forward rather than letting them stagnate. Blind acceptance never helped anyone. And, speaking for myself, searching for answers has always been one of the most valuable learning experiences in my life.

Karate taught me long ago that progress only comes when you look for solutions, not excuses.

Written by Adam Carter – Shuri Dojo