Are We Still Afraid to Ask? Why Karate Needs More Questions, Not Fewer.

 

Posted by ADAM CARTER on OCT 24, 2025

Are We Still Afraid to Ask? Why Karate Needs More Questions, Not Fewer.

(Approx 1 minute 45 second read)

Sometimes you can really see why karate has been stuck in the doldrums for so long, especially when questions aren’t allowed to be asked.

I remember back in the 1970s and early 1980s, asking questions of senior instructors was just not done. “Shut up and train” was the standard response. And in some associations, it seems that mindset hasn’t changed one bit.

Case in point. After I posted my recent article about five-step kumite being taught at a Dan-grade seminar, I received an email from a senior instructor. Not to discuss. Not to debate. But to chastise me. Just an FYI, I'm not a member of his association.

Apparently, pointing out that five-step kumite might not be the most effective tool for black belts is offensive. Who knew?

If a simple observation about training methods causes that much discomfort, maybe that’s the clearest sign that change is long overdue.

Let’s be honest, karate isn’t a religion. It’s not heresy to question a drill or technique. And yet, the reaction I got felt more like I’d insulted someone’s sacred text than commented on a training method.

I didn’t name the instructor. I didn’t attack anyone personally. I just asked, why are we still doing this at Dan level?

And if that question stings, maybe it’s because deep down, we know the answer isn’t flattering.

I get it. Tradition matters. But tradition without evolution is just repetition. And repetition without relevance? That’s choreography, not combat.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Karate was created for self-protection. That’s the lens I view everything through. If you’re advertising something as self-defense, and a drill doesn’t help you survive a violent encounter, then it’s not preparing you for reality, it’s preparing you for a performance.

Wouldn’t you, as a black belt, be deeply disappointed (or injured) if something taught to you since day one turned out to be completely ineffective when you needed it most? Shouldn’t a black belt, someone expected to have a solid grasp of karate’s fundamentals, be able to recognize and apply something truly functional under pressure?

So if you’re more upset by someone questioning five-step kumite than by the idea of black belts being underprepared for real violence, I’d suggest your priorities might need a tune-up.

I’m not here to insult anyone. I’m here to ask questions and help others do the same. To understand something at a deeper level, function over form, or aesthetics.

And if that makes some people uncomfortable, well… maybe it should.

Written by Adam Carter – Shuri Dojo