Karate, Context, and the Critics Who Miss the Point.

 

Posted by ADAM CARTER on SEP 18, 2025

Karate, Context, and the Critics Who Miss the Point.

(Approx 1 minute 45 second read)

My recent article about not working hard for a black belt, paying for it, or getting it too easily brought a lot of thoughtful comments. Many people shared their own journeys, what the belt meant to them, and the effort behind it.

But there’s always one (usually more than one) who takes their opinion in a different direction.

This time it was an instructor who said, “Why would you write this? I just don’t know why you would.”

Well, firstly, that’s what I do. I write. And I teach. Writing is simply another way to teach, another way to make people stop, think, and question what’s happening in our art.

If I see standards slipping, or belts being handed out like candy, I’m going to say something. Pretending it isn’t happening helps no one. The black belt should still mean something, otherwise we might just as well buy it from Amazon.

The truth is, the people leaving comments like that aren’t my audience. They’re not going to be convinced by logic because their belief isn’t based on logic, it’s based on comfort, or a resistance to change.

They’re likely practicing a certain way, and my article challenges their foundation. They’re not looking for a debate; they’re looking to defend themselves. Trying to win them over is a waste of time and energy.

So who am I writing for? I’m writing for everyone else. The real audience is the silent majority. It’s the beginner student scrolling through their feed with a nagging feeling that something isn’t right. It’s the instructor who sees the flaws in the way he is being taught but is afraid to speak up. It’s anyone who has ever questioned. I’m not writing for the people who argue for the sake of it; I’m writing for the people who are watching.

Seeing a black belt earned without effort, or a dan grade promoted far too quickly, makes it clear why speaking up matters. I mean, who wouldn’t?

Context is everything, not just in training, but in understanding the why behind actions. That’s why I write about black belts being handed out too easily, or instructors reaching Godan far too quickly.

Without context, these things might seem trivial, or even invisible, but seen for what they are, they show a decline in standards that affects everyone.

This is why I speak up and why I teach the way I do: to preserve the meaning and integrity of the karate we all enjoy.

Written by Adam Carter – Shuri Dojo