. . and so it is that A Sensei may impart his knowledge of the martial Way and nurture your fighting abilities, but you must learn the wisdom of finding other ways than martial skills to solve your problems
~ Soke Behzad Ahmadi
On Ryukyu islands, the expert Kara-te practitioners, used their skills to subdue, control and generally teach bullies A lesson, rather than severely injure or kill their attackers. They knew full well the consequences of their actions and the trail of blood and retribution that would ensue
. . in Old Karate, you learned you Art through pain. You learned quickly that your techniques had to be fast or powerful or both. If you did not embrace pain and it's lessons adequately, you simply did not survive
Better than money and fame, teaching martial arts to your children; giving them your time and confidence, is the best inheritance
Patience and Forgiveness are at the heart of A warrior's success, they help engender necessary intervals of space and time to evaluate difficult encounters.
The Hand (Kara-Te) is the cutting edge of the Mind
True Martial Arts is universal, simple and practical. Anything else is too complex to be used in combat.
Real Martial Arts is Mathematics, Physics, Poetry; Meditation in Action
Karate is many things, but mainly it's about synergy, ebb and flow, trial and error, action and reaction, rhythm of life, progress . . .
Karate is action, survival, living; hesitation is paralysis, reaction, mortality
. . as A martial arts teacher, we should never forget the first time we stepped onto the Dojo ground, remembering this, we will be better equipped to teach the next generation of Karate practitioners
The essence of warrior traits are demonstrated by : integrity with self, and honesty with others
Any self-defense situation has the potential to quickly become A 'life and death' situation, therefore your practice of martial arts should be undertaken, as if your very life depends on it . . .
The purpose of Karate is to guide you out of trouble by any means necessary, both in actual combat and in life
. . . there are two types of fighters, the former strike all over the place hoping one would land, the latter, assured of their prowess and capabilities, hit once and destroy the opponent's desire to continue the fight
A threat should never be spoken, your enemy should not be told of your intentions. Either take decisive action or refrain from it, but never threaten
To react, is to be A slave to someone else's actions. Sometimes, A warrior is faced with the decision to strike pre-emptively, trusting his intuition, wisdom and years of training
A Martial Artist may become A professional fighter but not every Fighter is capable of becoming A martial artist. Martial Arts are about restoration of physical and spiritual balance and fluidity; they are about observing restraints and 'setting example'. Every practice session is A reminder of the play of opposites (yin and yang), . . . .
Karate is not about techniques and their execution, but about boldness, integrity and fight for justice and common good
. . . for any worthwhile martial arts skill to be pragmatic, it has to be done live, otherwise it is of limited or no use in actual combat
Karate is not A religion, cult or dogma. It is incumbent on every generation of martial artists, to find the weaknesses of the previous generations, not to revere it . . .
Karate training will make you strong and confident, but restraint will make you respected
. . to be exceptional in martial arts, you must possess the 4 C's : Consistency, Commitment, Creativity and Competence
