Karate Quotes
The below are a collection of quotes from the old masters of karate, men who pioneered it's development in the late 19th and early 20th century, and who saw it's alteration from the practical fighting art of Okinawa through the system of physical development of the Japanese to the modern international sport it is.

Many of the old masters decried the drastic changes to karate which took place over this time, particularly the loss of it's grappling techniques and the reduction of the kata to empty forms with no application. 

We follow in the footsteps of these masters and endeavour to bring karate full circle, back to it's holistic and practically applicable fighting methods.

These quote remind us of this duty to reinvigorate karate, and bring martial back into the martial art. 

“Karate cannot be adequately learned in a short space of time. Like a torpid bull, regardless of how slowly it moves, it will eventually cover a thousand miles. So too, for one who resolves to study Karate diligently two or three hours every day. After three or four years of unremitting effort one’s body will undergo a great transformation revealing the very essence of Karate.” – Anko Itosu (the grandfather of modern Karate)

“One must always keep in mind that since the essence of karate is found in a single thrust or kick, and one should never be grasped by or grapple with an opponent, one must be careful not to be defeated through being overly concerned with throwing an opponent or applying a joint punishment hold.” - Gichin Funakoshi

“Once a kata has been learned, it must be practiced repeatedly until it can be applied in an emergency, for knowledge of just the sequence of a form in Karate is useless.” – Gichin Funakoshi

“Karate is a lifetime study” – Kenwa Mabuni

“A student well versed in even one technique will naturally see corresponding points in other techniques. An upper level punch, a lower punch, a front punch and a reverse punch are all essentially the same. Looking over thirty-odd kata, he should be able to see that they are essentially variations on just a handful.” – Gichin Funakoshi

“In the old days we trained Karate as a martial art, but now they train Karate as a gymnastic sport. I think we must avoid treating Karate as a sport – it must be a martial art at all times! Your fingers and the tips of your toes must be like arrows, your arms must be like iron. You have to think that if you kick, you try to kick the enemy dead. If you punch, you must thrust to kill. If you strike, then you strike to kill the enemy. This is the spirit you need in order to progress in your training.” – Choshin Chibana (founder of Kobayashi Shorin-ryu Karate
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