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Alongside karate, the various “ways of the warrior“ that Japan has exported to the world include such venerable disciplines as judo, aikido, and kendo. What all of these martial arts have in common is an emphasis on spiritual development. Not only do you learn how to fight, ideally you also become a better person. Okinawan karate, however, takes a very special approach. As we learn in this edition of Japanology Plus, the aim is to perfect techniques without ever needing to use them. Even if attacked, the practitioner of Okinawan karate will only strike at an opponent as a last resort — but pity the individual who forces such a turn of events. Nowadays karate is known the world over, but in its original form in Okinawa, the discipline is so true to the fundamental ideal of non-aggression that there is no competitive version. Instead, the most traditional dojo (training spaces) focus on a relentless pursuit of perfection through the repetition of forms (kata), which may be put into practice in kumite, a dri
