WORDS OF TOYAMA

“Understanding the true meaning of karate is essential because without it Karate appears fearful and destructive. To those who do not fully understand karate, it appears to be no more than a means of fighting. There are many who misunderstand what karate really is. True karate leads to a way of life. Karate shares with Judo, Kendo, Aikido, and even the tea ceremony or Japanese flower-arranging art, the common aim of cultivating the practitioner through physical and spiritual training. This type of physical and spiritual training and the discipline which accompanies it allows the seemingly impossible to be possible; it gives defense to the unarmed and even helps one in pursuing the goals in one’s life. Physical training so strict as karate naturally involves demanding mental training as well. Karate is a method of unifying the body and spirit and of making one’s life richer and more meaningful. Do not expect to turn karate into a self-defense method, a sport, or into anything useful in daily life in a short time. Karate like any other art requires much time." - Master Kanken Toyama