What does karate mean?

[Lisa Clark]

Mr. Oliver often asks the Little Dragon class. The translation is empty hand. That's only one meaning though.

I was talking to someone the other day about what karate meant to her. She was trying out some dojos in the Sacramento area since she moved her recently from the bay area. She liked karate because it stimulated her mind and body. Admittedly, she was pretty hard core during warm up exercises. Her discipline showed through too.

That was a few weeks ago and it got me to thinking. What does karate mean to me?

I started tae kwon do when I was in 2nd grade. An instructor offered to start a class at our after school daycare. I begged my mom for a whole month before she agreed. There were five of us who started the class together. A week later the teacher stopped coming. Karate meant broken promises to a little girl and a waste of money to my mom.

Well its been 1 year and 3 weeks since I started studying Isshinryu with Mr. Oliver. It began as good fun exercise. Don't get me wrong, it was hard. I found muscles I never knew I could hurt. The cobra push ups found pelvic muscles and shoulder strains all in one movement. I couldn't get enough! Each basic became more important though. Kata was next. Each new section of Seisan felt like I was learning a secret karate history. Until recently, karate had been a way to loose weight and tone while learning a little Japanese, discovering secrets locked in history, enjoying the company of friends, and making new ones. Its still all of those things, but its more. Still figuring it all and loving every minute of it!

In the meantime, karate translates as empty hand.