A Dying Art

Total 360 Karate Blog July 2025

A dying art

For a long time, I took Port City Karate to learn how to defend myself. The police defense classes for police officers were not designed to help officers improve their skills.  To find a way to grow, I picked Port City Karate in Savannah, Georgia.  The style of karate was old and embodied traditions and values that were often seen. This was 20 years ago. When your Sensei spoke, you didn’t; you listened.  If you got punishments, you did them.  These ideals grew and helped me find the purpose of my education in karate.

The true art of karate is not only the physicality but also the passing down of the old traditions, methods, and art of the style. I began a very daunting task in 2005 of researching the traditions of karate.   I used resources like the US Federation, the International Chito Ryu Association, dojos, and styles to build my knowledge of what it was like before me. Dr. Dometrich’s book, The Endless Quest, is a great example of a recorded history of events.

With these events and cultures needing to be preserved, we have to find a way to honor and pass on the traditions to younger generations. I examine the value, tradition, and custom, and then work to bring them into our dojo.  An example of this is the traditional floor bowing.  We used to have a simple bow.  We added the custom of dojo floor bowing, stepping onto the floor bowing, and bowing to the senior students. This was added back after watching other dojos and the lack of respect for the training space. 

As a historian of karate, I continue to work to find the things that not only show the art but also the customs that should be a part of a warrior's way of life.  Life will give us so many options on how we can live, but a warrior's life changes everything. It is an honor to be a part of a collective of individuals who have spent their lives studying karate.   What customs would you want someone to remember about your culture?