subject: zen and karate [print this page] What is the relationship between Zen and Karate? - that is the subject of many books- and is a question that many karatekas (practitioners) have. Mas Oyama - a great master who passed away several decades ago, often said that Zen is karate and karate is Zen"- and in a way, that says it all. One might "define" Zen as "being in the moment"- as broad as that may sound. And, karate is all about being in the moment- let's take board breaking- and what that entails- the moment of "focus"- that split second where the students fist passes through and breaks one or more boards- that is the quintessence of being in the moment- and focusing all of one's being at a particular point in time and space- the tiny point of a board- and the energy that is imparted at that microsecond. It takes total concentration- and also a "letting go" of one's being- one's self.
In addition, Zen is manifest in many other aspects of karate- for example- kata, or, the forms of karate- patterns of fighting/techniques that a student practices many, many times. It's a way of "getting into the zone"- and as such, is a good way to enter a kind of Zen state- the "no-mind"state- which is what Zen students "strive for" when meditating. Often, this state is achieved by utilizing various koans- or riddles- such as "what is the sound of one hand clapping?" Karate is, like Zen, beyond life and death- it is a form of pure being- or an art that is grounded in pure being. In fact, one of the meanings of the word "karate" is, the art of the empty hand- but that can also mean the empty mind- which is a hallmark of the eastern way of perceiving the world. Of course Zen, and Karate, - they do not have East/West boundaries- they are both a universal concept- since being itself is obviously a universal notion- never limited to any time nor place.
Interestingly, both Zen and Karate, can be practiced by anyone, and there is absolutely no other religious of cultural pre-condition- since "being" is common to all life.
