Isn’t karate inherently violent?
There is a saying that karate students live by: “In karate there is no first strike.” Karate is a defensive art. It teaches students to use the least amount of force necessary to resolve a conflict situation. Because students are trained in this way, and because they learn to manage their knee-jerk fear response, they are often able to resolve situations with less physical force than people without training. The karate ideal is to never use one’s skill outside class or legitimate competition.
