Karate Explained

Kime is not just power.

In karate, kime is often associated with sharp technique, visible strength, or muscular tension.

But the deeper meaning points toward something more precise.

Kime is commonly written as 決め, from 決める (kimeru), meaning to decide or determine. In practice, it is the moment where body, breath, timing, technique, and intent come together with purpose.

A recent member question inspired me to finish this Karate Micro Insight, especially around the kanji and how kime can appear in different martial arts terms.

The pronunciation may be the same, but the kanji and context can slightly change the meaning.

True kime is not simply tension.

It is the moment movement becomes decision.

Read the full article here:
https://karateexplained.com/vault/kime-in-karate/

How do you understand kime in your own karate — as power, tension, focus, or decision?

🥋 OSU OR HAI?

For many karate practitioners, Osu is one of the most commonly used words in the dojo. It can be heard in training halls around the world as a greeting, acknowledgement, or expression of spirit.

Yet during a conversation with Mabuni Kenzo Soke, son of Sh*to-Ryu founder Kenwa Mabuni, I heard a perspective that challenged my understanding of the term and its place within traditional karate.

That conversation led me to explore:

✅ The origins of Osu
✅ Its connection to Japanese military culture
✅ Why it is not traditionally Okinawan
✅ Why some instructors prefer the use of Hai instead

The result was a deeper appreciation of the cultural traditions, etiquette, and history that shape karate today.

If you've ever wondered about the true meaning of Osu, you may find this article interesting.

📖 Read the full article:

https://karateexplained.com/vault/osu-in-karate/

*toRyu

Karate Reflection: Continual Improvement

During a recent training session, we spoke about the idea of kaizen — continual improvement.

Karate is not something we ever truly “finish.” No matter how long we have trained, there is always something to refine, something to understand more deeply, and something that can be improved.

Personal development in karate does not stop because we reach a certain grade or level. It only stops when we stop training.

In karate, we should not measure our progress by comparing ourselves with other people. Each person has their own journey, their own challenges, and their own reasons for training.

What matters is whether we continue to improve, continue to learn, and continue to turn up with honest effort.

One of our black belts recently made a simple but powerful comment:

“Training is not about being perfect. It is about turning up consistently and putting in the effort.”

That reminded me of the Japanese saying:

継続は力なり

Keizoku wa chikara nari

Continuity becomes strength.

In karate, progress is not always dramatic. Sometimes it is quiet. Sometimes it comes from repeating the same kata, the same kihon, or the same principle many times over, until something begins to make more sense.

Improvement is not about chasing perfection.

It is about continuing.

Turning up.

Paying attention.

Putting in honest effort.

And allowing karate to keep shaping us over time.

What has consistency taught you in your own karate training?

I’ve also shared this reflection inside the Karate Explained community, where we can continue the discussion together.

You can join the community free here:
https://karateexplained.com/portal/space/karate-community/post/karate-reflection-of-the-week-continual

🥋 The More Answers I Found, The More Questions I Had

When we first begin karate, we often think the journey is about finding answers.

How do I stand correctly?
How do I punch properly?
How do I remember the kata?
What do I need to do for my next grading?

But over time, the questions begin to change.

We start asking why a movement exists, what principle it represents, how it functions under pressure, and what we may still be missing.

That is one of the reasons karate remains such a lifelong study.

The kata has not changed.
The student has.

This latest Karate Perspectives article explores curiosity, kata, long-term training, and why remaining Forever a Student may be one of karate’s greatest lessons.

👉 Read the full article here:
https://karateexplained.com/vault/questions-in-karate/

Reflection:
What question has changed the way you understand your karate?

Karate often begins with physical goals.

Fitness.
Self-defence.
Confidence.
Achievement.

But if we continue training long enough, something changes.

Over time, karate can become less about proving something — and more about refinement, perspective, resilience, continuity, and personal growth.

This new Karate Perspectives article reflects on how our relationship with karate evolves through different stages of life, and why being “Forever a Student” means something different as the years pass.

🥋 Forever a Student
How Our Relationship With Karate Changes Over Time

🔶 Read the full article on Karate Explained:
https://karateexplained.com/vault/forever-a-student/

What does being “Forever a Student” mean to you at your current stage of training?

The Karate Explained mobile app is now available, giving members a simpler and more connected way to access the Karate Explained ecosystem.

The app allows you to:
• access the community more easily
• stay connected with discussions and updates
• use group and private messaging
• engage with karate content in a mobile-friendly environment
• continue learning and interacting wherever you are

Karate Explained was built to support karate-ka beyond the dojo through ongoing learning, discussion, and shared understanding — and the app is another step in that journey.

This is only the beginning, and the platform will continue to evolve over time.

Forever a Student.
https://karateexplained.com/mobile-app/

Issue #3 of Karate Bites is now live.

Karate Bites is part of the Karate Explained ecosystem — created to help karate-ka deepen their understanding of traditional karate beyond physical technique alone.

Inside each issue you’ll find insights, concepts, terminology, reflections, and educational content designed to support your ongoing karate journey both inside and outside the dojo.

Karate is more than movement.
It is understanding.
It is perspective.
It is lifelong study.

Thank you to everyone continuing to support the growth of the Karate Explained community.

Forever a Student.

Karate Bites #3 — Sincerity in Karate Reflect on sincerity in karate, lineage, and traditional practice through a meaningful piece of calligraphy by Mabuni Kenzo Soke.

Most karate students hear Mushin translated as “empty mind” and assume it means not thinking.

That interpretation misses the deeper lesson.

Mushin is not about having no thoughts.

It is about removing hesitation, fear, ego, and unnecessary mental noise so that action becomes clear and appropriate.

In karate, Mushin means being fully present in the moment.

Calm under pressure.
Clear in decision.
Ready without tension.

It applies far beyond the dojo.

This is one of the most misunderstood concepts in traditional karate.

Full article here:
https://karateexplained.com/vault/mushin-the-empty-mind/

What does Mushin mean to you?

Most karate students focus on the techniques inside a kata…

…but the real lesson often begins before the first movement is even complete.

The opening of a kata reveals intent, awareness, and application—if you know how to interpret it.

This is where training shifts from repetition to understanding.

Read more here:
https://karateexplained.com/vault/what-the-opening-of-a-kata-reveals/