The Three Stages of Empty Hands Necessary to Understand True Karate

By Al Case

Most people think Karate is for children, to protect lunch money, or to win trophies. Nothing could be further from the real truth. True Karate means Empty Hands, and there are several layers to this meaning.

One meaning, as expressed by Ed Parker of Kenpo Karate, is that a student of Karate holds no weapon. "I come to you with only karate, empty hands. I have no weapons, but should I be forced to defend myself, my principles or my honor; should it be a matter of life or death, of right or wrong; then here are my weapons, karate, my empty hands."

This is a fine sentiment, a statement of honor, but it doesn't get to the spirit of the real empty hands that Karate represents. The original meaning of Karate was Naha-te, which translates as 'China Hands.' It was created by the Imperial Bodyguards of Okinawa to enable them to protect their king.

Interestingly, the name was changed by Gichin Funakoshi, who is considered to be the father of modern Karate. The reason for this change becomes obvious as one digs into the art, and finds some particularly zen concepts within. The first of these concepts is that one must become silent within while doing the art.

Silence in which one sees ones real foe. Silence, which presages and enhances the energy to be used. Of course, while having much depth, this technical necessity for silence is only a beginning.

If one is has learned silence, one has stopped the mind from 'talking'.' One has learned to see an opponent, ignore all distraction, ignore all outer movement, and has separated oneself from all inner thought, and this leads to the true meaning. The true meaning of the martial arts relates to one particular concept...having no thoughts.

When one is engrossed in reading a good book and loses all sense of time, when the world steps back, the mind has been suspended. Now immerse yourself in the chaos and conflict of the world, but do so to such a depth that all distractions go away, and there is nothing but you. Now do it in the middle of the chaos of real fighting.

There is the zen of it all, and there is the point of True Karate, and even of other martial arts. One must rid oneself of distraction and seek to perceive the world as it is. This is the truth which is behind the Empty Hands of Karate.

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