How many times have you heard something along the lines of "karate is about the pursuit of perfection"? Striving for the perfect form, the perfect punch, the perfect kick. It needs to be perfect. You need to be the perfect karateka. It is a standard, which cannot be met. It is impossible, and if nothing short of perfect will do, what's the point of practicing karate? If everything just short of perfect is all junk, and you can't get to perfect than you're just left with junk. This unobtainable goal makes karate an endless chore, which only the most masochistic of us will endure. Side note: maybe that's why so many of them ask to be hit?
So don't be perfect. Don't be perfect. Give everything you've got to practice, but do so because it's fun, not because it needs to be "perfect." If it's not fun, why bother? Go kayaking or something. I think less than one percent of the population depending on where you live will experience violent crime. It's almost statistically speaking insignificant. Car maintenance is probably more important as regards to your safety. Karate ends up being just a lot of practice, and if you can't make practice fun than you aren't going to practice. You just won't do it. So go practice karate, forget about being perfect and have fun. Play with the kata. Everyday just ask yourself, "how can I use my kata to hurt someone?" and go from there. Experiment and see what you find.
So don't be perfect. Don't be perfect. Give everything you've got to practice, but do so because it's fun, not because it needs to be "perfect." If it's not fun, why bother? Go kayaking or something. I think less than one percent of the population depending on where you live will experience violent crime. It's almost statistically speaking insignificant. Car maintenance is probably more important as regards to your safety. Karate ends up being just a lot of practice, and if you can't make practice fun than you aren't going to practice. You just won't do it. So go practice karate, forget about being perfect and have fun. Play with the kata. Everyday just ask yourself, "how can I use my kata to hurt someone?" and go from there. Experiment and see what you find.
