| Karate is a relatively new form of the martial | | | | called “The Human Weapon” that featured |
| arts. It was first developed on the Japanese | | | | Karate. The stars of the show traveled to |
| Island of Okinawa in the 1900's as a way for the | | | | Okinawa, trained in the form for a couple of days, |
| indigenous people to defend themselves against | | | | and one of them sparred against an |
| Japanese invaders. It is a highly popular fighting | | | | acknowledged master of the form. With only a |
| style, showcased in many Hollywood movies, | | | | few days of training, one of the stars fought the |
| from The Karate Kid to anything Chuck Norris. Is | | | | thoroughly trained fighter to a draw. |
| it really all that effective, though? | | | | |
| | | | | This brings out an intrinsic problem with Karate. |
| The inferiority of Karate as a fighting style can be | | | | For all the years he intensively trained, you would |
| easily summarized in one of its earliest | | | | think the black belt would wipe the floor with the |
| appearances in popular movies. Return of the | | | | newbie, but he didn’t. Sure, he was massively |
| Dragon featured Chuck Norris, one of the | | | | outsized, but that doesn’t excuse Karate as a |
| greatest living Karate fighters, going toe to toe | | | | form. If Karate worked, it wouldn’t matter |
| against Bruce Lee. Chuck Norris lost within a few | | | | how much larger the opponent was, he would |
| minutes – they literally spent more time taking | | | | have been dropped early on, rather than remain |
| their shirts off than they did fighting. While it could | | | | standing 3 rounds plus overtime later. |
| be said that it’s because Bruce Lee was | | | | |
| supposed to win, it’s still a fact that Karate is | | | | You should expect more from your self defense |
| a far more inferior form than Jeet Kune Do. | | | | course. In the street, you can expect to be |
| | | | | outsized, or outarmed or outnumbered. Your self |
| Let’s take it to even more recent | | | | defense should be able to take care of every |
| developments. There was an episode of a show | | | | situation. |