Karate Ni Senti Nashi

Karate Ni Senti Nashi.

There is no first strike in karate.

I believe this axiom is very important for martial artists to remember and keep at the forefront of their minds. Martial artists have a bigger responsibility than most people when it comes to violence, since they are trained in combat, one would think they could easily come out the victor in a challenge. In most cases this would be true - ceteris paribus - the person with the higher skill level would be the victor. Martial artists must remember that the best way to avoid a fight is to not partake in it. However, if things get really bad then by all means do so, but if one can avoid a fight one should do so. There is no shame in walking away from a potential altercation before it exacerbates. This way pain and damage is avoided. It is easier to hit a person than not hit.