Karate: the art of empty self
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| The Cover of Karate: the art of empty self |
I have no idea where I picked up this book. I am not sure how it came into my possession, but here it is on my bookshelf. A curious little tome by Terrence Webster-Doyle who has written in a kind of Kahlil Gibran-esque style. What this is, is a book of poetry and thoughts about karate and karate training. It seems a bit odd on the outset but has a bunch of interesting truisms. If poetry is not your bag, or philosophical musings for that matter, this book is not for you.
It is hard to have this book next to reviews like the Best Karate series, Dynamic Karate, or Advanced Karate-Do. But it is a fun little read anyway, not to be taken too deeply, but just enjoyed at face value. So if you have an extra 15 bucks burning a hole in your pocket you might get this book just for fun. But if you do not have Dynamic Karate yet, hold onto your cash and go get that first.
Karate is first and foremost about the self-defense. Yes, it is fun to sit around sipping cafe lattes and think about the “deeper” questions of karate. It is fun to discuss the nature of the universe with friends. Personally, I enjoy these kinds of discussions. I like talking about theology, myths, literature, aesthetics, and lots of other things I know little about.
This book also promotes two groups, The Martial Arts for Peace Association (MAPA) and The Atrium Society. Webster-Doyle states that there are no “ritualistic functions” with these groups, perhaps in an effort to shake any cult associations. But who knows, these might be interesting things to investigate further. Throughout this book, the author talks about understanding violence clearly in order to be a peaceful person. That makes some sense to me. Webster-Doyle also has done some work in de-escalation of violence seminars, conflict management and resolution, and some counseling.
This book may not teach you what you need to know about good round-house kicks, but it might have some value you for you in other respects. Not recommended for everyone, but is mostly for the cafe latte crowd at Starbucks.
Enjoy!
Mark Groenewold
Kanazawa, Japan
December, 2002
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