Forward motion is the most natural kind of motion for the human body. We have better balance moving forward than we do moving backwards or sideways. It is a function of our anatomy that we are best suited to move, walk, run, play, and use our limbs in the forward direction. It only makes sense then that this would be the fundamental lesson. It’s a crucial one though, because in the chaos of conflict, we can quickly lose our bearing, orientation, and balance if we’re not ready and trained. Therefore, we train to move forward toward our opponent, no matter what.

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Traditional Chinese martial arts, the source of Okinawan karate, typically produce martial competency after 10 years of training. Itosu sought something better, something outside of this established tradition. He wanted to redefine the standards of training and develop martial  proficiency in less time. He also wanted to be able to spread karate in a big way. With secret traditions taking decades to master, karate was ready for a breath of fresh air.

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