5 Quotes by Kenwa Mabuni

There are no styles of karate-do, just varying interpretations of its principles.

Karate-Do is a lifetime study.

Do not fall into the trap of thinking that just because a kata begins to the left that the opponent is attacking from the left.

A kata is not fixed or immoveable. Like water, it’s ever changing and fits itself to the shape of the vessel containing it. However, kata are not some kind of beautiful competitive dance, but a grand martial art of self-defense – which determines life and death.

The meaning of the directions in kata is not well understood, and frequently mistakes are made in the interpretation of kata movements. In extreme cases, it is sometimes heard that “this kata moves in 8 directions so it is designed for fighting 8 opponents” or some such nonsense.