I watched in horror on the news. Here you have a half a dozen Somali pirates squatting in a dilapidated dory…. they look to be sharing a few automatic weapons between them; one has a rocket launcher (where in the heck did he get that?) … and here they are speeding towards a multi-million dollar tanker to hijack it.

To be perfectly blunt I have no sympathies toward piracy; I have never been to Somalia nor have I ever been attacked while at sea.

What I do notice about these pirates is that in the face of unsurmountable odds they are relentless in their attacks & taking the David verses Goliath approach to achieve their goals.

Now think about your Karate training; are you training for the harsh reality of an against-all-odds defensive fight; not just to protect yourself but your whole family?

Do you move with utmost conviction when you practice Kata or are you easily distracted and perform it as simply a dance?

When you perform a two person set, bunkai or drill, do you have explosive intent or are you just going through the motions without even trying to get through your ‘opponent’?

I cannot condone what is going on over in Somalia but I do understand their plight; when you understand the notion of have nothing to lose, when you train as the stakes are real, you will not hesitate in your actions.

Most of us started Karate for that very day; the day when we have to protect ourself or family from absolute and unrestrained violent acts and/or certain devastation. But do we actually train this way?

Has our Karate become nothing more than a recreational dance?

More questions than answers … train hard.