The Good - The Bad - The Ugly

By Sensei Lee Barden


It seems like every show on television and every movie in the theater has some " bad Karate dude" stomping one or more people half to death. In slow motion we see teeth and blood leaving the victims body in all directions. In stereo sound we here bones cracking and screams of pain and suffering. When it's over this bad dude walks away leaving a room full of beaten, broken bodies. Is this what you are training to do someday? NOT IN MY SCHOOL!

Every day that you train you become a little better, a little faster and a little stronger. You are becoming a weapon in every sense of the word. You cannot use this weapon to settle arguments at home, at school or at work. In most cases these are not life threatening situations. In a dispute with a companion at school it is not acceptable to lose your temper and take their face off with a spinning hook kick. As with any weapon you have the responsibility to use it only when necessary to defend yourself.

The training you receive here is not meant to make you "bad." You are a Martial Artist. At Karate Arts the emphasis is on the Art in Martial Artist - the GOOD! The bad and the ugly have no place within the study of the Martial Arts.

The study of the Karate Arts system is not to be taken lightly. It is not intended to build bullies, it eliminates them. It is not the whispering of secrets that will turn you into a "killer". It is hard work, similar to training for professional athletics. It is more sit ups than knock downs.

Our system is taught to promote health, self-esteem, self-confidence, and a positive attitude. Our students care deeply for each other. We don't strike each other to cause injuries, and we don't strain past our personal abilities and limitations. If your looking for a "hard fist" school, where you are allowed to beat up on those weaker and slower than you, this is not the place for you. If you are looking for exercise that will develop flexibility, power, self-confidence and self-defense, then this is the school for you.

Classes are a time to learn, not relearn. If you do not intend to practice at home, you will simply relearn what you forgot from the first class, you will not progress. We are taught by example, but we learn through repetition.