Nippon Tigers Shotokan Karate Club

Most people don’t quit karate because it “doesn’t work.” They quit because karate demands something modern life rarely asks for anymore: patience. It forces people to face discomfort without instant rewards, to repeat the same movements thousands of times without applause, and to keep going even when progress feels invisible. Karate slowly strips away ego, excuses, and shortcuts, and for many people, that process becomes harder than the training itself.

It hurts
Karate introduces pain early. Sore legs, bruised ribs, swollen knuckles, and exhaustion become regular experiences. Many beginners arrive expecting action-movie excitement, but instead discover conditioning, repetition, and physical struggle. Pain becomes the first real test because not everyone is willing to suffer long enough to improve.

It’s repetitive
Real skill is built through endless repetition. The same punch, the same kick, the same stance — over and over again until the body reacts without thinking. To outsiders it can seem boring, but repetition is where precision is created. Most people quit before they understand that mastery is hidden inside monotony.

Progress is slow
Karate rarely gives instant results. Improvements happen so gradually that students often fail to notice them themselves. Weeks of training may only produce tiny changes in balance, timing, or technique. In a world addicted to fast results, slow progress discourages people who expect quick success.

Sparring is scary
Getting hit changes people. The fear before sparring is real because it exposes insecurity, hesitation, and self-doubt. Many students discover that fighting another trained person is far more intense than they imagined. Sparring forces people to stay calm under pressure, and not everyone is comfortable facing that fear repeatedly.

Discipline is hard
Motivation disappears quickly, but discipline is what keeps martial artists training anyway. Karate demands consistency even on days when energy, confidence, or enthusiasm are gone. Waking up to train, pushing through fatigue, and showing up repeatedly becomes mentally exhausting for people who rely only on motivation.

Nobody claps for practice
Most karate progress happens in silence. Nobody celebrates the extra hours of stretching, conditioning, drilling, or correcting mistakes. Social media rewards highlights, but martial arts are built on invisible work. Many people lose interest when they realize improvement requires effort long before recognition appears.

You lose before you win
Failure is unavoidable in karate. Students lose sparring rounds, fail techniques, make mistakes, and sometimes get completely overwhelmed. Those moments damage pride, but they also create humility and resilience. The people who eventually become strong are usually the ones who learned how to continue after embarrassing defeats.

Black belts take years
Many beginners dream about the black belt without understanding what it truly represents. Years of sacrifice, repetition, injuries, setbacks, and discipline stand behind that rank. Karate is not designed to reward impatience. The long journey filters out everyone searching for shortcuts and leaves behind only those willing to commit fully.

The reason Gichin Funakoshi did not hold a dan rank comes down to philosophy, timing, and humility.
First, timing matters. When Funakoshi began training in Okinawa, karate didn’t use belts or dan rankings at all. It was taught privately, and progress was judged by skill and character—not titles.
Second, when he later introduced the dan system (influenced by Jigoro Kano), he used it for students, not for himself. He saw ranking as a teaching structure, not a personal achievement.
Most importantly, his philosophy rejected self-promotion. Funakoshi believed karate was a lifelong path with no final level. If he gave himself a rank, it would suggest he had “arrived”—and to him, that idea went against the spirit of continuous improvement.
That’s why:
He created the system
He awarded ranks to others
But he never claimed one for himself
After his death, others gave him 10th Dan, but that was an honor—not his own claim.
👉 In simple terms:
He had no rank because he believed true mastery has no rank.

Goran Stankovic Sensei Japanese graded 6th dan. Karate classes starting May 4th at Urban flex 2.0 Gym opposite Germiston lake contract Sensei Goran on 082 666 6789 for more information. OSS!

Karate classes starting May 4th 2026 at the Urban Flex 2.0 Gym, cnr Lake road and William Hills Ave, Denlee (Lambton). Instructor Goran Stankovic Sensei Japanese graded 6th dan. Phone 082 666 6789 for more information.

Instructor Goran Stankovic Sensei, Japanese graded 6th dan.