106+ Best Karate Quotes To Make You Greatest

Karate is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Kingdom. It developed from the indigenous Ryukyuan martial arts under the influence of Kung Fu, particularly Fujian White Crane. Profoundly inspirational karate quotes will get you through anything when the going gets tough and help you succeed in every aspect of life.

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Famous Karate Quotes

If you don’t overcome your tendency to give up easily, your life will lead to nothing. — Mas Oyama

Never depart from the way of martial arts. — Miyamoto Musashi

Karate aims to build character, improve human behavior, and cultivate modesty; it does not, however, guarantee it. — Yasuhiro Konishi

It is important to alter the form of the trained kata without hesitation to produce countless other forms of training. — Hironori Otsuka

Each of us has his cowardice. Each of us is afraid to lose, afraid to die. But hanging back is the way to remain a coward for life. The Way to find courage is to seek it on the field of conflict. And the sure way to victory is willingness to risk one’s own lifeIf you don’t overcome your tendency to give up easily, your life will lead to nothing. — Mas Oyama

Karate-do is definitely a martial way, and its identity lies in do or principles. Any martial art without proper training of the mind turns into beastly behavior. — Shoshin Nagamine

I’m a trained martial artist. My parents were both martial artists. — Lynn Collins

The more understanding you have about Karate, the less you need to change or modify it. — Tsuguo Sakumoto

Karate is like boiling water, if you do not heat it constantly, it will cool. — Gichin Funakoshi

Every talent must unfold itself in fighting. — Friedrich Nietzsche

Many Karate teachers teach a watered down style – no hip action and no depth of punching – so it is easy to say that these teachers have no depth to their knowledge. You are what your teacher is, and if he knows a lot, you should be able to demonstrate this knowledge. — Yuchoku Higa

The purpose of Karate is to guide you out of trouble by any means necessary, both in actual combat and in life. — Soke Behzad Ahmadi

If mere mechanical efficiency can make everyone a martial artist, then all is well. Unfortunately, combat, like freedom, is something that can not be preconceived. — Bruce Lee

Karate has no philosophy. Some people think that the tradition of Karate came from Buddhism and Karate has a connection with the absolute, space and universe, but I don’t believe in that. My philosophy is to knock my opponent out, due to the use of only one technique. One finishing blow! — Mikio Yahara

I do mixed martial arts, mainly kickboxing. — Gail Porter

I’m a martial arts buff, so anything martial arts. — Noah Hathaway

In the past, it was expected that about three years were required to learn a single kata, and usually even an expert of considerable skill would only know three, or at most five, kata. — Gichin Funakoshi

Lesson not just karate only. Lesson for whole life. Whole life have a balance. Everything be better. — Miyagi

I’ve always been interested in martial arts. — Tracy Spiridakos

To all those whose progress remains hampered by ego-related distractions, let humility – the spiritual cornerstone upon which Karate rests – serve to remind one to place virtue before vice, values before vanity and principles before personalities. — Sokon ‘Bushi’ Matsumura

Without knowledge action is useless and knowledge without action is futile. — Abu Bakr

Once a kata has been learned, it must be practiced repeatedly until it can be applied in an emergency, for knowledge of just the sequence of a form in Karate is useless. — Gichin Funakoshi

To be trained in karate is something because karate is a vicious thing. If you are any good at it, you can kill somebody with it. It is a vicious way to fight. — Thomas Foran

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. — Kenwa Mabuni

Karate is not about winning over others. It is about winning over one’s self. Ultimately, the most challenging opponents we face reside from within our hang-ups, our insecurities, our prejudices. Overcome these and you will have truly won. — David Walker

In the old days we trained Karate as a martial art, but now they train Karate as a gymnastic sport. I think we must avoid treating Karate as a sport – it must be a martial art at all times! Your fingers and the tips of your toes must be like arrows, your arms must be like iron. You have to think that if you kick, you try to kick the enemy dead. If you punch, you must thrust to kill. If you strike, then you strike to kill the enemy. This is the spirit you need in order to progress in your training. — Choshin Chibana

Inspirational Karate Quotes

Anything worth achieving will always have obstacles in the way. — Chuck Norris

I love doing action; I love doing martial arts. There’s almost something balletic about it. — Michelle Ryan

You must not fight too often with one enemy, or you will teach him all your art of war. — Napoleon Bonaparte

Optimism is a faith that leads to success. — Bruce Lee

It is difficult to understand the universe if you only study one planet — Miyamoto Musashi

Karate is not about techniques and their execution, but about boldness, integrity and fight for justice and common good. — Soke Behzad Ahmadi

If you change the rules on what controls you… you will change the rules on what you can control. — Guy Ritchie

Karate is a form of martial arts in which people who have had years and years of training can using only their hands and feet make some of the worst movies in the history of the world. — Dave Barry

I dislike death, however, there are some things I dislike more than death. Therefore, there are times when I will not avoid danger. — Mencius

We should open Karate to the public and receive criticism, opinions and studies from other prominent fighting artists. — Chojun Miyagi

Nothing is more harmful to the world than a martial art that is not effective in actual self-defense. — Choki Motobu

I’ve always been huge into martial arts. — Michael Steger

It is necessary to drink alcohol and pursue other fun human activities. The art (Karate) of someone who is too serious has no flavor. — Choki Motobu

My old ways of Karate was not readily accepted by everyone. They thought it was too outdated and too crude – I think it was just too hard or maybe my training methods were too severe. Whatever it was, it was the way I learned and the way I taught. It was only later, when the Americans came to learn, that I changed my ways. — Hohan Soken

I discovered martial arts . . . — Dolph Lundgren

Recently, some Karate men have used funny and strange sounding names for their own styles of Karate. A Karate man of this kind does not have a real understanding or knowledge of the orthodox Karate or he has no confidence in his ability as a Karate man. He uses these funny sounding names for his own style of Karate as an evasive answer when he has a hard time demonstrating a very difficult technique or even an incomplete one. […] Karate does not have any one style. Karate molds an individual to be the only object of defense or offense and, through this, it teaches the fundamental concept of self-protection. — Kanken Toyama

Karate is a defensive art from beginning to end. — Gichin Funakoshi

We fight, get beat, rise, and fight again. — Nathanael Greene

Even in the forty years that I have been practicing Karate, the changes have been many. It would be interesting to be able to go back in time, to the point when the kata were created, and study them. — Shigeru Egami

I stepped into the martial arts movie market when I was only 16. — Jet Li

A student well versed in even one technique will naturally see corresponding points in other techniques. A upper level punch, a lower punch, a front punch and a reverse punch are all essentially the same. Looking over thirty-odd kata, he should be able to see that they are essentially variations on just a handful. — Gichin Funakoshi

Since karate is a martial art, you must practice with the utmost seriousness from the very beginning. — Gichin Funakoshi

A true champion can adapt to anything. — Floyd Mayweather, Jr.

You may train for a long time, but if you merely move your hands and feet and jump up and down like a puppet, learning Karate is not very different from learning a dance. You will never have reached the heart of the matter; you will have failed to grasp the quintessence of Karate. — Gichin Funakoshi

One of the greatest gifts of the martial arts is that they ultimately guide us to new levels of spirituality. — Joseph Cardillo

Do nothing which is of no use. — Miyamoto Musashi

Our teachers did not give us a clear explanation of the kata from old times. I must find the features and meaning of each form by my own study and effort, by repeating the exercises of form through training. — Tsuyoshi Chitose

No one has the right to beat you. — Ronda Rousey

I’ve been learning martial arts since I was 8 years old. — Jet Li

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. — Kenwa Mabuni

Take what’s useful, discard what is not. — Bruce Lee

Spirit first, technique second. — Gichin Funakoshi

There’s a whole, that is a whole subgenre within martial arts cinema. The supernatural martial arts movie. Particularly within Asian cinema. — Scott Derrickson

Whatever luck I had, I made. I was never a natural athlete, but I paid my dues in sweat and concentration and took the time necessary to learn Karate and become World Champion. — Chuck Norris

I only want my work to make people happy. — Jackie Chan

Karate cannot be adequately learned in a short space of time. Like a torpid bull, regardless of how slowly it moves, it will eventually cover a thousand miles. So too, for one who resolves to study Karate diligently two or three hours every day. After three or four years of unremitting effort one’s body will undergo a great transformation revealing the very essence of Karate. — Anko Itosu

Karate is a very boring sport, but when you know the technique you can go further and further. — Jean-Claude Van Damme

I remember coming across some DVDs of the UFC and so I started watching that and became a fan of it. It was a little boring because of all the grabbing and holding and I fast-forwarded through a lot of it, but I still watched because I like martial arts. — Robbie Lawler

Karate is not a game. It is not a sport. It is not even a system of self-defense. Karate is half physical exercise and half spiritual. The karateist who has given the necessary years of exercise and meditation is a tranquil person. He is unafraid. He can even be calm in a burning building. — Mas Oyama

Under conditions of peace the warlike man attacks himself. — Friedrich Nietzsche

The techniques of kata have their limits and were never intended to be used against an opponent in an arena or on a battlefield. — Choki Motobu

All kata use the so-called postures (kamae). In fact, there are many kinds of postures and many kinds of kata. While learning these postures should not be totally ignored, we must be careful not to overlook that they are just forms or templates of sort; it is the function of their application which needs to be mastered. — Choki Motobu

There is no place in contemporary Karate for different schools. Some instructors, I know, claim to have invented new and unusual kata, and so they arrogate to themselves the right to be called founders of “schools”. Indeed, I have heard myself and my colleagues referred to as the Shotokan school, but I strongly object to this attempt at classification. My belief is that all these “schools” should be amalgamated into one, so that Karate may orderly progress into man’s future. — Gichin Funakoshi

Short Karate Quotes

Gain confidence and you banish fear. — Ed Parker

The truth is outside of all fixed patterns. — Bruce Lee

No matter how you excel in the art of “Ti” (Okinawan precursor to Karate), and in your scholastic endeavors, nothing is more important than your behavior and humanity as observed in daily life. — Junsoku Uekata

What is true stillness? Stillness in movement. — Bruce Lee

Obey the principles without being bound by them. — Bruce Lee

The ultimate goal in Karate is to defeat opponents in a real life-or-death situation. — Teruyuki Higa

If you think a thing is impossible,you’ll only make it impossible. — Bruce Lee

I always loved the idea of learning martial arts, but it wasn’t until I was in my 20s that I really started doing it and taking up karate. — Kelly Hu

The most powerful weapon on earth is the human soul on fire. ― Ferdinand Foch

Knowing is not enough, You must apply. — Bruce Lee

Karate may be referred to as the conflict within yourself, or a life-long marathon which can be won only through self-discipline, hard training, and your own creative efforts. — Shoshin Nagamine

Do not let circumstances control you. You change your circumstances. — Jackie Chan

A punch should stay like a treasure in the sleeve. It should not be used indiscrimately. — Chotoku Kyan

But even in my darkest days I had faith it would turn around. — Steve Harvey

The ultimate aim of Karate lies not in victory nor defeat, but in the perfection of the character of its participants.— Gichin Funakoshi

I’ve come from nowhere, and I’m not shy to go back. — Jason Statham

I know it’s probably wrong to fantasize about giving a nun a karate chop in the neck, but I couldn’t help it. She was making me mad. ― Meg Cabot

Since Karate exists for cultivating the spirit and training the body, it must be a moral way surpassing mere techniques. — Mas Oyama

To gain mastery you must unite the qualities of spirit, strength, technique and the ability to take the initiative. ― Sadami Yamada

Martial art has always been my first love. — Akshay Kumar

I would like to be in a superhero movie where I do martial arts. — Dakota Goyo

To understand your fear is the beginning of really seeing. — Bruce Lee

Karate is a technique that permits one to defend himself with his bare hands and fists without weapons. — Gichin Funakoshi

Karate is a lifetime study. — Kenwa Mabuni

True Martial Arts is universal, simple and practical. Anything else is too complex to be used in combat. ― Soke Behzad Ahmadi

Courage is being afraid, but then doing what you have to do anyway. — Rudy Giuliani

When you are learning about a martial art, it is about respect. — Jackie Chan

I am not teaching you anything. I just help you to explore yourself. — Bruce Lee

I haven’t placed any limits on myself — Randy Couture

Boards don’t hit back. — Bruce Lee

Those who are possessed by nothing possess everything. — Morihei Ueshiba

When I have eliminated the ways that will not work, I will find the way that will work. — Thomas A. Edison

Karate begins and ends with courtesy. This means respect others, refrain from violent behavior, practice fairness in the spirit of good sportsmanship. — Takahashi Miyagi

An exceptional Sensei has traits such as patience and integrity. Otherwise, natural fighting ability, cruelty and aggressive behavior may be observed in most animal predators. ― Soke Behzad Ahmadi

I never wanted to be the next Bruce Lee. I just wanted to be the first Jackie Chan. — Jackie Chan

Karate is action, survival, living; hesitation is paralysis, reaction, mortality. — Soke Behzad Ahmadi

Karate is for life, not points. — David Walker