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As time wore on and Japan became a unified nation under the Tokugawa clan (c. 1600), the need for combat-ready warriors lessened. The training in technique and Zen intensified, and warriors no longer called upon to fight in clan wars attempted to refine and perfect their fighting techniques. This led to advances in martial arts techniques and ultimately to a greater emphasis on Zen training in the martial arts.

By the time karate was introduced to Japan proper in the early twentieth century, the Zen tradition in martial arts was so strong that practically every martial artist strove to perfect his technique by using Zen concentration. When Zen-influenced karate was introduced from Okinawa, it was readily accepted into the family of Japanese martial arts. Virtually all classical karate systems today keep the Zen tradition, and its principles underlie all of them.

Zen and Karate

Much has been made of the relationship between karate and Zen Buddhism; however, it seems that many students who wish to master karate fail to comprehend the connection. They still seek verbal answers to that which must be understood nonverbally.