This is the first article in my series exploring the differences between Bullshido and traditional karate. I will examine what truly defines authentic karate practice and how it contrasts with the often-deceptive techniques promoted by bullshido practitioners.
Understanding the Term Bullshido
The word bullshido combines “bullshit” and “bushido”, the old Japanese code of conduct for samurai. It became a term used to criticize fake, dishonest, or unrealistic martial arts. The idea spread through the early internet in the late 1990s and early 2000s, when practitioners started using online forums to expose fraudulent teachers and martial arts schools.
At its core, bullshido means training or teaching that looks martial but is disconnected from any real ability to defend oneself. It is not aimed at specific styles but rather at behavior – false rank claims, empty forms, no-contact sparring, or selling belts for money. In short, it refers to martial arts that have lost their link to reality.
What Bullshido Criticizes
People use the term bullshido when they see practices that clearly fail under pressure or lack honesty about purpose. Common examples include:
- Instructors with self-granted ranks or invented lineages.
- Schools that guarantee a black belt after a certain period, regardless of skill.
- Dojos with no sparring or resistance, yet claiming street-fighting effectiveness.
- Teachers who claim supernatural powers, such as using “chi” or “ki” to knock opponents down without contact.
- Systems that rely only on theory, not on practical experience.
These problems are not limited to any one martial art. They exist in both Eastern and Western systems, from traditional kung fu and karate to modern self-defense programs.
Bullshido and the Rise of McDojos
The McDojo is a related idea. It describes martial arts schools that prioritize profit over skill. These schools often have high testing fees, monthly/frequently belt promotions, and minimal standards. Students receive new ranks at fixed time intervals instead of demonstrating real improvement. The training is often shallow and based on exaggerated success stories.
How the Bullshido Movement Developed
By the early 2000s, martial artists from boxing, judo, BJJ, MMA, and traditional systems began meeting online to discuss what actually worked in real combat. Videos started showing teachers claiming to knock people down without touching them or beating multiple attackers with unrealistic techniques. When challenged under real resistance, those demonstrations often failed.
This online movement exposed fake techniques, unverified instructors, and systems that promised but couldn’t deliver real combat results, but it also created confusion. Some people began using the term bullshido to criticize traditional systems just because they trained with kata or structured drills.
Misunderstanding Traditional Karate
Many people in modern combat sports misjudge karate because they see it only through the lens of ring fighting. When they observe kata practice, they think it is ineffective or unrealistic. However, karate was not designed for competition. It was a civilian self-defense art developed for quick, close-range encounters.
Traditional karate focuses on:
- Effective counterattacks at short distances.
- Controlling and quickly ending the fight with the opponent.
- Integrating strikes, kicks, locks, grappling, and takedowns into one system.
Kata movements are condensed lessons in these methods. When practiced correctly and applied through bunkai, they teach practical techniques that fit real situations. The problem arises when people copy the outer form without knowing the function.
When Traditional Karate Becomes Misrepresented
Some karate schools, especially those influenced by sport-focused approaches, may have lost contact with the combative roots of kata. This happens when teachers:
- Teach kata only as choreography.
- Do not explain or train the applications.
- Discourage contact or resistance.
- Add unnecessary mysticism to movements.
In such cases, karate can indeed slide into bullshido, not because of the system itself, but because its essence has been removed. The art becomes an empty movement. When a student believes that these rehearsed motions will stop a real attack, the instructor has failed to transmit true martial knowledge.
Okinawan Roots and the Original Standards
Early Okinawan masters such as Motobu Choki, Kyan Chotoku, Aragaki Seisho, and Itosu Anko based their training on live experience. They tested techniques either in street encounters, at local gatherings, or against resisting partners. Ability was proven through application.
Motobu Choki was known for fighting in public to confirm that his methods worked. He criticized karate that relied only on theory, saying that “kumite is the heart of karate”. That spirit was far from bullshido; it was direct, practical, and honest.
Modern teachers who follow this approach – by combining kata with partner drills and pressure testing – preserve the original Okinawan spirit and avoid all the traps that lead to false martial arts.
Bunkai as a Reality Check
Kata without bunkai is incomplete. Bunkai without resistance is weak. The traditional method ties them together. True bunkai training includes:
- Working with a partner who resists or counteracts.
- Adjusting distance, timing, and angle under stress.
- Understanding that a single kata movement can have several functional uses.
When practiced in this way, kata becomes a compressed fighting manual. It loses its meaning only when taught as empty choreography for demonstrations and grading exams.
Testing and Realism in Traditional Dojos
Realism in traditional karate does not always mean full-contact fighting. It means testing for purpose. Old-style Okinawan training included body conditioning, paired drills, and semi-free fighting to confirm effectiveness. A strike, lock, or throw was expected to work when delivered with intent.
Modern dojos that follow this model often include:
- Two-person kata drills, where both sides practice response and counter-response.
- Impact training on pads and makiwara to develop real striking power.
- Scenario training, simulating surprise attacks or close-distance defense.
This kind of training answers the bullshido critique directly. It connects the tradition to modern expectations for proof without abandoning the cultural foundation of karate.
The Line Between Art and Fraud
Not every traditional practice should be measured by combat performance. Some dojos train for health, discipline, or cultural preservation, and that is acceptable if stated clearly. The problem arises when teachers make false claims – such as saying their slow-motion kata or symbolic energy drills will make a person unbeatable.
The dividing line is honesty. If a school says, “We train for culture and fitness”, then there is no fraud. If a school says, “We train for combat”, then the training must reflect that claim.
In Okinawan culture, teachers were expected to be modest. A true sensei did not call himself a grandmaster or claim secret powers. Those who exaggerate credentials or sell ranks betray both the martial and ethical side of karate.
Thanks for reading, and stay tuned for the follow-up article, where I will continue on how to identify authentic training versus false claims. This second part will provide valuable insights for practitioners and enthusiasts alike.
Cheers, Gert
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