Empty Hand: BioVlog 45 of 384

I join Murphy’s school at a fee of six dollars per month, which is the Mexican rate he kindly offers me; the U.S. rate is nine dollars a month.  

After I join, I have no idea what is in store for me. How could I? One’s weapons are hands, feet, arms, and legs. Unlike cardsharping, which primarily utilizes the hands, karate permits one to use everything a trained athlete’s body has at their disposal: memory, laser-focused concentration, swiftness, and canny balance. 

I learn that “karate” is made up of two words: “Kara” meaning empty, and “te” meaning hand. So, karate literally means, empty hand. 

I already consider my hands as sacred extensions of who I am and want to be – but that is with a deck of cards. So, my karate training begins in earnest and, once initiated, the life-lessons begin.