There is No First Attack in Karate

空手に先手無し
karate ni sente nashi

12 1/4″ W x 43″ H Japanese Scroll
by Master Japanese Calligrapher Eri Takase

$180.00

There is No First Attack in Karate in Japanese is 空手に先手無し which is read karate ni sente nashi

The Japanese sentence karate ni sente nashi means “There is no first attack (strike) in karate” and reminds us, as Mr. Miyagi would say, “karate is defense only.” This is the second rule in Niju Kun, or twenty rules, established by the founder of Shotokan Karate Gichin Funakoshi. For more information see the excellent article Karate ni Sente Nashi: What the Masters had to Say by Mark J. Tankosich.

karate ni sente nashi is composed of the kanji 空手 (read karate) meaning “Karate”, the grammatical element (read ni) meaning “in”, 先手 (read sente) meaning “first move; first strike” and 無し (read nashi) the verb meaning “no; without.

About The Art: This beautiful hand brushed scroll by Master Takase is personally created at the time of your order and proudly bears her seal and signature. We exclusively import this high-quality scroll with brown silk borders and fine Japanese paper from one of the finest scroll makers in Nara Japan. This is not a print but is hand brushed to match the sample as closely as possible. This is a personal work of art that is designed to last generations.

Delivery: The scroll is completed and shipped within 1-3 business days and arrives ready to display.