It goes without saying that hate, intolerance, discrimination and violence have been the mark of mankind since the dawn of human history… and all efforts to curb this characteristic behavior through laws, religions and other forms of influence have failed.

In fact, male-dominated religions, the largest, most organized and most powerful of these efforts, have fueled rather than diminished the hatreds, the intolerance, the discrimination and the violence that have plagued humanity since day one.

But despite the evils that have been inherent in the dogma and teachings of religions and the propensity for evil that is part of the primitive nature of mankind, men in particular, ordinary people in many societies have achieved a level of civilization that is praiseworthy.

However, most countries in the world remain awash in irrational and violent behavior because their cultures are generally incapable of instilling in people the mindset that is necessary to build and sustain rational, positive, humane, and constructive societies.

The reasons for these cultural failures have been known to many people for ages, but the very evils that have traditionally plagued mankind have prevented most societies from being able to create the kind of cultures they could have.

The problem is that the beliefs and institutions that control the behavior of most humans make it virtually impossible for people to agree on and work together to develop and implement educational and training systems that would transform the way children are raised.

As simplistic and perhaps as other-worldly as it may sound, there is one training program that all children could be enrolled in at an early age that would go a long way toward instilling in them many of the cultural attributes that are the most desirable and admirable in human beings—and the only thing their parents would have to do is enroll them in this program and keep them in it from around the age of five to fifteen.

This program is nothing more esoteric or mysterious than the physical, emotional, intellectual and philosophical training provided by the modern-day version of karate (kah-rah-tay), originally imported into mainland Japan from distant Okinawa after that island was conquered by a Japanese warlord in 1609 and the residents were forbidden to have weapons of any kind.

Bereft of weapons, Okinawan warriors soon developed the ancient Chinese version of karate [“empty hand”] into a more formidable martial art, making it possible for them to inflict serious injury or death on a person using only their hands.

During the following centuries of the Tokugawa era [1603-1867] karate was gradually subsumed into the training of the samurai who ruled Japan and Okinawa. Later, after the fall of the Tokugawa Shogunate in 1867 and dissolution of the samurai class in 1870, karate became a part of the training of Japan’s imperial army and police forces.

By the early 1900s farsighted martial arts masters had transformed karate into a sport aimed at developing the character of the individual, with special emphasis on respect for others, concentration, self-confidence, diligence, a sense of order, perseverance, honesty and courage.

Today most people around the world are familiar with the word karate as a result of movies, video games and comic books which continue to present it as a fighting technique, but in real life training in karate is aimed at building the kind of character and behavior that all parents would like to see in their children.

The number of karate training centers around the world is growing [there are over 3,000 in the U.S. alone] as more and more parents come to understand that its remarkable benefits include improving the character, personality and behavior of their children.

I believe that the physical, emotional and philosophical discipline offered by karate training could go a long way toward reducing many of the evils that continue to afflict mankind—if not eliminating some of them altogether—and advocate making the training mandatory in all elementary and high schools.

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Boyé Lafayette De Mente has been involved with Japan and East Asia since the late 1940s as a member of a U.S. intelligence agency, student, business journalist, and editor. He is the author of more than 50 books on Japan, Korea and China. For synopses of his titles go to: www.cultural-guide-books-on-china-japan-korea-mexico.com. His books include: Samurai Principles & Practices that Will Help Preteens & Teens in School, Sports, Social Activities & Choosing Careers.