Breaking Obsessions.

There is a trend, for some, to become so engrossed in Karate or some other type of training that it consumes every ounce of their being to the detriment of everything else.
There is also a trend, among these types, that people who Teach should be experts on life, sometimes acting as a counselor, or wise old sage with knowledge in pretty much everything.

That is the way of it, at least for some individuals... It is fine to train as often as possible, but if there is no room for anything else the training has become akin to an addiction and WILL harm a person by becoming the very thing that keeps them from their full potential rather than acting as a vehicle through which that can be achieved.
Karate is NOT that important in the grand scheme of things, it does NOT dictate what life is supposed to be about, it is a tool through which one can explore HOW things can be achieved through dedication, hard work, and practice.
If one wishes to keep training in manner they have been along side whatever else they are seeking in life, great, but they may also choose to apply what they have learned to other things and cease training in that way altogether... That is also okay.

Some go on to utilize the very efforts and methods they learned and applied on the floor to professional careers and raising children, Art, even computer programming.
Still others stick with the training in its’ first incarnation in order to gain more understanding into themselves and utilize that incarnation to help other people along the path by teaching it. Both of these things are perfectly fine.

What is the point of attaching to one thing or the other? If it serves no purpose or has outlived its’ usefulness then let it go.
What is the point of something if it cannot be adapted? Sure, a hammer cannot do anything that is not according to its’ design, or at least it was not meant to, but that does not mean there are not other tools in the box or that a hammer cannot be adapted when necessary... At least in a limited capacity.

Karate, without its’ romanticized aspects, is simply a study in violence and how to deal with it. Nothing more, nothing less.
It is useful for protection and, like cleaning a gun, necessary to keep it in working order. That is all. Beyond this it is a lease through which we can learn how to apply ourselves in order to achieve in whatever endeavors we decide to undertake... Again, that is all.

If Karate has become the sole obsession of one’s whole life, the entirety of their being and persona, what do they do and what becomes of them when something happens and they are no longer physically able to do Karate or something similar?
That would be a hard lesson to learn, especially later in life when all else has passed one by and time is fast approaching to check out... Heck, time is always fast approaching and anything could happen at any moment. What do you do?

Karate does not even mean one is an expert on fighting or violence... I cannot imagine who would want to be an expert on those things anyway, those that qualify as that are not the types that relish this fact and many spend their time trying to help people avoid it or properly face it if it cannot be avoided.
The Warrior Sage persona is just that, a persona, a mask worn to present a good front... Especially if a person’s livelihood counts on being able to sell that particular persona as part of a brand.

Don’t get me wrong, such individuals DO exist and they MAY just happen to teach and practice (insert Art or Style here) but their lessons will point to and reach beyond that limited area of focus, using it as a springboard in an effort to help you.
Karate is not about that and it only recently adopted to self-help type focus we have come to know in our own walks down our respective paths.
Born of violent encounters, alcoholic philanderers, brawlers, illiterate drunks seeking money to pay their way, or just straight up charging whiskey for lessons... These are not the Mr. Miyagi types the movies have led many to expect.... So why place them on a pedestal? The real lessons are learned on the floor, not from any particular individual or any particular thing.

Best to remember that... Nothing makes you special other than the special you bring with you and apply to whatever you are doing at a given moment... 200%. You should expect nothing less than that from yourself. What you Teacher thinks and expects only matters insofar as they are a good Teacher. A good Teacher will tell you the same.