Lineage
There are almost as many styles of karate-do as there are people teaching the art. Lineage, the line back to the original source for your particular style, becomes very important then. It not only provides a basis for understanding subtle differences between styles, it also provides the authoritative source for answering questions of application or technique.
In my first incarnation as a karate-ka, my lineage went through four generations before arriving at one of the early giants in karate, Itosu. The dojo I have joined here has but three generations. Moreover, the head of the association was a direct student of the styles founder, Funakoshi Sensei.
I like that I’ve found a traditional dojo, rooted in a proud lineage. Imagine being able to study calculus with a student of Newton’s, or music from a student of Beethoven or Mozart. In the end the ultimate teacher is yourself, but having dedicated practitioners who have traveled the path before your (literally sensei) makes finding your path slightly easier.
