Can I grasp the art of karate deeply even without learning the language and culture of japan?
you are selling yourself short here. Sure you can learn karate to a point, but there is much that you would better understand if you knew something about the culture and why they did things the way they do. The term heard Shodan is heard every day. If you ask what it means most people will tell you that it means 1st degree black belt. While that is true to some extent, it is way off the true meaning of the term. Unless you have been taught about the Japanese culture, you will never know the true meaning. “Sho” means “first”. “Dan” means”Man”. It does not mean belt of any color. The reason for the term Shodan for first degree black belt is due to the culture. The Japanese believe that a boy becomes a man at the age of 16. They have a celebration when a boy reaches that age. It is believed that a boy is not mature enough to be a Black Belt until he reaches this age. That is the origin of the term and its use. Nidan then would correctly be translated as Second Man. We know it as 2nd degre
