What is the ';true'; onion layer meaning of karate?

My teacher gave me this question to solve.HELP!!!!!!!!! I am stumped!!!!What is the ';true'; onion layer meaning of karate?
I have never taken karate, but maybe this will give you an idea of direction....





in Eastern traditions, layers are referred to to indicate the layer upon layer we have built up within ourselves, as our personality self. Personality is not seen as the true self, but a compilation of conditioned beliefs. In other words, personality is what we have been programmed to believe to be true, to be ';who'; we think we are. Truth being viewed as a relative perception (it depends on who is doing the looking, as to what the ';truth'; will be). There are so many of these layers, they are like an onion, (obvious) and must be peeled away to begin to perceive the real, or true self.





Most people do not undertake this endeavor, and so run through their lives believing ';this is just the way I am';. In martial arts, as in meditation, in order to become a master, one must find ones center. And to get there from here, you first have to find out how YOU really feel, what you really think and believe beyond what you have been taught and have accepted without serious consideration. ';Know thyself'; is the simplest of phrases, and yet it can take great focused effort to achieve-and I believe the same self-discipline as your martial art. That focus and discipline on being ';seated'; in your center brings the truth of you about.





Hope that made sense, it is a little challenging for me to put in a nutshell like this. Good luck!What is the ';true'; onion layer meaning of karate?
If you are asking for a translation of the Japanese word Karate it just means ';empty hand';If you are asking why it came to be used,it came from the monks who were not allowed to carry weapons but still had to have a means of defending themselves.If you are asking why it is still used today and what it actually means.Much of the meaning is lost except to the teachers and most people use it today in a way that has nothing to do with the purer meaning of before.Every form of karate requires that avoidance of trouble is paramount,if that is not possible then to defend as far as possible,that,too,failing then to attack with just enough force as to prevent further trouble.If you need more info and I can help,just add to your question.