People only have Authority over you when You give it to them.
What has this got to do with Karate?
Everything really.
I realised long ago that Karate, particularly the way of it, the 'Do' is a pathway to freedom and choice.
Karate is a way to not put up with bullies. To remain calm when faced with aggression (strong violent authoritarianism) for that's what aggression is. Someone forcing you to bend to their will, cowtow to them, to be subservient.
Conversely it is a way to remain calm until you choose not to be. The leader who bullies his people is shocked when there is one whom he cannot. Make no mistake, the majority of bullies (authoritarians) will back down when faced with a force equal to or greater than their own. It is an amazing leveller.
You may have heard the authoritarian phrase that goes "or/and, there will be consequences". This makes me me laugh. I have found myself hearing this phrase a few times over several decades, both as an individual and in a group, and each time I have asked what those consequences are, the person saying it has no fkn idea, and as a consequence of being challenged they fold more easily than a wet tissue, and then try to move on passed what they have said as quickly as is possible. Keep pressing the point and their standpoint of Authority turns to mush.
I admire leaders who command respect, as opposed to those who demand it. Those who demand it have no idea how to manage people, extract the best from them or recognise when someone might just need a little help.
These types of leaders are self centred and 'own goal' orientated in their daily pursuit of being. You will also find that there is very little in the matter of integrity too; trust them at your peril. There might just be a bus with your name on it.
Karate and the way of it gives you the choice to be subservient or not, cowtow or not, have a go back, or not.
It teaches respect to give to those who are deserving of it and a tolerance (to a point) of those who do not.
In actual fact, the only thing you find you become subservient to, and that has Authority over you is the way of Karate its very self.
