Go and Karate

This semester I've taken a lighter courseload to accommodate a goal of mine that I've been pursuing since I was a 7th grader: a black belt in Oyama Karate. Oyama Karate is a Japanese martial art, which is full contact and combines traditional practice with modern fighting techniques. To those of you who played Street Fighter II, it is very similar to the style of Ken and Ryu - Shotokan Karate.
Now that I'm taking this course, I can help but compare the conversations we've had about gaming and my black belt training experience. In this post, I'd like to compare the game I've been exploring, Go, and Karate fighting.
Although I'm by no means an expert in Go yet, I can help but notice the similarities while engaging an opponent in both Go and Karate. In Go and Oyama Karate, there are very few rules of engagement: you are free to attack your enemy however you please(except with uncivilized weapons such as guns and knives). Thus, there are many strategies one can employ to control the fight/game and defeat your opponent.
While playing against the computer in Go, I felt as if I was fighting against a well disciplined Karate master. If I attacked aggressively, the computer responded to my attacks, and usually neutralized direct moves with bold counter-attacks. If I played conservatively, the computer probed the perimeter of my territory, testing for weak points, and then attacking them accordingly.
Likewise, when I encounter an opponent in the dojo, I usually let my fighting strategy adapt to the particular person I am fighting. If my opponent attacks me aggressively, I know that I can use his overzealousness against him. Usually I'll simply move out of the way and counter attack when my opponent is just about finished with his move.
A more skilled fighter will not charge at you with limbs flying. A fight like this is more of like a chess match, or I suppose a real intense game of Go. In this situation I must feel out my opponent for his/her strengths and weaknesses. Most of the fight consists of simple jabs or kicks, and the best opportunity to attack occurs when opponent makes a mistake.
I was definitely surprised while playing Go, I felt as if I was fighting a skilled black belt in my dojo! I hope that as I become more skilled in Go, I can apply strategies I've learned to a real fight. Believe me, I can use all the help I can get during my black belt test in late April!