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Sensei Edel getting a hand painting from Shihan Varon of the famous quote from Gichin Funakoshi-"There is No first strike in Karate."

"A sword must never be recklessly drawn" was the most important tenet of conduct in the daily life of a samurai. It was essesntial for the honorable man of the day to bear things to the very limit of his ability before taking action. Only after reaching the point where the sitation could no longer be tolerated was the blade drawn from its scabbard. This was a basic teaching of Japanese bushido (The Way of the Warrior).

In karate, the hands and feet can be as deadly as the blade of a sword. Thus the principle that "there is no first strike in karate" is an extension of the basic samurai principle that one must avoid the reckless use of weapons. "
Excerpts from the book: The 20 Guiding Principles of KARATE-Funakoshi.