Okinawan Karate Pioneers. . Itosu Anko (糸州 安恒) is considered by many the father of modern karate. He was born in Ishimine, Shuri in 1831. He was a master of Karate that was active in the Ryukyu Kingdom period through the Meiji Period. Educated in the Chinese classics and calligraphy. Itosu began his ‘tode’ (karate)
“You should always train with intensity and spirit.” Read More »
“Self-praise and over-confidence is a sickness that corrupts training.” – Hohan Sōken (1889-1982) Matsumura Seito Shōrin-ryū . . They once began as humble students. Although they didn’t necessarily have “talent”, they have some limited martial arts training and then self-promote themselves to a Dan [black belt] rank. After which, they open a school proclaiming to
“Self-praise and over-confidence is a sickness that corrupts training.” Read More »
How effective is karate for self-defense? (BTW, It’s a rhetorical question) . In its pure form, karate can be incredibly effective… but in its modern incarnation most of the karate seen today is sports oriented. The majority of today’s young people have only seen karate as a sport, with its strict rules and fanciful acrobatic
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“How good you are, you cannot decide for yourself – karate makes it that way. What you put out is what you get.” – Seikichi Iha 10th dan Shorin Ryu . . Sometimes in life, we find ourselves at a dead end, or a crossroads, or on a path that seems to go nowhere. .
“How good you are, you cannot decide for yourself.” Read More »
“Karate is my ‘ikigai’, my purpose in life, practicing until the end. I have many foreign students, I want to help them develop further. I hope karate grows and grows, even after I’m gone.” . Kiyomasa Maeda 10th dan Shogen Ryu Karate-Do . . Ikigai (生き甲斐) is a Japanese concept that means “a reason for
“Karate is my ‘ikigai’..” Read More »
“The secret principle of martial arts is not vanquishing the attacker, but resolving to avoid an encounter before its occurrence. To become an object of an attack is an indication that there was an opening in one’s guard, and the important thing is to be on guard at all times.” – Gichin Funakoshi ?? . .
“..the important thing is to be on guard at all times.” Read More »
So you don’t compete in tournaments yet you teach tournament techniques….. as self-defense? . In self-defense there are NO RULES. If you’re in danger, in trouble, or in anyway threatened, you do anything and everything you can to ESCAPE, to get away and get to safety. . The idea behind karate for self-defense is that
In self-defense there are NO RULES. Read More »
“Strength training is the starting point for my techniques, and it’s actually very important for this reason. You must do it. For any technique to be properly stabilized, basic physical strength is essential. Therefore, I perform strength training with the following philosophy in mind; great technique in kata can only be achieved with having a
“Strength training is the starting point for my techniques.” Read More »
“Modern karate has been modified as a competitive sport. The spirit of karate has been somehow misinterpreted.” – Iken Tokashiki 10th dan Gōhaku Ryu . When people don’t understand something, they need to come up with an explanation, and most of the time that explanation does not make much sense, or at the very
“The spirit of karate has been somehow misinterpreted.” Read More »
“Kata functions as the art of karate.” – Patrick McCarthy 9th dan Koryu Uchinadi . . “In karate, the most important thing is kata. Into the kata of Karate are woven every manner of attack and defense technique. Therefore, kata must be practiced properly, with a good understanding of their ‘bunkai’ meaning. . There may
“Kata functions as the art of karate.” Read More »
“Karate makes true friends.” – Naka Tatsuya 7th dan Shotokan JKA . Too often some instructors ruin their legacy, and the legacy of others, due to their ego. They rely on their own ideas too much, avoid useful criticism, and can even bully their students into silence. Their self-centered attitudes and approaches create a stressful
“Karate makes true friends.” Read More »
“The word tradition is used in many areas of our life, and I believe it is an important thing, many things change and evolve in this world, but even in the midst of those changes it’s important to keep and pass on the traditions. That is why in Okinawa, traditional karate is practiced first….. I
“It’s important to keep and pass on the traditions.” Read More »
