Not Dissing Karate.... Honest!

[Chad]

Hi Karate practitioners!

I don't know too much about Karate so I don't wanna portray myself as talking ****. I mean I personaly love Karate, the techniques are pretty flawless for the most part and it covers most weapons perfectly. However I have problems with the way it's taught in my country, there isn't a single respectable dojo in Edinburgh! Most places just teach Katas solid for three months then hand you a belt, this really disgusted me, do you feel the same way?
And although it is popular do you not feel like it is being put across like it was cheesy pop music? and why are there sooooooo many Katas? And is it true you have to get your hands registered as deadly weapons when you become bb? Because that's a little ****ed up isn't it? AND you need to have a license once your're any good?!?!


My friend is a Karate practioner and he can truely fight well, I feel once he is an instructor Scotland will have a fighting chance at once again teaching good Karate.



I like Karate, I just have a problem with how it is distributed

[john55]

Originally Posted by Chad

However I have problems with the way it's taught in my country, there isn't a single respectable dojo in Edinburgh! Most places just teach Katas solid for three months then hand you a belt, this really disgusted me, do you feel the same way?

You need to learn the techniques of mr miyagi. He is the greatest karate teacher i know of - wax on, wax off

[complete]

This can be true to all other martial arts as well, where the program is more tailored to bring in the most business not necessarily preserving the art for what it is. They are there because it fills the needs of the society. There are also hard core schools that fills the need for people who wants it that way. You just have to find them.

[WC_Lun]

I see you are a Wing Chun practitioner. Not very many "kata" there, so why are YOU worried about it? In the States you do not have to register as a lethal weapon. That's urban myth caused by a quote by Mohamad Ali I believe that his hands were so deadly he had to register them as a deadly weapons.

[Gambatte Karate]

At my school, we teach a new kata every three months. Why are there so many kata? Because, karate is not just designed to excersize your body, but your mind as well. Also, certain kata excersize certain points of the body. Put them all together, and you get a full (and I mean REALLY FULL) body work out. Kata doesn't teach you how to fight...It simply gives you a good physical and mental workout. It also shows you the technique....It is up to you to make the techniue work.

I'm sorry you are having issues finding a "quality" karate dojo in Scottland. I can't immagine Scottland is THAT small though...Maybe you simply are looking in the wrong places? Or posibly looking for too much too fast? Be patient....Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither were the martial arts. It took many many years to put together what we now call "karate". It will take more than 3 months to get "good" at it...It will take longer than 3 YEARS to even get "good" at it. Be patient.

No laws in the states (yet...Give mr Obama some time though) regarding "registering your hands as deadly weapons" once you attain BB. I have seen really poor blackbelts who couldn't fight worth a bean....and others who were simply fantastic. It seems to me though, that of all the blackbelts I've seen in Karate, none are really spectacular until they attain their 3rd dan. I don't know why....It just seems thats the way it is to me....Who knows...Of course, I have been training for almost 13 years now and am just now getting ready to test for 3rd dan.

Hope I answered some of your questions.

[03youngd]

i know someone who does anshin ryu karate and he got a black belt, which he bosted about, apart from the fact he had never sparred or put the moves from the kata into practice. Its just a case of some schools are after major profits where some schools are also a business but get students by teaching good karate

[nwt]

Originally Posted by john55

You need to learn the techniques of mr miyagi. He is the greatest karate teacher i know of - wax on, wax off

now thats funny.

[03youngd]

Originally Posted by john55

You need to learn the techniques of mr miyagi. He is the greatest karate teacher i know of - wax on, wax off

catch a fly with chop sticks and you know all

[john55]

Originally Posted by nwt

now thats funny.

Originally Posted by 03youngd

catch a fly with chop sticks and you know all

lol...I drank a lot of wine last night after my classes and am just now reading what i wrote when i came home

[03youngd]

Originally Posted by john55

lol...I drank a lot of wine last night after my classes and am just now reading what i wrote when i came home

lol not a good combination, a forum and alcohol many things could have gone wrong lol

[Draven]

Originally Posted by Chad

Most places just teach Katas solid for three months then hand you a belt, this really disgusted me, do you feel the same way?

Thats were you need to understand the difference in Karate. There are many different variations of karate, the two main being Karate-Do and Karate-Jutsu. Karate-Do is a Budo (meaning martial philosophy) and its more about the development of mind and body then the development of effective fighting techniques. The styles like Goju Ryu and Shotokan are a modern collection of older Karate-jutsu systems and in the case of Shotokan over the years the JKA has relaxed the training to make it more acceptable for everyone to learn.

In the past; there were only 5 kata to shodan (16 to the whole system), plus physical conditioning, and a decent mix of techniques to make it a well rounded system. Over time the grappling techniques were removed do to lack of training, then many of sweeps, throws and takedowns were lost due to the fact most never showed up in sports competition.

Originally Posted by Chad

And although it is popular do you not feel like it is being put across like it was cheesy pop music? and why are there sooooooo many Katas?

Well as some techniques were lost due to competition rules. Kata were added and expanded to honor those who pushed the system and also to allow even the elderly or too young to train in karate. Of course this cut down on many of the more resistant toughening up forms of conditioning.

Originally Posted by Chad

And is it true you have to get your hands registered as deadly weapons when you become bb?

Thats not true... Its an urban myth.

[TKD&JKD]

My nephew had a similiar problem when he went to train Karate. He would go to class learn the first kata. Then the rest of the class just watch the higher ranks perform kata. I think this is a problem relative to the schools teaching style. While those Kata contain many good techniques and stances they alone will not teach you to defend yourself. The teachers were probably taught under that style, so as a result that is how they teach.

[WC_Lun]

Originally Posted by Gambatte Karate

No laws in the states (yet...Give mr Obama some time though) regarding ...

Gambatte, Barack Obama isn't going to make you register yourself for being a black belt, he isn't going to take your job and give it to his daughter, he isn't going to take your guns, he isn't going to take your paycheck to give to people who are too lazy to work, he isn't going to make you sleep with gay men, or anything else your fearful, far right extremist mind can think up. If you do really believe the nonsense you have been putting in your post (by the way, I really think wishing him dead was a bit much) then post it in the political discussion part of the forum instead of polluting what are otherwise good post by you.

[nwt]

"Kata" is the Japanese word for "form" without form i dont think that anyone would be able to train in martial arts properly. Form teaches us the balance between fighting and martial arts.

[Amski]

I can't immagine Scottland is THAT small though

Sweetie, I could ride across scotland in about 5/6 hours, and that's going sloooow. Like 40mph slow.

It's only 78,772 km2.
See?