Makoto

(it is not sensai, it is spelled sensei, I hope you do not say sensai, cause if you do you already shown that you got the pronounciations shagged up) Just the simple fact that he does not teach any history or art could mean he does not know any. I am not attacking you, but please give me a reason why American Karatewould want to speak Japanese terms. What is up with that? Sure, there is a big debate in the Japanese styles of karate if we should be using Japanese terminology. Yes the kids love it, they like the idea they can play samurai/Japanese for a little while. Gaaag Contriving some histroy also gives your club some validity. If you want the real history of your style ask your instructor. If he can not answer you then ask him for permission to ask his teacher where he learned everything. If you get the run around, or are told no, then you know you are being fooled and taken for your money. Also then you should realize your instructor is now using you to find out some history so he can use it for himself. The simple fact your instructor does not teach you history is suspect. How long has he trained? Who taught his instructor and who taught his instructor's instructor? Where did the particular style of karate you do come from? The first person who should be able to give you an answer is your instructor. To end I am not attacking you. You sound like a nice person. I am getting the feeling you might be being taken advantage of that's all.

You are using japanese terminology, why?? You are American Karate, why would you want to use Japanese terms? It is not even a Japanese style of karate you are doing! That just does not make sense to me. You are not in Japan, so why try to speak Japanese. Also are you fluent in Japanese, because otherwise I dear say you are saying to pronouciations of these Japanese words wrong. So you are teaching kids, these things to make it more fun for them. What happens when these kids grow up, you going to say all that stuff about orgins of karate, and those Japanese words is just kids stuff. OR are you going to lead them to think that what you are teaching has a direct relation to karate in Japan? Are you American Karate or not? If you are then why confuse it with things that are not even relevant to American Karate. Also if you are going to try and trace some orgins of American Karate, you would also have to include the orgins of boxing as well. Seeing how some of American Karate includes boxing techniques. Makoto

American Karate does not have a history as such. Sure, it is only 30 years old, and there is no clear founder because it is a mish mash of styles. Not only that... one American Karate style can be completely different from another american karate style, so trying to track down a common history is hard. IMO american karate came into being by people who had some training in the traditional arts when they were in korea, japan etc, but wanted to go it alone, or could not find proper training to contiue their education in the traditional arts when they returned home. So with out access to traditional arts they took whatever they could to improve themselves. Sometimes it would be techniques from traditional karate, next time tae kyon do, next time kung fu, etc etc. Mixed it all together and now you have American Karate. Is traditional karate better than American Karate? I would say neither is better. But American Karate has a short history and very little connection to the traditional arts, and therefore the founders of the traditional arts should not be referred to IMO when talking about the history of American Freestyle Karate. Not only that it is AMERICAN karate, why would you even want to try to trace a history back to the orient?

Rick Jorgensen, Gerry Marr, Katsumata, Gerry Lee are the big four of ITKF of here

I train in canada

I wont be as harsh as the last guy, but Oshima trains in a form of shotokan. To say he teaches exactly what Funakoshi taught can not be correct. He has trained many years as of now. If he is doing the exact same thing as when Funakoshi was alive, then he has not added his personal ideas and concepts into his karate. He has been nothing more than a puppet. That was something Funakoshi discouraged very much. I doubt very much that Oshima has not used his brain when it comes to karate and technique. Ture Shotokan is BS. Shotokan has not been around long enough for anyone to say they teach the true version of the from. Even when Funakoshi was alive, everyone was refining it. Funakoshi would be very sad if he saw that we did not try to improve on something he created. SKA as a cult, I have no idea. Anyone in any org, just can not accept the leader of that cult as perfect. I am ITKF, and like most of what Nishiyama teaches. However if I just blindly accept everything that is told to me, then I am nothing more than an idiot. You have to think about things. Also, never forget. It is probably by pure luck that you are training under Oshima and SKA. You could have been training in another org if cercumstances and timing had of been different. Never for get that. Makoto