Wado Heretic

Depending on the suplex; it, strictly speaking, can be interpreted as being against the rules regarding spiking in some sports. This does include the Unified Rules used by most MMA promotions.

It is probably rarely seen in Jacket Wrestling, barring SOMBO, because the emphasis is usually on a rule which a suplex does not necessarily target, or on transitioning quickly to the submission game.

As seen by Fedor, and others who have received and survived the suplex; if you know how to take a suplex, or practice rolling/uki waza it is easy to defuse the force. The greatest danger is to those who never wrestled; which what made a lot of wrestlers dangerous in the early years, but as other competitors started to pick up a wrestling game the defence against such tactics became much better. It is the same with Muay Thai and it's low kicks; an easy go to strategy when kick-boxers first entered the world of free fighting, but now rarer to see despite more competitors training in kick-boxing.

I used to have an okay suplex game, back when I was regularly working on my wrestling and submission skills with a Greco-Roman wreslter and Judoka respectively. I still pull them out occasionally when sparring my students; but I tend not to get much air on them, and just use them to put them on the ground. Which is what I suspect is what most suplex attempts look like in MMA; a drag to the ground from the back.

I would say that Wing Chun has several visual cues:

1. The use of the “Blitz” tactic, as best represented by chain punching, to overwhelm an aggressor’s senses.

2. Striking at the obvious vulnerable points along the centre line; the groin, throat, and eyes. The places people are most afraid to be struck.

3. The use of the goat clamping stance, and movements from said stance, to get inside an attacker’s stance and to undermine their balance.

4. The use of twisting, through presses and deflections, on an attacker’s torso.

As such; Wing Chun arms itself, from appearances, almost exclusively to fight in the “trapping” or “Clinch” range. This makes perfect sense in self-defence; where in civilian self-defence you are usually responding, or pre-empting, a confrontation and often at said mid-range. One can see a similar methodology in many Karate Kata, or other traditional martial arts forms. Similarly; one usually wishes to disengage, rather than street fight, so doing maximum damage in the minimum amount of time makes sense, and is the basic explanation for striking at such a short range. It is to avoid getting tangled up with a potentially stronger attacker, or to allow the moment of opportunity to an end a fight to pass.

However, to address it from a competitive point of view:

From a kick-boxing perspective; the striking does not lend itself well competitively. One can argue that chain punching is inefficient against a trained opponent, and the extreme range neglects other consummate striking strategies. The extreme range severely limit combinations that can be thrown, and against a skilled pugilist, opens one up to suffering significant damage before getting into said range.

From a grappling perspective; one can argue that fighting with percussive techniques at such a range is redundant, when it might be more efficient to attempt a takedown, or a throw from a clinch. Especially against an opponent more likely to try and draw you to the ground, and into guard; such as a Jujutsu player.

With the above said, however, on local sanshou circuits; Wing Chun Practitioners can report success. For example; many Hong Kong Sanshou champions have been students of Wing Chun. I suspect the distance closing techniques of Wing Chun, and the tumbling techniques, lend themselves to a rule set where striking and throwing is allowed but not ground fighting.

Overall; I would rank Wing Chun among the top three traditional schools of Chinese Martial Arts. To be specific; the Wing Chun of Wong Shun Leung. I would rank it amongst the Baji Quan of Liu Yun Chiao, and the Yiquan/Taikiken of Kenichi Sawai. I say this; as all three systems have produced combatants able to achieve results in some field; Wing Chun Fighters in Beimo and Sanshou, Baji Quan as a staple of several body-guard training regimes, and Taikiken had a significant early influence on Kyokushin and Kenka Karate. Sadly; none have yet to produce a top MMA fighter, and so they remain much maligned.

I think a major problem is traditionalism, and a loss of the sense of the KISS principle. A lot of Wing Chun ideas are adhered to without “alive” training to explore and pressure test said ideas. Similarly; I believe a lot, to maintain appeal, have latched Qi Gong concepts onto Wing Chun which were originally not part of the pragmatic self-defence system. To be fair; this critique can be applied to a lot of martial arts traditions.

So in competition; I would argue it looks very misguided. However, from a self-defence perspective it ticks several boxes, but definitely not all, and only if practised with self-defence in mind.

I admittedly try to exclusively compete outside traditional karate circles. My go to styles of competition are Combat SOMBO, Kudo, Combudo, Nippon Kempo, or Irikumi Go tournaments. It can be hard to find open tournaments, aside from Combudo, but they are also not impossible to find.

I also like to participate in folk wrestling when I get the chances. Have done some Sumo as well. Did once participate in a Karate Grappling tournament; but I felt the rules didn't actually emphasise the grappling priorities of karate, and was a grappling tournament for people too afraid to take on actual grapplers. It was a bit of a feel good affair in that respect.

Have once in a blue moon tried the National All-Style Tournaments. They are not too bad and they do draw people from a multitude of Karate styles, Tae Kwon, Kenpo, Quan Fa, and even some kick-boxers. The rules are pretty similar to the WKF, but I find the disparate styles makes it worthwhile just for the experience of facing different styles of striking.

I would say it is actually a rarity for me to compete inside my "style" than it is to not.

I must admit; it has been a few years since I read Manga, and I am somewhat of a social gamer at most. If someone does not offer to play a fighting game with me, I am probably never going to play said fighting game.

With that said; I find reading fictional works about martial arts can sometimes give an insight into an attitude one might not have as a martial arts enthusiast. After all, novelists are looking to appeal to an audience, and more often move with the times, where as one can tend to get stuck in their own bubble. So sometimes it is useful to find out what pop-culture attitudes about martial arts are.

Below are what I remember, with a little research to jog my memory where needed; I have tried to include a short synopsis about why I feel it is an interesting representation in Karate in said work of fiction, as well as a general opinion about the work it appears in.

Koukou Tekkenden Tough (The protagonist is somewhat of a Jerk, and his motivations can be hard to reconcile with. The earlier nearly superhuman feats, but still grounded in some level of reality, made possible through training from hell are also slowly replaced by super-natural feats justified by special genes.)

Kenjustukan: A homage/parody of Uechi-Ryu, which focuses on an extreme Hojo Undo regime to make the karateka capable of delivering devastating strikes, as well as able to absorb incredible amounts of trauma. Tetsuzan Kuramoto, the fictional founder of kenjutsukan, even has the nickname of Superman like Kiyohide Shinjō, although he perhaps derives as much inspiration from Mas Oyama as he does Shinjō. His primary student is also shown as incredibly dangerous, and gives the protagonist of the story one of his hardest fights.

Shinku-Kai: A fictional analogy to Tani-ha Shito-Ryu. Not much is revealed beside that about the style, except that it hosted open, knock-down tournaments; one of which was part of a character’s background.

Sekishin: Little more than a story telling device; all that is revealed about the style is that it was intended to face any type of attacker, including grapplers. However, considering its founder, and strongest members were both defeated by masters of sophisticated grappling styles in story; my guess is that it was a parody of how Kenka Karate schools, during the Japanese Vale Tudo craze, desperately tried to catch up on grappling skills.

Daido-Kan: A thinly veiled fictional analogy to Daido-Juko. There is even a reference to a tournament in-universe where the use of the iconic “Space-Helmet” is shown, and an early translation error where one translator had it called Daido-Juko in Universe.

Karate Shoukoushi Kohinata Minoru(Has a few tasteless, and politically incorrect jokes, which can be hard to ignore, and admittedly is why I gave up on reading it)

Koudan Kaikan: A homage/parody to Kyokushinkaikan, in that it is a Japanese school of Kenka Karate, although it takes many narrative cues from the history of other schools of karate. For example, it is the sponsor of a kick-boxing organisation called King of Strikers; an allusion to Seidokaikan and its connection to K-1. Similarly, many of Koudan Kaikan’s early champions were also pioneers in Japanese kick-boxing in Universe; not unlike Kyokushin Gym in the sixties and seventies. There is also a subtle reference to one of better known controversies in karate history; Ohtsuka Hironori’s forced exit from the Wadokai organisation. In Universe; Kaburagi Juuzou was the original head of Koudan Kaikan, but was forced out by his student Izumi Koushou, which lead to the formation of Kaburagi-Ryu.

Kaburagi-Ryu: Like Koudan Kaikan, it is a homage/parody of Kyokushinkaikan, and in some ways even more directly. It’s founder Kaburagi Juuzou is alluded to have engaged in inter-school competition, and to have been a legendary instructor and coach of fighters; not unlike Mas Oyama. Furthermore; it is shown to largely be inspired by Goju-Ryu, with regards to Kata alluded to, with some elements of Shuri Te just like Kyokushin.

Beside Kyokushin, Kaburagi-Ryu references other schools too. Its tournaments use extreme rules closer to FSA Kenshinkan Pro KarateDo events; where bare-knuckle punches to the head are allowed, and like the real event in Universe this is considered extreme and dangerous. Similarly; there is also references to Daido-Judo, with the use of the iconic space helmet during tournament qualifiers. Also, the eventual shutting down of Kaburagi-Ryu due to tax evasion charges mirrors the real-life arrest of Kazuyoshi Ishii, founder of the Seidokaikan karate organization.

Shiryuukan/Doryuukan (The naming is inconsistent): A parody of various “Vale Tudo” karate systems. Shown to essentially be Mixed Martial Arts in tradition keikogi; the question is even raised in Universe about whether it can still be called Karate without practicing kata. Considering how badly the Shiryuukan team does in the Team MMA Battle between it and Team Reinan (Kaburagi-Ryu), I believe it is supposed to be a “take that”, at those karateka who abandoned karate in favour of the flavour of the day, and still did badly. For example; the failure of several Daido-Juko fighters in the early Vale Tudo Japan events, and then Wajyutsu Keishukai’s showing against the poorly considered Kenkagei Koppo at Koppo VS. Keishukai, marred the reputation for such systems for a good while.

Garōden(I prefer the earlier version of the story more commonly called Garouden)

Hokushin: Perhaps the most straight forward homage/parody to Kyokushinkaikan I am aware of. The founder is based heavily on Mas Oyama, though given comic and peculiar characteristics derived more from the character in Karate Baka Ichidai than the historical figure. The founder is shown as having a history of dojo yaburi, and is hinted at having near super-human fighting prowess even in his advancing age. Little is shown about Hokushin beside the fact it is school of Kenka Karate, and its tournaments follow traditional Jissen-Kumite rules.

Interestingly; they host an open tournament in the story, which has rules giving an edge to karateka, not unlike many of criticisms made of the first Kyokushin Open World Tournament. Although these rules are put aside in the story itself to have a proper-free fighting tournament.

Hokushin fighters also appear in events sponsored by the FAW, an in-universe puroresu promotion, not unlike how Kyokushin fighters appeared in works for NJPW in the 70s and 80s. There is also an ongoing rivalry between Hokushin and FAW, mirroring the propaganda war for the title of strongest between NJPW under Inoki, and the “Strongest Karate” of Kyokushin in Japan in the time before MMA and Vale Tudo. Indeed; for fight fans of that time, the great unanswered question was how would Mas Oyama in his prime have done against the all-conquering Antonio Inoki, and Garoden seems to be moving towards the Author’s answer to said question.

Shiseikan: Again, a parody/homage of Uechi-Ryu; with its practitioners engaging in extreme Hojo Undo to develop a body capable of near inhuman feats. Interestingly; Teruo Kataoka (the sole practitioner seen fighting) is defeated via Suplex in the story, after being inadvertently drawn into a work by his pro-wrestling opponent. He faces his second defeat by falling victim to street fighting tactics. My guess is that it’s a badly communicated morale about how conditioning your body only goes so far if you never actually train to fight.

Shamo (Not for the faint of heart; I read it but I don’t know if I could recommend it due to its violent depictions, and the darkness of the story.)

Banryukai: At first glance; a very straight forward parody of Seidokaikan and Kyokushin. It models itself as the Strongest Karate, has branches across the world, and runs the Lethal Fight; a kick-boxing organisation inspired by K-1. Similarly; it is shown to have influences from both Naha Te, and Shuri Te, mirroring Kyokushin and its descendent arts. The main character primarily uses it in self-defence, and no rules situations, and thus fights “dirty” more often and not. As such, it is a pretty violent representation of what karate techniques could do to a person if one did not care for the target’s welfare at all. The school itself has its own arc very distinct from other examples, in that it rarely takes its narrative cues from the headlines or the history of Sogo Kakutogi, and there are some novel ideas regarding its history and organisation though they can be farfetched.

Kenji (Probably one of my favourite manga due to the depth of martial arts knowledge. The author gets a few things wrong, and of course leans on Kung Fu mythology a little much, but nothing an informed eye cannot deal with.)

Takayama ha Shotokan: A school of Shotokan developed by a character called Takayam Sohachi; in story he incorporated tactics and skills from Kalarippayattu, Boxing, and Daito-Ryu Aikijujutsu, and is implied to have studied numerous arts unnamed in story. In story, it is largely shown to be quite conventional karate; emphasising Kihon, Kata, and Kumite. However, significant differences from conventional Shotokan are implied, and there is use of Bogu Kumite, and multiple attacker drills more consistent with Aikido. The character, and his school are used largely as framing devices for the protagonist to learn more about martial arts, and combat sports, in general during the early part of the story.

Holyland: (Fairly realistic, but has some farfetched elements. The author makes some astute points about street-fighting, but again gets some things wrong.)

Hakusen: A form of Kenka Karate, which practices traditional Jissen Kumite. Little is said about the style, but one of the key characters, Shougo, practices it, and one of the minor story arcs involves the school. Aesthetically; it takes its cues more from Shotokan, with regards to its main representative who focuses more on movement in unusual spaces, striking vital points, and being adaptive to different fighting styles. Oddly; the other members of school fight in a more conventional Kyokushin tournament style. In some ways; this representation of Karate is like Shamo, but is far less violent, and the author spends more time justifying his depiction.

All-Rounder Megura (One of the few I am keeping up with; a very realistic depiction of Shooto, and the world of martial arts. Has a secondary story arc which is a little absurd involving Yakuza, but it does not detract from the slice of Life feel the rest of the story has.)

Sagawa Karate: Practiced by the main character in his childhood, and the base of his rival Takashi’s MMA skills. It appears to be inspired by Goju-Ryu, but might have been Kyokushin, as a character states how Sagawa used to state how karate was for fighting. The style of Sagawa karate seen in the manga right now appears to be a form of traditional, no contact, karate. Not much else is revealed about it, and it largely exists as a framing device.

That was not my intended inference; I was speaking strictly in the context of the competition format. You fight how you train; if you train to be effective in your competition format, while neglecting other aspects of fighting; that is dangerous. However, I did not intend to infer that training is always directed by the competition format. I believed the context, that is the discussion was about competition fighting, sufficiently illustrated what the point I was making was about. That the competition formats, not the styles in of themselves, neglect head-strikes.

With that said, in the broader sense, it ultimately comes down to the dojo/gym/club as well. If it is competition focused, and spars only according to the competition rules exclusively; then the argument could be made that the training regime neglects head-strikes. That though, is not what I was talking about; I was talking about the competition rules. Plus, the above scenario is incredibly rare, if not in fact nonexistent.

Hopefully that further clarifies the meaning of my post.

I find it helps with preventing sweep attempts; if you have some awareness of how to deal with what your opponent is doing with his arms below you. Not that grip fighting is necessarily reflective of this, I just find grip fighting trains a certain awareness for this aspect of fighting. In particular defences, and controlling an opponent's defence.

As I said; I am not a hugely knowledgeable grappler so I would take my opinion with a pinch of salt. It is just something I have observed.

Edit: I think I read some where that Jean Jacques Machado made a similar assessment about learning to defend effectively, with regards to 10th Planet Jujutsu, and the emphasis on No-Gi. Top of my head, that is the only real authority on the matter I can think of that somewhat supports my basic assessment.

To be a pedant I would not say they reinvented Pancrase; that was open palm strikes to the head standing. Technically; there was no rules against striking on the ground, besides the no closed hands to the head rule. Something that can be seen in the infamous Rutten-Frank Shamrock fight. However, a gentleman's agreement between the competitors, and the expectations of the fans essentially made striking on the ground non-existent.

With that said; I have to say I tend to agree to an extent with regards to the criticisms. My grappling is not spectacular; I have only gone through the technical blue-belt material (GUU), Bart Vale's particular version of Shoot-fighting, and a few ranks in Judo. However, I have found my defence sufficient to roll with submission only fighters, and my offence enough to cause No-Gi players a headache. I rarely get a result worth writing home about, but I tend to find I enjoy (from a trying to learn how to win perspective) rolling with Submission only players the most.

This, to use the Pancrase comparison, was very true of even Pancrase's aces. Without striking on the ground, they neglected positional work and emphasised an aggressive catch inspired approach. Similarly, as they practiced without Gi, they never developed grip fighting skills which can be critical when dealing with the mount; both offensively and defensively. This caused both Ken Shamrock and Bas Rutten, arguably the most dominant Pancrase champions, to falter when they entered Vale Tudo, and MMA, contests under rules more consistent with the modern standards.

All that said; I tend to find points fighters are more aggressive, and tend to work at a pace I currently struggle to keep up with. However, I also find they tend to struggle to lock in the submissions when they finally get the catch. It does not matter so much as they tend to work from a good position, but it is one flaw I have noticed. I have to say I only get a chance to roll once in a blue moon, and only with a very small sample, so I would take my observations with a pinch of salt. I do think they are some what consistent with what we see with certain transitions from other combat sports, in particular grappling ones, to the world of Mixed Martial Arts.

I do think adding in striking on the ground is an interesting move forward, and should hopefully encourage use of positioning that has been lacking.

Most elite martial artists who compete in Mixed Martial Arts usually cross train in a way that isolates particular skills. When practising boxing; you have to box. When practising your jujutsu and wrestling game; you grapple and you wrestle. I do not believe McGregor is in any danger of accidentally reverting to his free-fighting skills during the match; though, there is always a difference between sparring and a competitive match. In the heat of the moment, or a moment of punch-drunkenness, then maybe McGregor might try a manoeuvre illegal in boxing, but I doubt it will prove a real problem.

Honestly; if it was under shoot-boxing rules the I think it could have been an interesting bout. McGregor would not be so disarmed as he is, but he could not avoid having to face down Mayweather's boxing skills.

Considering that you can potentially continue your TKD training, and also become involved in BJJ in one fell swoop; I would argue that you take up Brazilian Jujutsu. You know the instructor so that is always a benefit, it is conveniently located compared to the Matsubayashi-Ryu class, and has training available everyday which maximises your training possibilities.

It sounds as though you are largely concerned about your weight being a factor; and to be frank it will be. However, that will be true for both locations. Training as often as possible will help with weight loss, and I would also recommend organising for yourself a daily work out routine, and a diet plan.

I am a Shorin-Ryu practitioner, and have taught Tae Kwon Do veterans; and there are enough significant differences that yes, you can learn something new by practicing karate. So from the martial arts perspective both have something to offer. However; I do think you might benefit more from the sophisticated grappling of BJJ at this point, than you would Matsubayashi-Ryu, and I think convenience alone and the possibility of continuing your TKD training has to win out.

With all that said as well; you can always explore the karate routes by attending courses. If you are willing to travel 2 hours for one lesson a week, I would recommend putting that willingness towards going to courses instead.

It would depend on the rules of the tournament; open tournaments do not usually have many restrictions on kata, but I would say you should contact someone involved with organising the tournament you are interested in entering.

To clarify what I meant by neglecting head-strikes; as you have stated, punches (or any hand-strikes) to the head are prohibited in knock-down rules. Also, only a single point is awarded for a successful hand strike to the head under current WKF rules, compared to the three awarded for a successful kick to the head or two for a successful kick to the body.

In free-fighting, kick-boxing, and self-defence effective hand-skills are fundamental for success. However, the above rules change the Mai-ai used; they encourage a distance where delivering high kicks is adopted, which is not reflective of actual self-defence. This is why I stated that they neglect head-strikes; boxing skills, and effective use of the hands to control distance, have proven to be necessary in sports such as MMA, but are also key to many effective self-defence strategies. When you cannot punch to the head, or the rule set makes it less advantageous to do so; even if you allow strikes to the head of some sort, you are still neglecting head strikes.

I believe it will come down to who walks into the ring with the right strategy, and the best defence.

McGregor is a very mobile fighter; who is very hard to pin down, and is a hard hitter for his weight. Mayweather has a solid defence, and knows how to shut down an opponent's offence, and also has proven knock-out power and indeed is one of Boxing's great knock out artists. Now, Mayweather is the significantly older fighter, and has not secured a knockout since 2011, while McGregor continues to finish fighters regularly and also has a reach advantage of two inches; enough to make a difference when it comes to the knock-out game.

I think it should be a more interesting bout than some have been predicting, myself included, with some of the comments made by established boxers who have trained with McGregor. I still give the win to Mayweather, but I am also optimistic McGregor might in fact survive the distance.

Is Bujikan a relatively obscure school of karate, or is it an unintended misspelling of Bujinkan? One I cannot help you with, while the other I can perhaps offer a little advice.

If it is an obscure form of karate; if it is full-contact, or shuri/tomari te based, then you might find it an effective addition to your Goju-Ryu training. Again; as other have said, you should consider your time, and whether it is more effective to divide your time, or focus purely on Goju-Ryu. Perhaps go to a lesson or two, and see if it does anything different; if not, it is perhaps not worth it.

If it is Bujinkan then I would say this; you will probably not learn anything barring some grappling techniques and some specific weapons, in Bujinkan that you would not find in Goju-Ryu. Goju-ryu also tends to have more realistic sparring, and self-defence, as well in my experience with it's practitioners.

The issue with the Takamatsu Den (The Nine Schools of the Bujinkan) is that of determining their authenticity. The schools of Kukishinden-Ryu, and Takagi Yoshin-Ryu, are likely authentic as there is significant evidence of Takamatsu being involved, and instructing, in these arts. Similarly; there is evidence of the main-lines acknowledging Takamatsu as a representative instructor of Kukishinden-Ryu and Takagi Yoshin-Ryu. It should also be remembered that for several generations the schools of Kukishinden-Ryu and Takagi Yoshin-Ryu were deeply intertwined even before Takamatsu and the later Bujinkan. Takamatsu was also recognised as an expert in Bojutsu and Jujutsu, the key disciplines of Kukishinden-Ryu and Takagi Yoshin-Ryu respectively, when he became a member of the Minoku Seinen Botoku-kai (Modern Budokan). As such; I believe there is little doubt that these two schools are authentic, and remain so even as part of the Bujinkan.

However; there is much ambiguity regarding the other claimed schools. Takamatsu likely did have training in Shinden Fudo-Ryu; it was readily available in his day and age, and was even practised in Britain at the turn of the century thanks to the efforts of one Barton Wright. Yet; there is little evidence to support Takamatsu being an actual expert in the discipline. Furthermore, there is little evidence of historical schools identifying themselves as Koto-Ryu, Gyokko-Ryu, or Gikan-Ryu thus bringing into doubt these schools of Koppo and Kosshi jutsu. Indeed, they are largely claimed to be source arts for Togakure-ryu, the core ninpo school of the Bujinkan; a system largely considered fraudulent with regards to claims about it's heritage, further bringing in to doubt any discipline associated with it. Also; the other Ninpo disciplines are similarly judged to be fraudulent with regards to their lineage claims.

All this said; it should be about whether a martial art is effective, and can add to your training. There is a letter from Takamatsu to the head of the Kukishinden-Ryu, requesting permission to add karate like elements to the jujutsu of Kukishinden-ryu and Takagi Yoshin-Ryu, based on his experiences in China. Similarly; Takamatsu was an open critic of Judo technique, and as such I believe he modified his jujutsu to answer the emerging martial paradigm as set by Karate, Judo, Kenpo, and Gendai Budo in general.

To summarise what I have said; there are only two authentic schools in the Bujinkan, and they have probably been modified significantly in response to Karate and Judo. As such, you are unlikely to find any thing in the Bujinkan that you will not find in Goju-Ryu, and with far less propaganda.

There is evidence that Funakoshi Gichin did instruct in Kobujutsu, and what he did teach can be found, in part, in Shotokai. For example; I know the Shotokai of Harada incorporates some kobujutsu instruction.

Oddly; this seems a rarity for modern shotokan, though I suspect this is due to the marketing efforts of the JKA in the post-war years. Like Kendo, and other martial disciplines based on weapons, for several years any form of kobujutsu was illegal in Japan. It is easier to practice unarmed combat behind closed doors, than it is weapons; which require weapons and thus evidence of not following the law to be part of your practice. Also, competition, and the globalisation of karate became the main focus of the JKA approach; and I doubt kobujutsu fit the image.

Even today; kobujutsu seems to struggle in comparison to karate. My weapon classes are always significantly smaller than my karate classes. I suspect people do not enjoy, or do not see as much utility, in studying weapons. Plus, there are few good competition formats for combative kobujutsu that it is a very isolated practice.

Keep what is useful and relevant; the intellectual hurdles to justify becoming involved in the preservation of kobujutsu knowledge are harder to come by then those of karate. You can compete in karate, and so long as you are at a pretty good school; you will learn something about self-defence, and get in shape.

In their competition formats both neglect strikes to the head, and body-to-body combat, which are very real dangers in self-defence. Usually; Kyokushin is the better choice for self-defence due to the full-contact tradition, and the intensity of training because of it. However, with more dojo moving towards kata application, and incorporating methods from kick-boxing and free-fighting; this is not the determining edge it once was.

If the Shotokan dojo provides sufficient conditioning, and application (bunkai training) then it can be effective self-defence. So check both dojo, and go with the one which has the better approach to self-defence. Drills which are for self-defence (not just traditional kumite), and kata application, as well as suitable conditioning methods for self-defence are what you should look for.

No one has to earn the white belt with me; they often come free with keikogi after all. However, I do have a similar concept in that the yellow belt is merely an inaugural belt to let me know someone does not need carrying through the class; I can give a direction and they should know what I mean. It is not given through a formal grading, rather I hand it out when someone is accepted as a student of the club, and are no longer being evaluated for suitability.

Most people I give it to after 3-4 months. Most tend to do the first formal grading in 8-9 months after starting. I do favour people showing that commitment before I start handing out belts, so even though I do not make people earn white belt, as it is impractical considering so many keikogi makes come with one by default, I do understand and consider the principle worthwhile.

Was not intended so much as a critique of Kyokushin, as much as a demonstration of how speed can be a deciding factor; also how the "pulsing" which is popular in point kumite can assist with kick-shock to generate speed and power.

That particular fighter made many blunders leading to his one kick loss:

1. Did not threaten his opponent at all with his hands.

2. Tried to slowly close the distance, and did not control it at all with any offence.

3. Did not have the chin tucked in.

However; his opponent made similar mistakes. The Shotokan exponent also demonstrated no range control, and had a posture poor for taking a real blow. The kick was brilliantly timed, but saved him from his own inadequacies.

Hopefully this better explains the point of the video; to demonstrate how pulsing can be effective as a tool in full contact. It was not so much about the styles, as to illustrate the major difference in fighting posture between point and knockdown kumite.

The above is a pretty relevant example of the pulsing of sports karate versus the more set approach of Knockdown karate. The speed was the deciding factor, for which pulsing can help, and the kyokushin fighter did not expect the kick at all. He did not have his chin tucked in, nor did he bring his hands up in any sort of defence; he failed to react at all, and the kick might as well have been a sucker-punch.

As can be seen in Muay Thai stances, and from Knockdown fighters who practice the classic "stand and bang" approach the legs are kept set to deal with low kicks. Even in Savate, where head hunting is a popular tactic due to the points system, pulsing is very subdued in comparison to pure point fighting. Pulsing can also be seen in modern knock-down:

Mike Ninomiya uses some excellent intermittent "pulsing" to set up some of his offensive combinations, and to stay evasive, but is otherwise flat footed like most classic full-contact fighters.

In a fight between two practitioners where one is a point, and the other knockdown, kumite fighter; it would come down to the balance of fleetness of foot, but also the ability to absorb distance controlling techniques such as low kicks. Using "pulsing" I suspect a Shotokan fighter could control the distance, and use powerful and fast percussive blows at a distance, however, if the kyokushin fighter was wily he could very quickly eliminate that advantage in mobility as per Hajime Kazumi; whom favoured punching and low kicks over the dynamic kicks of his contemporaries.

If it devolved into "stand and bang" then I would have to give it to the Kyokushin fighter, unless we are talking a particular Shotokan practitioner of excellent conditioning.

I have not in the context of karate. I think in particular this instructor was being a little black and white, but I understand the basic logic; fitness for role.

The belts are a qualification, and as an educational tool have to reflect the knowledge of the wearer to be of use to the instructor. If a student, during a grading, failed to meet the standards of the belt they already held, having failed the present grading, I might consider demotion a fair possibility. Simply because they would be shown as being "unfit for role"; their skills do not match the belt they had.

I do not think a grading situation is the right situation for it though; maybe if they stopped training for a while, then came back, and were obviously not up to standard a demotion would be necessary, and fair. One bag grading though I always think as being more a case of not ready for the grading.

Yes; the kata are the primary source for self-defence practice, and I place emphasis on people learning the process of Bunkai, as well as teaching "applications". My approach is for applications to be mechanisms of learning flexible principles, and ideas. I tend to see what I teach in addition as an "alphabet" of sorts; a way of understanding the language of kata.

Edit: I would add that what I have taken from Wado-Ryu and elsewhere, I do adapt and experiment with to make fit the "Shorin-Ryu" paradigm. I do not just lift what I like and throw it into a syllabus; it has to pass pressure testing, and fit the big picture, before I consider it something to be taught.

Thank you for the words of encouragement. I would state that I do not take their criticism seriously; I just offered it as an example where people have called my karate "fake" and the fact you cannot let it get to you. These days I just say I do Karate, but use the kata of Kobayashi Shorin-Ryu, because it eliminates expectations.

I would estimate my karate to be around 60% Shorin-Ryu based on the fact I use the kata and the kihon-waza. Then 10-15% Wado-Ryu due to kihon-waza I use and my use of Gyakunage Kata, Tantodori no Kata, and Idori no Kata. I incorporate most of the Judo Katamewaza, barring those that rely on the jacket or I consider too "loose" for use outside Judo, and Kōdōkan Goshin Jutsu Kata. The remainder is made up of what I consider kick-boxing essentials, and some drills of my own invention based on my kick-boxing experience. Aside from that there is some self-taught leg wrestling, and some neck-cranks, that I have road tested through competition and sparring, and grappling fundamentals such as sprawling and the technical stand up.

So their argument does have the merit in that I use a lot of material from outside conventional Shorin-Ryu, that you definitely will not see in dojo in Okinawa. With that said; 50% of my practice, and what I teach is kata based, and thus the majority of what we do is derived from the tradition of Kobayashi Shorin-Ryu. That being my counter to their argument.

Karate only becomes fake when those practising it lack sincerity; when they make a claim about what they practice which is not grounded in reality.

If you claim to teach karate as self-defence, and then neglect practical self-defence considerations then that is "fake" Karate. If you claim to teach karate as a sport, but ignore sport science, fitness, and competition practice then that is "Fake" karate. If you call your karate traditional but do not practice Hojo Undo, and the other marks of historical practice then that is "Fake" karate.

So long as what your claims about your karate, and what you actually do, are one in the same; it is real. I am a hard teacher; full-contact is an aspect of what I teach, as is Hojo-Undo. However, I do not consider my karate any more real than the local clubs which cater to children and competition fighting. I suspect my students would win if it came down to a street fight or a full contact competition, but that does not make our karate any more "real"; it just means we have practised for that scenario. In the same sense I do not think my students would necessarily do all that well against the local MMA Gym fighters in a cage match; because we do not train for cage matches. You fight how you train, and you train for what you expect to face.

I have been told my Shorin-Ryu is not "real" because I incorporate grappling into my kihon-waza, and our line practice is usually 80% with a partner, and 20% against the air or with hand weights. Our basics consist of around a half traditional percussive and receiving techniques, and a third body-to-body techniques, and the remainder Ne Waza. Because this does not match expectations of tradional Okinawan Karate; it has not been called "authentic". It is one of those things that is in the eye of the beholder. I evolve my karate as I learn more, and my students grow.

Below are my picks, and arguments for, If discussing the 20th century alone. I have tried to stick to people who made their mark in traditional kumite, when considering those who have gone onto free-fighting or kick-boxing, and have divided my picks down into where I feel they most made their mark:

Knock-down: Kenji Midori and Ryu Narushima; The lightest winner of the World Championships, and the lightest fighter to make it into the top eight respectively. Both in a time where said championships were open weight, in a kumite form where weight is often the deciding factor. The fact they made it so far on technique alone is why I consider them my top picks for knockdown kumite fighters.

Kick-Boxing: Terutomo Yamazaki for his pioneering work in the sport; plus, his 8-2 kickboxing career, his victories over Muay Thai fighters during Muay Thai’s most dominant era, and his Karate tournament successes all speak for themselves. Andy Hug for similar reasons; he was a great knockdown competitor placing and winning Kyokushinkaikan and Seidokaikan world tournaments. One can also argue that Hug was an MMA pioneer due to his K-1 career where he fought and defeated competitors of many different stripes, and often at a weight and reach disadvantage as he was on the light side for a heavyweight.

Bill Wallace and Joe Lewis also deserve a mention here; for their dominant point fighting careers, but also pioneering work in the sport of kickboxing. Bill Wallace went 23-0, and Joe Lewis 16-4 with 10 by knockout in kick-boxing, and the argument can be made that without their contributions there would have been no such thing as American Kick-boxing.

Edit: Forgot to also mention Benny Urquidez. One of the first truly international fighters, who did a lot to increase the sports presence, and was also a great fighter by any measure.

WKF/Point-Kumite: Junior Lefevre primarily for being an elite competitor in kumite and kata during an era when most were one or the other. Wayne Otto as well, if we are simply talking about the ability to win tournaments. I must give honorary mentions to the likes of Steve Cattle, Terry O'Neill, and Frank Brennan all for being pioneers, and breaking the Japanese stranglehold on karate championships. Plus; Steve Cattle had quite the impact on people I have trained with and under, and I have heard some great stories about him.

Free-Fighting: Semmy Schilt is probably the only competitor from the 20th century I would consider a great kumite competitor, but whom also became a preeminent free-fighter. A Daido-Juko and an IBK Knockdown champion, as well as a dominant kick-boxer in K-1, Schilt also became a King of Pancrase. He also had a relatively successful run in Pride with the losses he did suffer coming from dominant fighters of the era. His size has played a large part in his success, but without authentic skills he could not have put said size to use to achieve what he has.

I would be tempted to add Chuck Liddell as his background is in karate, and his kick-boxing career was largely in American Kick-boxing; which takes it’s cue from full-contact karate. Plus, he did get his start in 1998, however, the prime of his career was in the 21st century, and I would say his lack of traditional kumite participation somewhat disqualifies him from “Great Kumite Fighters”, despite his being a great fighter.

Some honourary mentions from the 21st century:

Lyoto Machida: He won the 2001 Pan American Karate tournament and other amateur tournaments. He also had remarkable career in the UFC with a championship to his name, a joint tenth in consecutive victories in the UFC with 8 (16 over-all), and he has been one of the most accurate and evasive fighters of all time.

Georges St-Pierre: A junior Kyokushinkaikan champion, and arguably the greatest UFC Welterweight champion the sport of MMA has seen. He holds third place for most consecutive victories in the UFC, which also gives him the second place in amount of successful title defences at 12. This is as much down to his excellent wrestling game, as it is down to his back-ground in karate, but it was karate through which he discovered his talent for martial arts competition.

Rafael Aghayev: Arguably the most dominant Kumite Player of the 21st century; who has been placing in and winning international, and world, tournaments since 2004, and continues to do so over a decade later. This is down to his distinct style which relies on an approach to Tsuki-Waza which takes as much from boxing as it does karate, and the use of clinching and head movement to frustrate his opponents attempts at “Head-Hunting”; the scoring of significant points with high kicks to the head.

I start them off with contact drills; getting used to getting hit, and hitting a person. Just basic conditioning you find in most Karate schools which practice hojo undo.

I then usually work them up to contact sparring through different models of kumite; sticking hands like drills, belt wrestling, and so on and so forth.

Then scenario training; sparring which starts with your back to the wall, against multiple opponents, where the attacker initiates the sparring without any verbal cue from anyone else.

It can build people up to getting that "fighting" instinct; to be used to the adrenaline kick, and being under stress, and how to deal with pain. The issue is; it is still artificial. End of the day; a person will not be able to become a fighter, until they fight, and learn from that first experience.

Some people are; the majority not, which is why it is the people who are programmed for it who unfortunately prosper during times of great civil unrest. Some people are conditioned to it, usually through a violent childhood.

Most people find it an over whelming experience; think back to the first time you sparred. Most experience jitters, and tunnel vision, and other problems from Adrenalin drops. In an actual violent confrontation; it is a far worse reaction.

My approach is very reductionist; but can be useful when watching students to figure out how to teach them.