Tyler

In my Case, I had always wanted to Study Kung fu or Karate and even though Im older now I'm still so interested in JuJitsu and plan on joining once the Covid calms down a bit more. When I was a kid I was inspired by Bruce Lees movie ” Enter the Dragon”. I began Karate one day when I walked into the local gym in Narita, Japan to do some weight training. A Japanese man said “Hello” to me. I asked him what he was doing in the gym. He said I teach Karate here and often come here to train in private. I was drawn to his vibrant enthusiasm and the fact he spoke English. After some weight training, I walked up to the 2nd Floor where the Dojo was located and saw many various Okinawan weapons on the floor related to Kobudo such as the Jo (staff stick) Nunchucks, Sai etc. He gave me his phone number but it took me 2 years later to call him and once I began..........I was hooked on it and began practicing 3 days a week. When I look back at my beginning to where I am today. I am so Thankful to my amazing senseis and their willingness to teach me and they speak english, which classes are half in Japanese and English. Just up until recently another Foreigner joined from Sweden,Which is a nice change for me! I think I will never stop practicing karate as it has taught me so much spiritually, Mentally etc. I wish I actually began much younger! I lost heaps of weight and really improved my overall health and lifestyle. I just need to cut back on the alcohol which is a big challenge. I will never give up until the body gives out!

You make a valid point, and it's true that the west is home to many money vampires that operate horrible mcdojos. But I was only making the point from my own experience that there are genuine, passionate non-Japanese instructors out there. When instructing and training students in karate, many of them do maintain the Japanese etiquette toward martial arts. A excellent example are the individuals who frequently contribute to this forum and give their experience, many of whom I believe reside in the states. Yes, I agree! If, I was in the States now I would look forward to finding a good Dojo and would definitley research and go by word of mouth Just because many of the martial arts comes from Japan doesn't always mean their style is any better as long as the Sensei in Any country has done his homework and is worthy! Sometimes I feel many DoJos in the States actually do teach it better! ex: Baseball Japanese are good at baseball but they practice everyday under grueling conditions and it is almost torturous! Thats why many players and coaches have a tough time in Japan adapting to the rigorous training! in the states we practice about a third of what they do! I just found 2 great and easy going senseis and thats why I like practicing with them. (besides I feel young, lol Shindo sensei is 76 and Adachi Sensei is 80! but when they put on their Karate gi they look like they are in their 50's In the states I like the warm ups, in Japan in my Dojo there isn't much of warming up which should be required to get the blood flowing for the older people like me (57) one of my 2 senseis is 80 and never stretches and is a rare specimen and the oldest practicioner amongst the over 5,000 in my style. Adachi Sensei is a legend and a non conforming Japanese with ear rings a moustache and skull rings and carries himself with a young and open minded attitude. Its one of the thing that has kept me here besides My previous divorce and My son is still in High school. I plan to return to California soon and have been researching which Dojo would suit me once I return most likely next year or soon after (Covid?)

In the situation you indicated, I would strongly disagree with your post's generalization of the majority of Westerners. (non Japanese) Teachers volunteered their time in every Shoto school I trained at for the same reasons that you did (spiritual,mental and physical aspect). There are non-profit organizations devoted to the tradition of shoto. Whether it is JKA, SKA, ISKF, SKIF or another organization, they are supporters of the system. The instructors I trained with were already well-off and dedicated to teaching Karate, some of whom prioritized it over their families, which I observed would lead to marital problems. On the other hand.. There are Japanese senseis from JAPAN who would host seminars and demand a hefty fee merely to go over a single kata with an emphasis on form and minimal knowledge of bunkai or basic fundamentals. Karate's "greed and lust" don't end at US soil, mate Now, I'd suggest that the aforementioned is true for organizations with legitimate lineages. There is "Bob Jacksons" Karate (a reference to Jim Carrey's Karate sketch on In Living Color), but those types don't speak for all western practitioners. Unlike the West People in Japan Practice either cause they want to or for the spiritual,mental and physical aspect I didn't mean to Imply nor genralize as there are definitely good and many legitimate Karate instructors and businesess in the west but also many underqualified insturctors who primarily focus on excercize and charge an exuberant fee! In Japan most schools are very cheap or sometimes almost for free and the Sensei does it out of passion.Yet in the West it is expensive therefore you must charge a lot more. In that case I hope the parents who sometimes unknowingly go by word of mouth are able to put their children in a good Dojo regardless of the price, so they can get the proper instruction. I observed My Nephews Karate class and told My sis to get him out of there ASAP. He wasn't correcting posture, stance and was just mostly doing calistethnics. I watched 3 of the classes and it wasn't really karate! It was a complet MCDOJO! The whole Cobra Kai has influenced Karate but also shows the down side of it as well. On the other hand it shows the good side! It's definitley entertaining! Good point is it makes Karate relative once again. Those Japanese Instructors that come to America night be trying to cover their expenses or just like in the west are about the moolah, regardless sometimes you do get what you pay for! That's why you should always shop around and go by word of mouth so you don't become a statistic!

Hi, Josh Welcome to the Forum! Most people who actually continue in Martial Arts begin later in Life. 30 is young! You have many years to enjoy! cheers, T

your last two sentences there is exactly how BJJ promotions are conducted, so kinda contradicting yourself lol.indubitably

HI Zaine, Here is the article from Black Belt Magazine (Below) about Sanchin also known as Seisan in other forms. I rest my case for the breathing debate. Like I said no breathe no life no Karate.Lol! https://blackbeltmag.com/traditional-arts/sanchin-kata/kata-origins *note* Sanchin kata can be seen in Seisan katas (13 hands), Sesan, Sisochin, Aragaki No Seisan, Jusan, Ken Shin Kan,Noi Khi Cong, Paporen, Suparimpe, Sanseru and Kururunpa kata and its influence can be greatly seen in Shotokan kata Hangetsu (the half moon position of the leg), as well as some Korean styles such as Tang Soo Do and Soo Bahk Do under the name of Sei Shan form.

This post really breaks my heart. I do not know how to respond to this. Ki is the essence of life, in yoga, its called a prana, in kung fu, its called qi and in Japanese martial arts, its called Ki. If someone were to read your post and accept it as the truth, then it would discredit, yoga and Chinese/Japanese arts that many people have practiced and found the practice to enrich their soul. Agreed! Whether it is singing, Yoga or anything in life...........even Stress, Breathing is the most essential thing to align your next movement including the effectiveness of the power. Breathing is Life, Power and everything that exists! Without breathing properly mistakes will surely be made in all aspects of our mere existense and affect outcomes in all things we do! Amen to that! I mean breath is what connects us in the universe. Practicing slow breath changes the essence of your thoughts. Like a radio frequency, you tap in to a different station by slowing down breath. This whole thing has its own science that we are not aware of. How many people including martial artist have actually engaged in the deeper aspect of breath, sound, vibration to be qualified to dismiss it as fraud. indubitably! In my style of shorin-ryu that is the essence of the entirety as it should be taught as one of the basic fundamentals and if it isnt being noticed nor taught something is seriously wroing with your sensei, You can't do martial arts without learning when to breathe and how to breathe to maximize strength power and core movements!

This post really breaks my heart. I do not know how to respond to this. Ki is the essence of life, in yoga, its called a prana, in kung fu, its called qi and in Japanese martial arts, its called Ki. If someone were to read your post and accept it as the truth, then it would discredit, yoga and Chinese/Japanese arts that many people have practiced and found the practice to enrich their soul. Agreed! Whether it is singing, Yoga or anything in life...........even Stress, Breathing is the most essential thing to align your next movement including the effectiveness of the power. Breathing is Life, Power and everything that exists! Without breathing properly mistakes will surely be made in all aspects of our mere existense and affect outcomes in all things we do!

excellent post; following the explanation, I more clearly see the commercial justification. from the perspective of a customer, I always want to get what I paid for and will, of course, search for the best deal available. After everything is said and done, all I have to do is keep an eye out for a location that will meet my specific demands. How do you judge getting your money’s worth? Do you base that only on length and number of classes you get? Do you base that on how long the instructor(s) Like I said I charge $25 per class, 50 minutes per class. However I have over 20 years experience, have point fighting championship, experience fighting and coaching MMA, and experience from ‘real world’ violence. My rate is not cheap, but to find people with similar experience and background you’d likely be looking at $50+/hr And in similar areas, training is even more expensive for even less experience, and for people with real world experience you can be looking at about $500–$1000 for a 4-5 hour class, or roughly $100-$200/hr exactly Lions Den. You have to get what you think you are worth and if students want to be looky lous or go for a better deal the door is wide open. Know your worth and never budge. I get tired of people trying to barter with me! On the other hand I always search for the best way to use my hard earned money. But I pay based on what I think I can get out of it! I have taken classes with Higher level senseis and I don't mind cause they have a proven track record. There are so many Mc Dojos and under qualified instructors but there are also great ones that deserve the extra recognition which sometimes equals money, unfortunately. As an instructor never sell yourself short but also give back to the community. I volunteer for special needs students and the elderly.

Just remember in the States sometimes you get what youn pay for! In Japan it's dirt cheap to practice Martial Arts. But in the States it's a business and nothing cheap in the States thesedays!

Welcome 2TANGO Alohas, Tyler

You are roughly right if you compare karate to boxing, but one word comes to mind: "Mcdojo." When teachers dilute the art for financial gain, the purity is gone. RBzx, Welcome to the Forum! Yes, You are right in The States they are so many McDojos and I find many of them don't learn the philosophy nor respect in true Karate. Some of the Mc Senseis have their Students excercizing most of the class or just trying to keep them in the Mcdojo as long as possible to collect their money! In Japan i pay $10 per month and that is only for the Air con. My Sensei does it for the love of Karate and is glad to have a foreigner who would like to learn.

Many reason why karate is superior and it goes beyond and I mean BEYOND the physical aspect. For starters, karate has a healthier culture and it fosters a community that fosters healthy attitudes. The gi, the belt, the Japanese and Korean commands (TSD) serve as a way to deter bad disrespectful characters because chances are, they are not going to be in to wearing a gi, bowing and immersing themselves in the tradition because they feel like they are above it. I say this as a person who spent almost a decade in boxing and MMA gyms. Its not just the art but the culture that is included in the art form. That and in some boxing gyms, they set beginners up to be punching bag for experienced fighters. Real bad stuff can go down. A boxing gym I used to go to made the local news because the trainer has intense and irrational anger problems. Sadly he is not the first guy and not even the worse guy and yet he made it to local news and its on YouTube. Problem with MMA is, they focus on wrestlers or other stylist who mastered their art at some other place. MMA gym is also very expensive, the best fighters come from a singular style that they mastered and an MMA gym is just a glorified fitness. In the mid 2000s, the talk was that in the next decade, every fighter would not even learn any style, they would all be saying "mma from the first day baby" Meanwhile welcome to 2022 and yet, we have a kickboxers and wrestlers as champions for most division. One guy is a jujitsu guy and tons of contenders are also wrestlers and strikers. Truth be told, Karate is very powerful but you have to be able to truly immerse yourself in its subtle nature. Most folks want to just hit the pad and get a good sweat. It wont work like that, the form, the posture, the mind, the focus, the concentration and freedom from thoughts is the hallmark towards mastery of any style that is truly worth learning. Ultimately speaking, karate is about mastery and self perfection as well as learning how to fight. Its not about money, fame and glory. These three aspects can create a toxic environment and if someone makes it from the gym and others do not, it can foster a sense of envy and jealousy. Seen it way too many times. I think it is wonderful to learn the art of boxing but I truly believe its best to avoid the gym culture and learn it in a private setting with a qualified trainer. While with karate, I feel comfortable with the people. Even if a bad character makes it in karate, they still have to respect the tradition and so they cannot act the way they want and so even they muzzle themselves just to stay in the culture. Himokiri, Very well said indeed

Sounds like a great new style to not have gradings............The practicioner can only get the belt when they fully understand the move and how to apply it with confidence, grace, speed using posture and balance etc. The Sensei then awards them the belt of rank. It would make the students strive to learn it in detail as it should be learned rather than dancing around just to get the belt for their own personal ego. A lot of schools grade for a long time and it can often be a serious parade in which the student can't sleep etc. has to do all the calisthenics etc in front of a panel. The instructor should incorporate a daily warm up routine with a little excercize, stretching and then go through the Kata and techniques etc. etc.

Hi Sailor Sinbad Wow !! compared to my Dojo in Japan it isn nothing like that! running 5 miles and 500 push ups, really>? sounds like they might be shooting themselves in the foot as most people wouldnt want such a hard training and burden. especially the older people who work full time unless your dojo is going after the people who want more of an overall work out mixed with some karate? May I ask in your regular sessions do you have to run and do push ups everytime and how long are your usual training sessions. If you feel it is too much I would also recommend trying some other doJos out as well to make sure its really for you? But sounds like one hell of a great military style workout