JKA

[MMouse]

I have heard good and bad stories regarding this organization. Anyone here have thoughts or experiences?

[Bl4cKtH0rN]

heheh, I have seen a lot of stories of JKA... howover the JKA deny....

[tommarker]

I think all martial arts organizations have good and bad stories. Which ones you tend to believe or tell to others depends highly on your affilaition with that group.

[zoom421]

Since there are many honorable and dishonest people in this world, there are many good and bad stories of every organization...no matter what style!

 

Kyle Funakoshi

[ESA-Shotokan]

I am not a member of the JKA (though was indirectly via the KUGB) but in all honesty, any bad words about them will most likely come from childish people or somebody who may have failed a dan grading with one of their sensei.

 

The JKA is a true and traditional promoter of karate. Some of the most senior, respected and knowledgable masters of shotokan karate are with the JKA.

 

I would suggest taking heresay with a pinch of salt and let your own experience be the judge.

 

[Kensai]

Hmm.... JKA is not the best organisation that Karate is promoted under. Their evolution of ideas from:

 

We cant hit in Kumite because we will kill eachother (IN Funakoshi's time quite believeable)

 

We can hit but we'll pull our punchs.... ok

 

To now which is we'll play tag and pretend we can kill eachother.

 

Personally I think the Shotokai umbrella is a good way to go.

[Okinawan Warrior]

I have a relative that is a member of the JKA and from what she tells me it seems as if you would be just as well going out and buying a black belt. They seem to tell their students that they are the be all and end all of martial arts and that they were the first karate group registered.

 

I beg to differ.........

[Karateka]

I have heard both good and bad stories. I am under Karate BC, which is Under the NKA(Canada) which is under World Karate Federation. Take from it what you want.

[Killer Miller]

I guess I don't get it??? I've always heard other organizations/persons publically "talking smack" about us. However, I don't recall us going around returning the same treatment. What's the big deal??? We are a respectful, well organized, polite (for the most part), talented organization - just like many others as well. We don't promote "McDojos," our prices are reasonable, we provide good instruction across the board. What more do you want?

 

- Killer Miller -

[equaninimus]

The question, at least in the US, is "which JKA?" Both Nishiyama (ITKf) and Okazaki (ISKF) are affiliated with the JKA-WF in Japan. But, JKA Karate as a recognizeable style is practiced by the Funakoshi Shotokan Karate Assn. (Kenneth Funakoshi), American JKA (Dalke), American Shotokan Karate Alliance (Hassell), and gods only know how many others.

 

Here in Denver we have Dojo affiliated with the ISKF (Yaguchi), AJKA (Palumbo), Japan Shotokan Karate Association (Tsumora, who used to be associated with ISKF, but left to affiliate with Yahara), and one other Shotokan Dojo whose affiliation I am unsure of. From what I've seen in Seattle, Baltimore, and here, if you train with an ISKF or ITKF dojo you can be fairly sure youa re getting good quality karate training. But I'm sure there are exceptions. There are major differences in Dan fees between the two organizations.

 

ISKF charges twice as much for Dan fees, which manes little sense to me, since they are both supposedly providing the same piece of paper, and both orgs charge much more than the equivalent orgs in Europe! My Shodan, from the German affiliate of the JKA, was about $75.00. My Nidan, from ITKF, was a little over $100.00. My Sandan, from ISKF, was over $350.00. Something isn't right there!

 

IN addition, the "big two, " have been known to get snooty when their members attend seminars and events sponsored by organizations other than their own. I have never had any problem, but that's mainly becasue I usually didn't tell anyone important if I had attended, say, a Dillman summer camp, or something like that. The ISKF people here in Denver only attned two tournaments each year, one an ISKF sponsored affair, and the othe a USA-NKF one, and I am told that attendence at the second one leads to "raised eyebrows" from some seniors.

 

In the end, go with a school that you feel comfortable with. The major adavantage to Shotokan is its portablility,and JKA rank is similarly portable, but that is changing. I understand that usually AJKA, or NASKA or SKI will recognize JKA rank, but the opposite is rarely true. I also know that the ITKF is sometimes hesitant to accept ISKF people, but I also don't think this is universal. Certainly the reverse is also true.