Rich_2k3 Posted April 12, 2004 Posted April 12, 2004 http://portal.enfoque5.com/karateolimpico/ingles/index.php Visit this link, and help support karate as the next olympic sport. "When my enemy contracts I expand and when he expands I contract" - Bruce Lee
shotochem Posted April 12, 2004 Posted April 12, 2004 Hi Rich, Part of me says it would be a cool idea to see karate in the olympics. The other pessimistic side of me says its a bad idea. If you think there are karate Mc Dojos now, wait till they make it an olympic sport. I feel that there would be a lot more watering down of the art as a result of tournament technique. Which IMHO, is not really effective for much else. OTH kata if done with a tasteful format might work. Pain is only temporary, the memory of that pain lasts a lifetime.
ShotoMan Posted April 12, 2004 Posted April 12, 2004 Hmmm I still can't decide on this issue... Do we really want more sports karate? I suppose it is interesting to watch countries from all over the world competing and to see the standard, so maybe I should open up my heart a bit more to an athletic side to our art. The thing that keeps me awake at night is the thought of team kata to music! And I am talking about that sick and horrid bouncy, pouncy music that so many Russian ice skaters perform to...you know the tunes I mean? All the wee old grannies join in and clap along to it!! Grrrr!! If it can be kept within a certain set of parameters, then maybe but then we are tarnishing karate as being "just a sport" and not a martial art. I don't know. ShotoMan of the Shotokan
Rich_2k3 Posted April 12, 2004 Author Posted April 12, 2004 I see your points, I mean TKD joined the olympics not long ago and that it was turned it into a sport/martial art. Although Judo's been in it for a while and has gone from strength to strength. I dont know, i'll have to think about it... "When my enemy contracts I expand and when he expands I contract" - Bruce Lee
aefibird Posted April 12, 2004 Posted April 12, 2004 If you like the idea of sport karate, then it's a great campaign. Personally, I think it would be a bad thing - as Shotochem pointed out there's gonna be even more McDojo's than there are now. Plus, it's going away from what karate is. I can just see all the kata being watered down to fit in with "Olympic Standards". *shudder* "Was it really worth it? Only time and death may ever tell..." The Beautiful South - The Rose of My CologneSheffield Steelers!
Sauzin Posted April 12, 2004 Posted April 12, 2004 I really think this would be a bad idea. What I would fear is people doing kata for the sake of competition and Olympic standards rather then applicability and standards that only individual styles and teachers can set. The nature of competition and standardization is counterproductive to art in any pure form. Not that I am against the Olympics but there are some things that just don't mix well. The only two things that stand between an effective art and one that isn't are a tradition to draw knowledge from and the mind to practice it.
Shorinryu Sensei Posted April 12, 2004 Posted April 12, 2004 I also think it would be a bad idea. Look at what it did to TKD. It took a martial art and turned it into the joke of the martial arts in my opinion. Many of my non-martial arts friends thought it was so rediculous that two people would stand toe-to-toe and try to kick each other on the head, and hardly ever a head punch. I can't say I disagree with them. No...no karate in the Olympics. I think it would do MUCH more damage than it would do good for the arts. My nightly prayer..."Please, just let me win that PowerBall Jackpot just once. I'll prove to you that it won't change me!"
tommarker Posted April 12, 2004 Posted April 12, 2004 Well, since 90% of karate schools aren't much better than TKD schools, I see no problem with such an event. I'm no longer posting here. Adios.
Ironberg Posted April 12, 2004 Posted April 12, 2004 Amen. In addition, there's plenty of legit TKD schools that go unnoticed, partially because of the illegitimacy of their counterparts shaming them. However, I still dunno if it's a good idea or not. Time will tell. "An enlightened man would offer a weary traveler a bed for the night, and invite him to share a civilized conversation over a bowl of... Cocoa Puffs."
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