Opinions on "Japanese" terms in class.

[Zanshin]

I would think that they would teach boxing in their own language as it is a sport.

Traditional Martial Arts like Karate are NOT sports, and that’s perhaps the difference.

judo, tkd, sumo, kendo, kyokushin... all have a sportive aspect. What of these?

Exactly that, "sportive aspects" drawn down from the traditional art (although strictly speaking, Sumo is a traditional art or Koryu).

Interestingly though when competing in most of these, the refereeing and scoring is conducted in Japanese (not TKD obviously).

[Underlink]

i think when you learn karate part of the disaplin and culture should be learnt and it is a better way of discribing a technique. terminology is a very important part of my karate and students in my class will fail grading if they do not know the correct jap terminology.

[bushido_man96]

One of the issues that I have with this is that the terminology isn't important when it comes down to defending oneself.

[Clash]

Even though I haven't officially started my training yet, from what i have been to exposed to in my soon to be school, I really like using the Japanese terms. when I watch the class or go over the packet of information I was given and the sheet I'm expected to learn to earn my patch I really enjoy learning the new words and Terminology. It seems to give it a sense well idunno it just the feeling of the dojo that makes it very very appealing to me. Maybe I'm just a sucker for foreign culture and the "Traditional" thing really appeals to me?

[lexmark]

Well, I just started shotokan but right now I prefer the Japanese. That's mostly because I live in Quebec and the class is in French. I don't speak French. Sensei will give short explanations in English if he sees that I or some of the other English students didn't really get what he was saying, but I still think I'm missing some key points. I hope to be signing up soon for French lessons so that'll help.

I'm slowly learning the Japanese terms so at least I have a better understanding of what he wants us to do. That, and he demonstrates what he wants with a student first before he has us do it. So far I've been able to mostly figure out what he wants by watching him.

[Zanshin]

One of the issues that I have with this is that the terminology isn't important when it comes down to defending oneself.

You are absolutely right, but personally I think that there is more to traditional karate than just "defending oneself". Naturally that is its key objective along with self-improvement etc., but I think the study of any martial art should include embracing the culture from whence it came.

I study Wado ryu, which has its origins in the Koryu arts and is un-ashamedly a "Japanese" karate. Perhaps this is why it has a different "pedagogy" than that of TKD.

[bushido_man96]

but I think the study of any martial art should include embracing the culture from whence it came.

I do see what you are saying here. However, you can only learn so much of a culture from a Martial Art. If I wanted to specialize in learning the culture of a country, I could find it in more intensive study through paths other than the country's Martial Arts.

Its like I have said before; a side kick is a side kick, and if it hits you, it doesn't matter which language it is in.

[Kieran-Lilith]

Well, the part about it not being much good to you in self defense is true, but I think it really depends on what your school focuses on. Sport intensive schools probably have little need of original languages except for formality at tournaments and things like that. Schools that are more focused on the "do", or the spiritual and peaceful self-development (to put it vaguely), probably find more use in the original languages for the concepts they hold. Sure, most cultures have comparable ideas in some arenas, but it seems a lot easier to just learn about the other culture. If that's the kind of school they're in, they've probably chosen it for a reason, after all.

Personally, I can't imagine karate without the Japanese. It explains things a lot faster once you learn the meanings, and learning really isn't that hard, nor that big a deal.

[straightblast]

you can say it however you like, but in the end a front kick is still a front kick and pain is the international language that we all know.

[The BB of C]

I voted "No" in the poll. But personally, I don't mind all that much. So long as I know what I'm saying. If that were the case, I'd probably just say it in English. But I don't like it at all when a real big deal is made out of weather I know the language or not.