Does karate have any "internal" forms?

[JohnnyB]

Of course, it being Kyokushin, spiritual in nature still involves getting beat with sticks and fists and stuff while you're testing with this kata.

Is there any kind of spiritual practice that doesn't involve some level of blunt force trauma? If anyone says "yes", I'll call shinannigans.

That sounds nasty indeed..!

[evergrey]

Of course, it being Kyokushin, spiritual in nature still involves getting beat with sticks and fists and stuff while you're testing with this kata.

Is there any kind of spiritual practice that doesn't involve some level of blunt force trauma? If anyone says "yes", I'll call shinannigans.

That sounds nasty indeed..!

It's okay, we already know people think we're crazy, haha!

[GaryWado]

In a lot of ancient Japanese “Koryu” traditions - they had internal strength building exercises.

These were often solo exercises but there are paired ones also. They were not about building brute strength as much as garnering internal energy/power - "Ki" if you are Japanese and "Chi" if you are Chinese of course.

Many senior Japanese Wado karate instructors will tell you that kata such as Naihanchi and Seishan were developed /and are practiced for this purpose.

So yes, Karate does have internal forms imo.

Gary

[Chunmonchek]

I am an instructor and been practicing martial arts for 30 years Okinawan Goju Ryu, and a history of Kung-fu. Yes there are several arts that practice internal strength training or Chi-Kung. The first karate art to practice such was Goju Ryu, also known as Naha-te with Sanchin for hardening the body and Tensho for the equivolent of Tai chi. The sister art of Goju Ryu Uchi Ryu also practices this form of martial arts.

Mr. O,

Are you sure that Goju was the first? Would you consider Higaonna Kanryo's Naha-te, Juhatsu Kyoda's Toon Ryu, or the Nakaima family's Ryuei Ryu as training internal arts?

What's your Okinawa Goju lineage?

Mine is Shoreikan/Toguchi, though my teacher resigned from that organization in 1973.

Best,

Chris

[Harkon72]

I would say Zanchin Kata is defiantly internal.

There is more movement on the inside than is apparent in the external technique.

[Fudoshin_Ryu]

Someone once told me suparunpei was half internal also since its based off the core of sanchin..

And I do have to believe in that.