Japanese terminology: is it necessary? harmful? Silly?

[darksoul]

Since Kempo is a mixed style (Chinese and Japanese) and was created by an American, everything is in English. Since my master is also a Master of Tai Chi Wu, we get some Chinese terms in there at times.

On my embroidered black belt (once it finally arrives) I have Shaolin Kempo written in Chinese on it - 少林拳法

While I am a full supporter of using Japanese terms in a traditional karate environment, I know that teaching in a language everyone knows is simpler and tends to avoid mistakes. Granted, now I'm re-learning all the English terms of Kempo in French since I live in a French province. It's fun

[JusticeZero]

My techniques have Portuguese names; I use the portuguese names because I want students to do Mea Lua de Frente (lit. "half moon (crescent) in front") because it is not the same kick as the "front crescent" the TKD school teaches.

[DWx]

I think it should all come down to this: Who do you learn from and who do you want to learn from?

If your instructor speaks only English and all of the people who you would like to learn from for the rest of your life speak only English, then I say don't bother with the Japanese/Okinawan terms. However, if you would like to learn from anyone else in the world, I highly recommend learning the traditional Okinawan/Japanese terms. Don't forget, in karate that is the international language, not English.

By just taking a little time to learn the names of some basic techniques, you multiply ten-fold what you can gain from instructors the world over, be they someone you train with on vacation in France, or even someone who might be a Japanese guest instructor here in the US.

Great post.

Learning the language of the style opens up far more opportunities for your training. I know I can, and have done, go anywhere in the world and learn from someone who does my style but doesn't necessarily speak my language. Its good to have a international standard for technique names so that when people get together you all know what's going on.

Even if you don't want to go to a seminar or competition with non-English speakers, a lot more training videos and instructional literature become accessible.

[bushido_man96]

I am a proponent of using the language of the area you live in, as opposed to the native language of the country the style came from.

[Uechi Kid]

If you don't know the name of the techniques in your style and have the opportunity to train with Okinawan masters, you'll wish you did.

I also think it helps preserve some of the history and tradition of a style. In the Dojo that I learned in we were required to learn the lineage our sensei back as far as it's Chinese roots. Does that make me a better practitioner? No, but I'm glad I have that knowledge.

[straightblast]

I would prefer to use English because that is what we use in the USA.

I think it was more political as when Karate was introduced to Japan.

Why didn't the Japanese use the Ryukyu dialect of the time when they train and why was it changed from china hand to empty hand?

I believe that from china to Okinawa to Japan, each nation used there own language, so why shouldn't we?

but like it was said above, you might want to know a little if you ever study with or attend a seminar with a foreign master.

[JusticeZero]

If you change the traditions to make them local, you will sever the connection to the past of the art. This isn't actually important as far as your material is concerned, but it does disrupt your ability to deal with the teachers from the source region. Language differences have been mentioned, for one, and the foreign teachers are no longer being granted the appeasement/status of having the art retained in a familiar form in the host country.

Furthermore, in the current, American-derived cultural norms held by most English-speaking students, there exists a sense of traditionalist xenophilia as a marker of high cultural status; sacrificing the foreign-ness of the art as a package may lessen the status of the art and make it less appealing to students.

[sensei8]

I'm American, and in that, I speak and write in the English language everyday of my life, both personal and professional.

My Soke and Dai-Soke were born and raised in Okinawa. Their English is horrible beyond belief, but ok enough to be understood by us, their students, and with visitors as well in any professional venue before them. However, they both had translators if need be, but they tried their best to always speak English.

Now, in the Hombu, Soke and Dai-Soke spoke Japanese techniques and the like, however, in private, they spoke some Okinawan dialect between themselves.

I consider myself well versed to a point in the Japanese language, and in that, I will speak the techniques in both Japanese and in English, but that's out of habit, not to be cool or loyal, it's just out of habit. I'll speak in English all of the other times, especially when teaching on the floor because my students don't speak Japanese and they wouldn't have a clue about what I was explaining to them and my students must be able to understand my words or their not learning anything helpful.

I'm there to teach Shindokan, not Japanese!!

[JohnnyB]

Studying shotokan in Greece we speak Greek ofc but when stepping in the dojo all the Japanese terminology is used. My sensei has even made a poster of him performing all techniques with small pictures and the name of each one underneath. Very cool to watch while waiting outside the class.

Like Shizentai wrote it is the international language that we learn. In my first Karate seminar this June that we had 2 senseis from Italy instructing my class and even though I don't know any Italian I had no problem communicating with them. Body language and Japanese/Okinawan terminology is the only thing you need to practice Karate with anyone in the world.

[Harkon72]

I live in North Wales, it is the heartland of the Welsh language. Most of the class is in English and Welsh. Some of the junior grades don't speak much English, so having the terminology in Japanese makes good sense. I suppose it's an universal language for Karate.