Olympic Karate

[goju1971]

I'm curious what the you guys think about karate being in the next Olympics and are any of you thinking about how it could impact the ordinary martial arts school?

I'm thinking of crossing over into the WKF sparring rules, using their approved equipment, etc. Currently we spar, but ours is more like 1980's kickboxing rules with groin shots, sweeps and takedowns. We also do a lot of strikes to the head. WKF rules would probably be more endorsed by parents, but I don't want to become a powder puff school, if that's not too rude!

Anyone have an opinion on this?

[Wastelander]

For our students interested in competition, we have switched from USKA-style kumite to WKF-style kumite. We only have one class a week dedicated to that, though, and aside from the occasional focus on it in other sparring classes, that's it. The rest of our sparring is either the way you describe, or more MMA-style, or kakedameshi.

The parents definitely like the WKF approach--it's clean, structured, and gives the kids a relatively safe way to compete. Personally, I suggest you simply set up an additional class, or transition an existing one, to spar this way for those who are interested in it. It's worked out quite well for us. Our students don't clean-sweep WKF competitions, but they pretty much always medal, and we still have a reputation as a tough fighting school when we do other competitions.

[JR 137]

I agree with Wastelander. Make it something alongside what you currently do rather than making it a replacement. If you completely change over to WKF style sparring, you're going to change the identity of your school. IMO, and perhaps I'll catch a ton of flack for saying it, kumite is the soul of the school. The approach to sparring is what sets schools apart. There is a lot of overlap in which kata are taught and how they're performed (the movements themselves, not so much the bunkai); what separates a lot of schools is how kumite is practiced- full contact, light contact, knockdown, point fighting, sweeps, throws, joint locks, chokes, and on and on.

There's nothing wrong with changing things up time to time. It's healthy to do so. Completely changing things to see how it'll work out could be catastrophic to your school.

Not to come off the wrong way, but if I were your student and you told me you were changing the sparring from what you describe to WKF rules, I'd look for another school. I'd have the feeling that the direction you're headed isn't what I signed up for. I'd be fine with you adding WKF stuff, so long as it didn't change what I was there to do.

[goju1971]

Thanks for the replies, and I've decided to keep doing what I'm doing. I don't think I could've followed through on tournament point sparring anyway. Our sparring is too close to boxing; it wouldn't have worked.

Thanks again for the feedback.

[strangepair03]

I think the impact on the whole will be positive. I personally don't enjoy WKF type sparring but it is a great conditioning tool.

[sensei8]

To be honest, I've not really given it much thought at all. It is what it is, and I don't care one way or another how it might or might not impact the bottom line on my P&L Statement. Why??

The Olympics is just a thing; something else that some hate or like for whatever their reason(s) might or might not be.

I've nothing against the Olympics or that Karate is the new Olympic sport, and in that, I'll be surprised if it gets much coverage, and if it does, either way, it'll not impact my P&L Statement whatsoever!!

[The Pred]

Does the average person even know the difference between TKD and Karate?

[Wastelander]

Does the average person even know the difference between TKD and Karate?

In my experience, not at all. They don't even know the difference between judo and TKD, most of the time. That's one of my biggest complaints with Olympic karate, and why I don't think it will stick around

[The Pred]

Yeah, there is a dojo by where I live, its a TKD school but they use word karate on their building sign.

[sensei8]

Yeah, there is a dojo by where I live, its a TKD school but they use word karate on their building sign.

As you might already know, that's a marketing tool. "Karate" is more recognized that the word "Tae Kwon Do", even today. This marketing tool was the rage of the page back in the mid 60's to early 70's because, and through TV and the like, "Tae Kwon Do" was the new kid on the block, so to speak.

Marketing tools are important. It's not what you say, but it's how you say it; this is still quite true in business 101.