old school karate

[advfhorn]

just curious - when someone says "old school karate" what do you think of?

[sensei8]

My quickest answer to this question is...

Whenever one is training in Karate for sports, that is NOT old school Karate, IMHO.

By the way, great topic, advfhorn, thank you.

[aurik]

When I think old school karate, I think of something like this:

[sensei8]

When I think old school karate, I think of something like this:

Yeah, like that.

Handed down from generation to generation, and from those great Masters of yesterday, who forged The Way for all of us who hold their ideologies close to our hearts while we take one step at a time in our own MA journey. Without them, there'd be no old school Karate to follow, and to pass onto the scoreless amount of students who still find value in upholding the methodologies and ideologies of old school Karate.

[Spartacus Maximus]

It can mean slightly different things depending on the context and the person using the words. Generally it refers more to certain training and teaching methods that were common before karate became commercialized and widespread as a competitive sport. The words are also used to describe karate taught exclusively for self-defense and in a way which endeavours to be as close as possible to what was originally done in Okinawa and Japan. In fact, ´old-school’ is a term often used when referring to Okinawan systems versus those that developed after karate was introduced to Japan in the early 1900’s by the likes of Funakoshi and Motobu.

[Wastelander]

I know that some people see "old-school karate" as referring to what is affectionately known in the US as the "blood and guts era" of karate here in the States, which was mostly the 1970s. They talk fondly of the hard training, with Sensei that were almost abusive to their students, and point karate tournaments where people lost teeth and broke bones.

Personally, that's not "old-school," to me, at all.

I see old-school karate much the same way that Spartacus Maximus describes; Okinawan methods that primarily carry over from before karate's introduction to the school system and mainland Japan. It's superficially characterized by having more angles/circles than straight, hard lines, along with higher stances, but beyond that it tends to include a great deal of grabbing, locking, and throwing. It also tends not to incorporate point fighting, but since that's the popular karate thing, most schools do it, even if they teach otherwise-old-school methods.

[Fat Cobra]

Our style is "old school" karate. This is defined by no superfluous motions. Everything is direct and efficient. Move from point A to B. This includes our kata and techniques. We have locks and throws (Tuite Jitsu) and Pressure Points (Kyusho Jitsu). We do body toughening exercises, like Ude Tanren (forearm conditioning) and makiwara punching. We also do Kobudo (traditional Okinawan weapons training: Bo, Jo, Tanbo, Chizikunbo, Kama, Nunchaku, Sai, Tonfa, Eku, Manji Sai, and Nuntebo). Our classes are small and more informal than some others.

We do not break boards, point spar, or compete in tournaments of any kind (kata or sparring). Everything is practiced for practical self defense.

However, "old, old school" karate, as I see it, goes back to Okinawa in the early 20th century and before. There were no uniforms (Gi's) or belts (rank). Practitioners wore long shorts and no shirt. They practiced in somebody's house or backyard and classes were small and informal.

Edited February 5, 2020 by Fat Cobra

[sensei8]

I could say that I'm not "old school" Karate because I started in 1964, however, the methodology and ideology that I/we trained in was "old school" training from Soke and Dai-Soke because they were both differently from those times.

Perhaps, "old school" can't be addressed as "old school" in today's modern world, no matter what age the methodology and ideology is handed down.

Semantics might apply to this topic across the board.

[bushido_man96]

I think of lots of floor drills and basics drills, sitting in a horse stance for 15 minutes at a time and not moving or risk getting a tongue lashing from an instructor. Only four belt colors and no kids allowed in class.

Not that it's right, but that's the picture that forms in my mind. Like Wastelander mentioned, the "blood and guts" era.

[advfhorn]

Thanks guys. I have really been asking myself recently what I love about karate and the things I like, and are they really karate. These perspectives helped.