Learning native language of your style

[JazzKicker]

As part of my initial training in karate, and then Tang Soo Do, I learned the basic terminology for counting, techniques, body parts, commands, etc., especially Korean.

However, in TSD my instructors were Americans, not native speakers, so we were all "singing in a language we didn't understand" . A few years later, I had a Korean-American Hapkido instructor who corrected some of my misunderstandings.

Recently I've been watching "k-drama" action TV with subtitles, so I was inspired to start learning actual conversational Korean and the Hangul characters.

I'm using a language app and some online resources. One thing I was able to do was translate the characters on my old belt and a t-shirt, to see if they actually said what i thought they did!

I may not find much practical use, since I don't know any Korean speakers right now- I used to work with 3 Korean Phd.s! But I think I'll get more cultural insight, and it may open some unexpected doors.

[DarthPenguin]

As part of my initial training in karate, and then Tang Soo Do, I learned the basic terminology for counting, techniques, body parts, commands, etc., especially Korean.

However, in TSD my instructors were Americans, not native speakers, so we were all "singing in a language we didn't understand" . A few years later, I had a Korean-American Hapkido instructor who corrected some of my misunderstandings.

Recently I've been watching "k-drama" action TV with subtitles, so I was inspired to start learning actual conversational Korean and the Hangul characters.

I'm using a language app and some online resources. One thing I was able to do was translate the characters on my old belt and a t-shirt, to see if they actually said what i thought they did!

I may not find much practical use, since I don't know any Korean speakers right now- I used to work with 3 Korean Phd.s! But I think I'll get more cultural insight, and it may open some unexpected doors.

that sounds intriguing!

Myself i have constantly toyed with the ides of learning Japanese - mainly because i visited it before and loved it but noticed how little English people spoke there. My son loves Anime etc and would be great to take the family there on holiday but would be much better if at least one of us spoke some of the language!

[Zaine]

As part of my initial training in karate, and then Tang Soo Do, I learned the basic terminology for counting, techniques, body parts, commands, etc., especially Korean.

However, in TSD my instructors were Americans, not native speakers, so we were all "singing in a language we didn't understand" . A few years later, I had a Korean-American Hapkido instructor who corrected some of my misunderstandings.

Recently I've been watching "k-drama" action TV with subtitles, so I was inspired to start learning actual conversational Korean and the Hangul characters.

I'm using a language app and some online resources. One thing I was able to do was translate the characters on my old belt and a t-shirt, to see if they actually said what i thought they did!

I may not find much practical use, since I don't know any Korean speakers right now- I used to work with 3 Korean Phd.s! But I think I'll get more cultural insight, and it may open some unexpected doors.

that sounds intriguing!

Myself i have constantly toyed with the ides of learning Japanese - mainly because i visited it before and loved it but noticed how little English people spoke there. My son loves Anime etc and would be great to take the family there on holiday but would be much better if at least one of us spoke some of the language!

The Shihan of the Shobayashi school I was in was a fluent speaker and lived there for a time. It was interesting to hear her linguistic perspective on the different words we used.

[Wastelander]

I've learned a little basic Japanese, in addition to the Japanese terminology used in karate, plus some Uchinaaguchi. I think it would be really cool to learn Uchinaaguchi and help preserve the language, but it's incredibly hard to find courses on it because Japan nearly killed it, and it would almost never be useful in day-to-day life. Japanese is much more widely used, but not where I live, so until I visit Okinawa, again, I wouldn't have much opportunity to use it. I do think that learning the language of your martial art does provide additional insights into the culture, though!

[sensei8]

Both my Soke and Dai-Soke were born and raised in Okinawa, and like Noah states, "Japan nearly killed it", the Uchinaaguchi language of Okinawa by 1879 when the Japanese annexed Okinawa, and by the Battle of Okinawa of 1945, many Okinawans spoke Japanese, and for the sake of survival many Okinawans spoke Japanese as a way of survival because some Okinawans were killed by Japanese soldiers for speaking Okinawan.

I'd say that both Soke and Dai-Soke spoke Okinawan Japanese. They spoke Uchinaagushi amongst themselves but spoke Japanese to us students. In time, they both learned English, but it was broken English, and to a lot of us young/teenage students, it was pretty funny to hear to us, which they didn't appreciate our laughter.

When Soke and Dai-Soke moved to the USA, they didn't speak any English at all. They both did a lot of pointing and grunting at us students, which was interesting in itself. They quickly finally hired a translator, which did help.

A lot of us long time students learned Japanese from them by us just listing and speaking Japanese correctly was through trial and error. A small inner circle of us students that spend a lot of time visiting them in their homes was priceless for learning Japanese. We'd sit for hours just listening to them converse with one another. Noah is dead right-on when he says, "I do think that learning the language of your martial art does provide additional insights into the culture, though!"

But now, I'm so darn rusty with my conversational Japanese that it's both sad and frustrating because they've both been gone 16 and 14 years respectfully and I've had no one else to converse with in Japanese; it's the out of sight, out of mind. Oh, my speaking the MA terminology in Japanese will always be there for me because it's a very live part of my life.

[Spartacus Maximus]

Personally learning my martial art’ s native language has become a lifelong pursuit. Learning it was practical and vital to communicate with teachers and peers who knew no other language. It was the key to training as well as living in their country for many years.

The second reason and motivation to learn is when your MA’s language is also native to your spouse and children. There aren’t many truer signs of dedication and passion for whatever one practises.

It goes so much above and beyond what the average regular folk are capable, willing or able to do. The same can be said about martial artists who are deeply interested in everything about the history of a particular art, going as far as studying the general history of whatever region their MA came from.

As an amateur hobbyist historian with a keen interest in learning about human language/culture, this something I also do and enjoy discussing in depth. On the other hand, it would not be fair to expect the average MA person to share the same level of depth.

[KarateKen]

Personally, I never cared much for learning the language. I still struggle with English. A few terms are OK, but I am not going to learn more than I have to. That being said I encourage anyone who wants to learn more to do so.

[Spartacus Maximus]

The main utility of using a martial art’s native language terminology and common phrases is that it becomes a lingua franca, or universal language if/when training with others who may not share a common language. Very much like English for international relations or business. It is a great thing to be able to train and share with anyone in spite of not speaking the other’s language.

It is already quite an advantage to know and use the native language terms. With only that plus maybe a few commonly used phrases (yes, no, please, thank you etc) one can give/follow instructions anywhere. Any karate person understands what to do if asked to do “chudan tsuki”, but may not understand if told the same thing in English or any other language they don’t know.

[Montana]

Good topic!

My origional sensei learned in Okinawa from one of the top people in the system, Sensei Kuda Yuichi. My sensei never really mentioned what language they spoke in class, but I know sensei Kuda only spoke a little English.

What I learned from my sensei was mostly English terms for the techniques, such as:

Outside block

Inside block

High block

Low block

Hand block

Snap kick

side kick

Roundhouse kick

etc.

Katas were in Okinawan: Pinan Sho, Ni, San etc.

Counting was in Okinawan also.

I had a BB student that started researching the Japanese terms for the various techniques, but I really never got into it.

[bushido_man96]

I've never really taken an interest in learning Korean. In my original TKD style, we did everything in English. It wasn't until I got into the organization I'm in now that I heard Korean in class. And I've learned over time from reading different sources that we have some different terminology for techniques than other organizations do. So I'm not sure if it's helpful or not.