While driving home Saturday morning I spotted a small paper sign that said, "KARATE TOURNAMENT",it was mixed in with all the yard sale signs hanging on every street sign in my neighborhood.
I anxiously followed these little red signs which led me to the local high school gymnasium.
The first thing I noticed upon entering was all the Black Belts kids, some that looked about 10 yrs. old.
Well they had Kata competition going on one side of the gym and kumite on the other, so I seated myself in the middle so I could catch all the action.
Hmmm, not to exciting, very poor technique, no focus, but a whole lot of yelling that I guess were suppose to be Kiai's.
Now I hear from the group next to me that Danny's fighting next, he's the top junior Black Belt in Kumite. I don't want to criticize Kids, so lets just say I anxiously awaited the mens Black Belt sparring.
Now I'm really glad I didn't criticize the Kids, I see where they learned how not to be effective, to have weak techniques, to lack power, to have no focus, no timing.
It seems the only technique they know is a "side push kick", lean back on your rear leg and push your front leg out, no power, no focus and these are "BLACK BELTS".
I know these Karate instructors sell parents on the fact that they are building character or teaching kids discipline, I say bulls@#t, you take your child to KARATE CLASS, so he /she can LEARN HOW TO DEFEND THEMSELVES IF ATTACKED!
This was a very disappointing event. I remember attending high school gym Karate Tournaments in the past and seeing fighters like Jim Kelley, Howard Jackson, Lenny Ferguson Sho Kasugi, Bob Dunek, Donny Williams, Steve Sanders, Darnell Garcia etc etc... Is this what the new age of Karate and Kumite is all about?
Karate Fighting Techniques: The Complete Kumite
Karate Tournament
Martial Arts Clip Art
Tired of searching for karate clip art? Looking for images you can use in your newsletters, fliers, and certificates?
Now you can get an entire collection of kung fu, judo, jiu jitsu, tae kwon do and karate clip art for free! click here for more info
Self Defense
Fighting when it comes to self-defense, isn't sparring.
Many post that I have read on forums talk about squaring off and what stance to use, if you allow the conflict to progress to this point you've lost most of your advantage.
Now I know there are some real rough boys here who this advice won't apply to.
How many of you witnessed how easily a half trained BJJ purple belt trashes a highly trained Karate black belt. The Gracies walk into a school and want to spar the instructor, he agrees, throws a have-hearted kick to their stomach to see what will happen and they take him to the ground and cause him pain and embarrassment.
What about self defense on the street, in a bar or anywhere. Someone starts making inappropriate gestures toward you, your wife or your family, are you going to spar with him?
You don't know who this person is, maybe he doesn't care if he spends the next few nights in jail, maybe he knocks everyone he fights out, wants to see if he can knock you out too.
Karate is a combat art, developed to stop, devastate, or destroy you opponent. There is a time to leave and theres a time to stop the conflict before it gets going.
Hard kicks to the knees, shins, thighs or groin, knife hands to the neck or throat, hair grabs with hammer fist to the nose, pokes to the eyes. If you have a strong reverse punch, strike the nose, throat, or solar plexus.
Don't let an ex football player with a bad attitude get a run at you, you'll probably end up a tackling dummy.
I'm not against sparring in the studio or competition, it's another tool to develop timing, focus and mental toughness, all necessary in effective self defense training . There may come a time when squaring off is the only option, someone just starts swinging at you or tries to take you down to the ground. This is where sparring in the dojo helps, you block, evade and counter with all you got and hopefully it's enough.
Self Defense & Street Fighting Secrets!
Shotokan Karate
When taught and trained properly, Shotokan Karate can be the ultimate Self Defense Art.
Timing, focus, power are all developed. When backing down is not an option, a blow must be delivered to the proper target with sufficient power at the proper moment. These are the three principals of Shotokan Karate.
Find an instructor who can teach you these things,pay attention, train hard and stay with it. Shotokan founder Gichin Funakoshi has said that "mind and technique become one in true karate." We strive to make our physical techniques pure expressions of our mind's intention, and to improve our mind's focus by understanding the essence of the physical techniques. By polishing our karate practice we are polishing our own spirit or our own mentality. For example, eliminating weak and indecisive movements in our karate helps to eliminate weakness and indecision in our minds--and vice versa.
It may take a lifetime to develop these Shotokan Karate attributes, but the journey is the best part
Karate for "Little Johnny"
Little Johnny is being picked on at school.
Johnnys parents have tried everything, talking to the school principal and teachers, telling "Little Johnny" to ignore the bullies, dad says "if they push you, push them back!" So far nothing has worked.
"Little Johnny" is scared to go to school, his grades are failing, what are his parents to do?
While driving home from the beauty salon "Little Johnnys" mom spots,
"Master Joe's Strip Mall Karate For Kids".
Mom explains the situation to Master Joe. Master Joe recommends a 3 group classes and 2 private instruction karate classes a week program, it's kind of expensive, but Master Joe will throw in a free karate Gi if Mom signs "Little Johnny" up for a one year program.
Well it's been 3 weeks and "Little Johnny" has only cried twice this week at class and he almost has that horse stance down, if he can just get his fist rotating correctly on his punches, he'll be well on his way to that yellow belt, heck he already knows the first four moves of Kata #1 and half of the dojo slogan, "THERE ARE NO BAD KIDS, JUST KIDS WHOSE PARENTS DON'T PAY THEIR MONTHLY DUES".
Can anyone relate to this. I know we have all had remarkable kids come though our schools, but most of them aren't.
When I was 18 yrs old I was teaching at a Kenpo karate school in S. Cal and have seen this situation many times. Parents see Karate, maybe thats the solution and maybe it is, but it's not a quick solution.
I would take kids like, "Little Johnny" and teach them to throw a rear hand reverse punch, put him in front of a heavy bag and slowly train him to hit and hit and hit, usually in 3 weeks the kid would be able to rip off ten decent punches into the bag, know when to fire off his punches and know where to hit.
I had parents come down to the school, Mom and Dads mad, "John" got suspended from school today, he punched one of those kids that "HAD" been pushing him around in the nose.
Mom says she didn't bring her son here to learn to be a karate killer. I explain that I'll have a talk with him. Mom storms out and Dad looks at me and says "Thanks man, My wife and I both really appreciate what you've done for "John."
Karate, Kenpo ,Kung fu, are all beautiful effective self defence arts when taught properly.
