Shotokan Karate, shotokan kata videos, shotokan kumite videos, shotokan kihon.

Gichin Funakoshi (1868-1957) was an Okinawan karate master who formally introduced karate to the Japanese mainland in 1921.

Gichin funakoshi upset many Okinawan karate masters by changing the name karate to mean 'empty hand' instead of 'China hand', this pleased the Japanese.

The first Shotokan Karate Dojo was built in 1936, the Japan Karate Association (JKA) was formed in 1955, although Funakoshi didn't agree with all the Japanese changes to his karate, he remained in charge of the JKA until his death in 1957. Masatoshi Nakayama succeeded funakoshi as chief instructor of the JKA.

Whenever the name of Gichin Funakoshi is mentioned, it brings to mind the parable of "A Man of Tao (Do) and a Little Man". As it is told, a student once asked, "What is the difference between a man of Tao and a little man?" The sensei replies, "It is simple. When the little man receives his first dan (degree or rank), he can hardly wait to run home and shout at the top of his voice to tell everyone that he has obtained his first dan. Upon receiving his second dan, he will climb to the rooftops and shout to the people. Upon receiving his third dan, he will jump in his automobile and parade through town blowing the horn, telling one and all about his third dan".

The sensei continues, "When the man of Tao receives his first dan, he will bow his head in gratitude. Upon receiving his second dan, he will bow his head and his shoulders. Upon receiving his third dan, he will bow at the waist and quietly walk alongside the wall so that people will not see him or notice him".

Shock, horror! Well, I for one, believe this to be a true statement, but at the same time, I'm going to say, some karateka are very dangerous, they could and would, tear apart, 90% of attackers!

So what's the difference between the two, ATTITUDE!

When training, you are what you think, if you are thinking about cuddly teady bears and cup cakes (just an example), you will be about as effective as teddy bear in a fight with a T Rex!

If your attitude is strong and positive in the dojo, you are going to have a better chance in a real self defense situation.

When your karate is at full speed and power, you should practice like your life depends on each move, use some imagination, your karate can still be practiced safely, but when techniques become real, it takes on a whole new meaning. Make it real.

When practicing kata (forms), kihon (basics) or kumite (sparring) at speed, when your strike hits the target, imagine what would really happen if you landed the blow with full force and no control, is it strong enough to hurt or even fell an opponent, it should be.

In the dojo, etiquette, control and discipline rule the day, in the street, they have no regard for your safety, they do not care if they kill you and they most definitely show no control or mercy.

I can't remember the exact words he used, but, the famous boxer, Mike Tyson, when he was world champion, said, 'They cannot hurt me, they cannot knock me out, I won't allow them to'. In the martial arts, karate and self defence, that's the attitude to have.

Another Mike Tyson quote, 'Every shot was thrown with bad intentions'.

Some karateka naturally have this attitude, others need to train themselves to be like this, never give up, if you knock me down, I'm just going to get back up, I will not stop and when I hit you, I will hit with, as Mike Tyson says, bad intention!

So, to me, self defense is a state of mind, rather than a physical state of being, obviously the physical side is important, but all karateka have the physical side, don't they?

One of the stories surrounding the history of the Heian (Pinan) katas claims that Master Itosu Yasutsune learned a Kata from a Chinese living in Okinawa. This Kata was called "Chiang Nan" by the Chinese man. The form became known as "Channan" to the Okinawan masters who found Chiang Nan difficult to say. The Channan Kata were thought lost but rumour has it that a Chinese Master knows Channan 1,2 and 3.

Master Itosu formed 5 Katas from the long Channan kata, which he thought would be easier to learn than Channan. The 5 Kata were Pinan Shodan, Nidan, Sandan, Yondan and Godan .A loose translation of the word Pinan (Heian) could be 'calm and peaceful'.

Another story says Master Itosu formed the "Chiang Nan" Heian kata from some of the more advanced Kata like kankudai(Kushanku), so enabling him to teach High School children the Karate Kata.

No one really knows for sure, maybe master Itosu devised the Heian kata himself, maybe one of the above stories is true but one thing is for sure, the Heian Kata are now practised all over the world by millions of people and they are the required Kata up to brown belt in most Shotokan Dojo, aswell as other traditional karate dojo.

Linden Huckle
Shotokan kata videos

Shotokan's first kumite(sparring) exercise is either gohon kumite (5 step sparring), or sanbon kumite (3 step sparring).

In this sparring exercise the attacker will perform 5 (gohon) or 3 (sanbon) oi-tsuki jodan (stepping punch to the head). The defender will block 5 or 3 jodan age-uke (Upper-level Rising Block). The exercise is then repeated for oi tsuki chudan (stepping punch to the body), The defender will now block 5 or 3 chudan soto (ude)-uke (outside forearm mid level Block).

Before karate beginners commence this basic sparring exercise, an explanation of basic distancing, breathing, timing, focus,etc, should be given by the sensei.

1.The attacker steps back with their right leg and executes gedan barai (lower downward block) with the left arm.

2.The attacker will then perform oi-tsuki (lunge punch) to their opponents chin with the right arm, the sensei will encourage the karateka to stop an inch or two short of the target. The sensei should emphasise that over time and with lots practice the strike should stop on the surface of the skin.

3.Both karateka should take it in turns at this excersise.

4.There are several trains of thought on this next explanation.A lot of senior sensei will explain that once you have found the correct attacking distance, when you then step back gedan barai, (before the first jodan(upper level) attack), you should adjust your distance. Then if your opponent doesn't move when you attack, your punch would finish several inches into the target. Thus ensuring some reality in the kumite practice. Obviously, if the two karateka are not evenly matched, the attacks should be controlled by the more advanced karateka.

5.Once this exercise has been practiced and understood, the karateka can move on to the next part of gohon kumite or sanbon kumite.

6.Eyes! Where should you look? Well, again there are differing ideas on this subject, but here's one way. Look through your opponents eyes, not at the eyes, or in the eyes, through the eyes. Then focus on everything, keeping the eyes still while also refraining from blinking.

7.Next is breathing. Keep your breathing natural and inaudible. Do not let your opponent see or hear you breathing in and out.

8.Intent! You must attack with commitment to hitting the target. If there is no intent, the exercise is pointless.

9.Technique! The punching arm hits the target as the front foot lands, not before or after. Punch straight with the shoulders square. Move directly foreword, making sure the front knee pushes over the front foot as you begin the oi-tsuki (lunge punch). Keep your shoulders relaxed and try not to telegraph the attack.

10.Defending! Try and anticipate their attack, look for signs that they are about to attack. Stay relaxed but alert. Don't finish to close, or to far away. You should be at the correct distance to deliver an effective counter, which in this instance is gyaku-tsuki(reverse punch). There should be no pause between the last block and the counter punch, the counter punch should be performed immediately after the final block.

11.Attacking! Do not telegraph the attack. Watch their breathing, there are several, but one of the best times to attack is just as your opponent finishes breathing out. Watch for losses of concentration, if your opponent blinks attack! If they look away, attack! Your attacks and counter attacks should finish the fight with one blow.

Linden Huckle
Click the link for an excellent shotokan community site Shotokan Karate

There are many reasons why people start karate, they may want to keep fit, they may be looking for a hobby, self defense, socializing, or they have simply been fascinated by the whole history and mysticism surrounding karate and the martial arts.

Most people, in my experience, are not very fit when they start karate, fitness seems to be one of the main attractions, for a lot of people.

When a karate-ka (a karate practitioner) has been training for a certain amount of time, they will sometimes, naturally, supplement their karate practice, it may be running, swimming, cycling, weight training, etc, etc. Of course, there will be senior karate-ka who only practice karate and nothing else. But these karate-ka are normally very serious and are practicing five and more classes each week. But what of the person who only trains once or twice each week?

Once again, this is only my opinion, please feel free to disagree. When the karate training steps up a gear, the class takes a natural division, you have the martial artists who are very fit and the martial artists, who are not.

In today's society, nobody has any time, rush, rush, rush and a lot of the classes are at awkward times, so many people are unable to attend as many classes as they would like.

I used to have a student who trained very hard, but only once each week, he would be standing next to karate-ka who are training five plus times each week and supplementing their training with running, cycling, swimming, etc.

My student was a great guy (still is) and he would try his absolute hardest in every class, but after 30 minutes of hard and fast shotokan kihon, he would turn funny shades of red/purple and this was before we had gotten to the shotokan kumite and shotokan karate kata. I was young, so I am embarrassed to say, I would scream and shout words of encouragement at him, as I got older, I realized what how foolish I had been, on advice from shihan Minakami, I stopped him training in that particular class. He was OK about it, a very proud man, who nonetheless understood the situation. That situation was simply, dangerous!

There are shotokan karate classes everywhere! Some good, some bad. But in most karate dojo, there is a divide, the people who are fit and the people who are not. I have also noticed the people who are fit, sometimes have more free time, than the unfit people. In our dojo, the single people are the fittest, they have no mortgage or rent to pay, no work pressures, no kids, they can totally focus on their karate.

Just drilling your particular shotokan karate belt grading system can be extremely tiring and that will only last ten or fifteen minutes, when practiced at speed, so for someone who is struggling with their fitness, each class, must be a nightmare!

So to round up, if you are fit, you can perform your karate at a higher level for a longer amount of time, while the poor karate-ka who can only manage 1 or 2 classes each week, struggle with their fitness, week after week, hoping their fitness will improve. Sadly, in the end these people fade away, with a multitude of excuses as to why they have stopped training.

The good news! This is quite a simple problem to correct. Sensei should try and encourage their students to be fit for karate practice. People will say they have no time, they are to busy, but really, just about everyone could find 30 minutes once or twice a week, to go for a run, swim or cycling. The busy karate-ka could pick and chose 30 minutes, that suits their busy schedule.

I definitely encourage my students to supplement their training, they have to do a 3 mile run as part of their black belt exam, so by the time they get to brown belt, they are normally supplementing their karate practice.

Of course, you should enjoy your training, so if you don't like running, try swimming, if you don't like swimming, try cycling, etc, etc. But always have fun!

Ossu
Linden Huckle

If you compete, semi contact, full contact or mixed martial arts, it's VERY important.

But as karatedo is a 'self improvement' journey, speed obviously isn't the most important element, as your only real opponent is yourself.

Speed used to be a high priority in my training, I was always looking for new ways to increase my speed and I still think its an important part of karate practice.

As long as you go as fast as you can when practicing full speed, that's all that's important.

The question is, 'how do you get everyone in the dojo to move at THEIR full speed?' Well I believe the answer is 'encouragement'.

Some common phrases used by karate sensei are 'faster', 'more speed', 'that needs to be faster', 'to slow', 'speed up', etc.

But, these phrases when used correctly, as words of encouragement, rather than making karateka feel they are slow, is the right way.

We all want to feel good, gone are the days when a karate sensei could belittle students and expect them to bounce back stronger and I for one am glad those days have gone.

So if we all want to move as fast as we can at karate, all we need, is a strong dojo with a good atmosphere, senior karateka with good attitudes and a sensei with the ability to bring the best out of their students.

Happy speed training!

Ossu
Linden
For my Karate Website Clickshotokan karate club

PS I'll finish with a classic quote from one of the best boxers ever!Muhammad Ali

'I'm so fast that last night I turned off the light switch in my hotel room and was in bed before the room was dark.' Muhammad Ali

Child, man, woman, or beast! If they put the time and effort in, they should be rewarded. Black belt shouldn't be awarded to someone, just because they turn up every week, it should be difficult, if a child or adult pass black belt, they should sleep at night, knowing they deserve the Kuro-Obi (black belt).

There is no way a child black belt can compare with an adult black belt, I believe the title, 'Junior Black Belt' should be given to anyone under the age of sixteen.

The obvious one is strength, people will say, 'he or she may be a black belt, but they would never be able to defend themselves in the street, they're just a child' This statement is obviously true and this fact should be explained to the junior black belts, who, if training properly, will already know this. But only when they get older.

A junior karate black belt, who trains properly, with the correct attitude, will be a force to be reckoned with in years to come, I mean that in the nicest way possible, they will be courteous, respectful, strong, confident, successful, etc. They will handle hard times and issues in their life, that other people their age, will not. The hard work they put in as junior karate-ka will pay off ten fold when they enter the world of adulthood.

An adult black belt has experienced life, they have maturity in life that a child can never have. So an adult will understand the philosophical side of the martial arts much more than a child will. But I also believe the character development of a child is much easier to improve, adults have already developed their characters, they have their ways and sometimes they are stuck in them! Children can be guided and influenced, hopefully, in the right way.

The responsibility of a karate sensei is immense and shouldn't be taken lightly, a karate sensei is in a position of influence, which could guide and change the life of their karate children forever. I have very strong opinions about teaching children, the parents should understand this and play close attention to the karate sensei's teachings.

So, to finish, should children be awarded black belt? YES, if done correctly.

Ossu
Linden
My Karate Blog (sometimes controversial)
Linden's Dojo

I have just uploaded to www.shotokanunleashed.com , a shotokan training video for gyakutsuki (reverse punch), I have included some very basic training exercises we use in our dojo, with a technical explanation below. These are just my thoughts on reverse punch and I would love to here your own training methods for reverse punch. I have many other gyaku zuki exercises, these are the basic ones we use in our karate practice.

Shotokan karate's Gyakuzuki from hidari ju kamae hanmi (left side freestyle stance, body side on).

A basic gyaku zuki starts from the back leg, if you are punching with the right arm, drive the right leg, back and into the floor, transferring the driving force through the back leg, to the hip.
The hip then teams up with the back leg and they both drive the right side of the body around and forward.
You should also use the right side of the body to push and the left side of the body to pull.
Just before the rotation completes, the left arm (hikite), starts to pull back and the right arm starts to execute the punch.
Everything should stop at the same time, as the punch completes, kime (focus) the mind and body on the point of contact. The whole body focuses for a split second, the obvious muscles to tighten are the arm and stomach muscles, but more important are the tightening of the muscles, thigh, inner thigh, back of the thigh and gluteus maximus (buttocks), because without these being strong the reverse punch will be weak.

Ossu
Linden

Oizuki (basic stepping punch), looks so simple. But for Shotokan karateka who follow the karate way, it's an art form all on its own!

Indeed, lots of traditional Shotokan dojo place little importance on the intricate and detailed movement required to execute karate's basic stepping punch (oizuki). They see a step and a punch and as long as it resembles oizuki, that'll do! Now lets practice it like a bunch of crazed animals!

I'm embarrassed to say it, but it's only in the last few years that I have realised how important the small detail is, in karate. Before that, I had the, 'hit them as hard and fast as you can' mentality, now, that's not all bad, more Shotokan karateka should adopt that attitude, then they wouldn't be so weak. But as I have aged (beautifully, of course), I have begun to realise, brute force and strength just doesn't cut it. In fact, it just knocks you up. (British slang for tires you out).

I have trained many times with Shotokan JKA karateka, Dave Hooper Sensei 4th dan (should be 7th dan), who resides in Japan and who's instructor is the legendary JKA senior instructor, Osaka Sensei.
I have also been training with Shihan Akio Minakami, an 8th Dan Shito Ryu master, who's instructor was the late, great, Soke Teruo Hayashi 10th Dan.

They are both brilliant karateka who have been training longer than I have been breathing. They have both travelled different paths up the karate mountain, but their movements are very similar, natural, flowing and extremely powerful!

Not forced, brute strength, robotic, unnatural movements, like I used to and still do sometimes.

Anyway, this article is supposed to be about oizuki (basic stepping punch), so here goes, my attempt at explaining what I have picked up from many great karate masters and how I now try and execute oizuki (when I don't slip into 'Conan The Destroyer' mode).

Please don't think I'm saying this is the only way to step, it's just the way I have been practicing recently.

Stepping forward oizuki from zenkutsu dachi, gedan barai (left leg in front).

1. An initial, small but important forward movement with the front knee, whilst keeping the front foot still.
2. Drive the left shoulder, right hip and rib cage forward, at the same time keeping the right shoulder back.
3. Try pulling with the front leg as you step half way.
4. The left leg then pushes from the floor to propel the body forward.
5. At the same time the right foot lands, execute the punch.
6. At the exact time the right foot lands and the punch reaches the target, drive the left heel back into the floor tighten the muscles for a split second, especially muscles under the punching arm, abdomen and the back and inside of the thigh muscles and buttocks, them immediately relax.
7. There is also an extra sharp pushing action from the left hip and tightening of the back of the left thigh muscle upon landing, which will bring the hips into the square (shomen) position, along with the shoulders.
8. Repeat 10,000 times, relax, less is more, don't try to hard and good luck with the very basic, oizuki, which every experienced shotokan karateka thinks they have down!
9. Breathing should be smooth and natural, no 'Thomas The tank Engine' sounds.

Once this style of movement is drilled and practiced thoroughly, especially during kata training, your whole karate seems to take on a new direction.

Watching Shihan Minakami perform oizuki slowly, is fascinating, you can see he's using every muscle and sinew, nothing is wasted, all the time aiming for the perfect technique. He uses his body naturally to deliver beautiful and devastating karate techniques!

Ossu
Linden
CLICK HERE For Shotokan's Own Youtube!

Tags kata,karateka,shotokan,Shotokan karate,Shotokan Dojo,oizuki,karate,karate Dojo,oi tsuki,Shotokan kata,

Many years ago, my sensei told me a story,

A student once asked his sensei, "What is the difference between a man of Do (the way) and a little man?" The sensei replies, "It is simple. When the little man receives his first dan black belt, he can hardly wait to run home and shout at the top of his voice to tell everyone that he has obtained his first dan. Upon receiving his second dan, he will climb to the rooftops and shout to the people. Upon receiving his third dan black belt, he will jump in his car and parade through town blowing the horn, telling one and all about his third dan".

The sensei continues, "When the man of Do (the way) receives his first dan, he will bow his head in gratitude. Upon receiving his second dan, he will bow his head and his shoulders. Upon receiving his third dan, he will bow at the waist and quietly walk alongside the wall so that people will not see him or notice him".

In this materialistic world, karate-ka who follow the way, are few, but to me, the above story epitomizes a good martial artist. The older I get, the more I realize, character is everything!

Ossu
Linden