Kyokushin Karate
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Karate to Kenpo - Making the Switch
Hardly a week goes by at Kenpo Karate Wellington that I do not get at least one enquiry from a practitioner of a traditional Japanese karate style looking for something new. A common question that comes up – especially from practitioners of traditional Japanese styles (such as Kyokushin, Seido or, God forbid, GKR) – is what it is that makes Kenpo so different from what they themselves practice and if their previous experience will be a help or a hindrance in taking up Kenpo.
This is a good question and is no doubt stimulated by a recognition that between the different ‘ryu' of Japanese karate there is very little (if anything) to distinguish them from each other. The basics are identical, they usually teach from the same pool of Okinawan derived kata and while they do tend to differ most noticeably on what is allowed in competition, the day to day goings on in the various traditional ‘dojo' are pretty interchangeable.
For a start I should point out that I am someone who spent the first ten years of their karate training in a traditional system. As such I feel I am in a position to parse out the basic differences between it and the American Kenpo of Ed Parker and what one can expect to find while making the switch. My own reasons for making the switch may well be made obvious within what is written below but for any other traditionalist they need to find their own reasons for ‘jumping the fence'.
Initially there are a few superficial differences that will be immediately obvious; Kenpo classes are conducted in English and such Japanese cultural elements as Shinto shrines and hierarchical titles (sempai, sensei, shihan, kancho, kyoshi and so forth) are absent. These simply reflect the fact that unlike Japanese styles, Kenpo is not aimed at being an exercise in cultural preservation.
In general, the basics training of Traditional Japanese Karate (TJK) will hold you in good stead for the first half year or so of training; say up to about orange belt (the second colour in the system). As in TJK at this level Kenpo mainly focuses on stable stances and liner motion; things heavily emphasized in Japanese styles.
Beyond this level more circular moves are introduced into the students ‘vocabulary of motion'. More reminiscent of the Chinese kung-fu systems that influenced the Okinawans in the development of karate, most TJK systems have all but abandoned circular concepts. It is this balance of circular and linear motion that most characterises Kenpo in comparison to Japanese styles.
A common analogy is learning to write. When we first pick up a pencil we are taught to write in print and later to write in script. TJK and Kenpo alike starts the student off, in a sense, ‘printing'. However while the traditionalist is then encouraged to spend the rest of their life ‘perfecting' their printing with ever straighter lines and angles, the Kenpoist moves onto script – learning to flow seamlessly from one move to the next. Ultimately one moves on to write in shorthand, where a single, simple move carries a sophisticated range of meaning.
A major difference is the heavy emphasis on self defence in Kenpo classes. Unlike TJK styles who trace their roots back to the advent of recreational karate in the early 20th century, Kenpo maintains it's combative heritage. At every level a major part of the Kenpo syllabus is the self defence techniques. For the traditionalist accustomed to a diet of mainly basics repeated ad infinitum, one step sparring and kata but devoid of practical applications this can be a major but satisfying adjustment.
A common frustration for karate stylists is the need to memorise formal patterns, or kata, that seem to have no practical value beyond being a requirement for the next belt test. The formal patterns in Kenpo (sets and forms) by comparison reveal the rationale of Kenpo study in that every form in Kenpo builds on the information contained in the previous forms in a logical progression. Traditional forms, or kata, generally involve no clear progression or even (in many cases) any useful explanation as to what the form contains or why it is relevant to the student.
In conclusion there is no question that a background in a traditional system can be a great value when taking up Kenpo from a physical and technical point of view. From the mental point of view however it can be a help or a hindrance depending on your attitude. Come along willing and open to the possibility of having the few solid skills you have so far developed expanded into levels of depth of understanding beyond what you have grasped so far and a lifetime of exploration and new learning will be your true satisfaction.
Sean Fitzpatrick
This article originally posted at karatewellington.com/blog/
About the Author
Fully qualified fitness professional and full time martial arts instructor. Head instructor at Family Martial Arts - Kenpo Karate Wellington in Wellington, New Zealand. Also administers the karatewellington.com blog
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Kyokushin-Kai Karate - From Beginner To Black Belt (DVD) $13.43 Kyokushin-Kai Karate was devised by Sosai Mastutatsu Oyama in 1955. This programme features a complete training routine. Cast List: Andy Lug (Pres/Narr) , Michael Wedel (Pres/Narr) Running Time: 90 min Kyokushin- Kai Karate is a style of Karate founded by Masutatsu Oyama in 1964, and is the one of the most challenging forms of Karate. Kyokushin-Kai Karate was devised by Sosai Mastutatsu Oyama in 1955. This programme features a complete training routine. |
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The Golden Kyokushin and K-1 Encyclopedia $32.81 T h e G o l d e n K y o k u s h I n And K - 1 E n c y c l o p e d I a The Kyokushin family tree, from the teachers of the teachers of Mas Oyama - the most prestigious Kickboxing league, K-1 Kyokushin: Martial Arts is a family tree. The history of K-1, Kickboxing and several Kyokushin descended styles goes back to the Kyokushin family tree. Chapters about the life and the accomplishments of the legendary founder of Kyokushin, Masutatsu Oyama, his teachers and their teachers, Okinawan Masters, such as Chojun Miyagi, Mabuni Kenwa, Choki Motobu, Yasutsune Azato, Kanryo Higashionna, Yasutsune Anko Itosu, Kotaro Yoshida and Gichin Funakoshi. From 1976, Kyokushin related Karate styles like Seidokan, Ashihara, Seido Juku, Shidokan, Enshin, Oyama Karate and Kickboxing were established by teachers who departed from Kyokushin. This book includes wide-ranging Kyokushin -and related styles- background information, profiles, statistics, results and fighting records of the best Kyokushin fighters from the last decades, results of the most important Kyokushin and Kyokushin related Tournaments in Japan, USA and Europe. K-1 is probably the most famous and prestigious Martial Arts event in the world. Almost every Country in the world is involved and Tournaments are broadcasted Worldwide. In less than a decade not only the K-1 organization has been through an unbelievable growth, the income of the Fighters has been as well (US $ 100,000 for the tournament champion in the beginning of K-1, but nowadays this amount is multiplied by four to US $ 400,000). Because K-1, finds its roots in Kyokushin Karate and Kickboxing this book gives comprehensive information about these roots. K-1 probably had never been asBIG as nowadays without the huge contribution of the Dutch. Even before day one of K-1 the Dutch, like the author of this book, have been involved. Since the existence of K-1, 12 of the 14 yearly held K-1 World Grand Prix Final Tournaments have been won by a Dutch fighter. 4 special chapters, 30 pages with unique and never published information and photos, are a special tribute to a great champion in both, Karate and Kickboxing. Andy Hug, the person, his life, his sports career, summaries and results of all his Kyokushin-, Seidokan- and K-1 fights (1977-2000), and his life that changed from "well known amateur" into the life of a professional fighter and superstar. The author of this book met Andy Hug in 1981, when Andy was only 17, for the first time and they have been friends for almost 20 years. A must for K-1 fans. 10 Chapters with all there is to know; statistics and facts over 14 years of K-1, fighter profiles of the K-1 (and K-1 MAX) fighters, with Summaries of all their fights; who they have been fighting, who won or lost, who achieved the most or fastest KO's, more than 250 K-1 worldwide events (where held, who won), the eldest-, the heaviest-, the tallest fighters, the number of appearances in K-1 events where and when, and a lot more Ernesto |
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Kyokushin Sports Hooded Sweatshirt by CafePress $48 Kyokushin karate products from Positive Images Sports Hooded Sweatshirt Tee, TShirt, Shirt The hoodie: the perfect utilitarian piece of clothing. Leave your hat and scarf at home Stay warm and comfy in your Pullover Hooded Sweatshirt. This hoodie is constructed with a cotton/polyester blend - both durable and comfortable.Heavyweight 90 |
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Mightier Than the Sword: A Kyokushin Karate Coming of Age Story $29.82 A Kyokushin Karate Coming of Age Story Just another unassuming undergrad? Yes, but this one carries a terrible secret . . . one that's driven him through seven years of hellish karate training and study so that he might learn to bear its weight. Seven years have already taken Nathan Ligo to Japan, where he spent 600 days in the most rigorous, monastic karate program in the world, training under the watchful daily supervision of Masutatsu Oyama, Japan's most famous living karateka. But it's not until he suffers a crushing defeat in Japan, and returns home empty-handed, that he comes to understand that the combination of three treasured sources of his ongoing education just might hold the key to unlocking an awesome truth. The samurai-like do-or-die education he acquired from his karate teachers, the progressive liberal arts education he acquires at North Carolina's Davidson College, and the enlightened, open-eyed, and all-loving character education he received in the first decade of his life from his father: three sometimes violently warring components combine to show Nathan that he just might use the dark secret that he carries to enact a great good for the children of the future . . . that is, IF he's willing to make the necessary sacrifice. "Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat." -Theodore Roosevelt The Only American Student of the Legend Mas Oyama>At the time of Masutatsu Oyama's death in 1994, he was regarded by many as the world's greatest living karateka. His Kyokushin Karate had spread to 133 countries around the world and was reputed to have touched as many as twelve million students. Forty years earlier, the Korean-born "Mas" Oyama had, himself, become a virtual revolution in the world of Japanese karate, in that it was he who introduced stone- and therefore bone-breaking power to the highly stylized traditional forms of karate that had come to exist in Japan. Kyokushin Karate became known for its no-nonsense practicality, its fearsome physical power, and a theretofore unseen degree of spiritual strength conjured through a revival of Japan's do-or-die samurai personality. Once Kyokushin exploded to such incredible proportions, Mas Oyama took on only a very few students that were his own, that he himself guided, day by day, in an attempt to ensure that his teaching would endure. Uchi deshi literally means "live-in disciple;" it is the opposite of the kayoi deshi or "commuting student," who merely visits the dojo regularly for training. Mas Oyama's uchi deshi program was a one-thousand-day monastic karate program for his small group of personal students who lived in the Young Lions' Dormitory, a small building attached to his world headquarters dojo in Tokyo. In |
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Kyokushin Kanji Sports Men's Performance Jacket by CafePress $45 Karate jacket with embroided kyokushin kanji. Sports Men's Performance Jacket Exercise your right to look great -- and feel great -- while on the go. Lightweight and easy to get around in, this workout-friendly jacket is perfect for running to the store or running a 5K. A warm fleece inner-lining also lets you run in every season. |
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Kyokushin Kanji Sports Hooded Sweatshirt by CafePress $45 Karate hoodie with black kyokushin kanji on the front. Sports Hooded Sweatshirt Tee, TShirt, Shirt The hoodie: the perfect utilitarian piece of clothing. Leave your hat and scarf at home Stay warm and comfy in your Pullover Hooded Sweatshirt. This hoodie is constructed with a cotton/polyester blend - both durable and comfortable.Heavyweight 90 |
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Kyokushin Kanji Sports Women's Performance Jacket by CafePress $45 Karate jacket with embroided kyokushin kanji. Sports Women's Performance Jacket Work up a good sweat while still looking great. Made for the fashion-conscious lady on the go, this light, flexible jacket gets you anywhere in style. A cozy fleece inner lining also makes staying warm a breeze. Plus you won39;t have to leave your phone |
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1930s Mas Oyama Kyokushin Kai Karate DVD P1V5D Naihanchi Kata bull fighting $14.99 Mas Oyama features Masatutsu Oyama, the founder of Kyokushin Kai Karate. He is shown performing his famous bull fighting routine where he actually chops the horn off a bull. Also you will see the demonstration where he chops the top off of a bottle. You will see Oyama weight training and performing Naihanchi Kata. Oyama Sensei is seen training on the Makiwara in a severe manner. Much of this film we believe has been lost until this point in time and we are certain that anyone who appreciates the strength and power of, undoubtedly, one of the strongest karate ka's the world has ever seen, will appreciate this video. It appears that some of this film was actually filmed in the 30's or early 40's. Approx. 23 minutes B/W. Type: Books & Videos Gender: Unisex |
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