# Ashihara Karate



## moromoro (Apr 25, 2003)

Has anyone here trained in it....

i have heard it is one of the hardest of the karate stlyes and the most street effective


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## yilisifu (Apr 25, 2003)

I've not trained in it myself, but I have known several people who have.  It's an offshoot of Kyokushin Karate and has a good deal of Muay Thai thrown into it.  It's principles of movement are nice, but I don't think it's any more street effective than any other form of karate.


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## Cthulhu (Apr 25, 2003)

Didn't the guy that created the Sabaki Challenge use to train in Ashihara Karate before striking out on his own?

Cthulhu


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## moromoro (Apr 25, 2003)

thanks

keep the info comming

i heard the GM died a few years ago??


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## RyuShiKan (Apr 25, 2003)

> _Originally posted by Cthulhu _
> *Didn't the guy that created the Sabaki Challenge use to train in Ashihara Karate before striking out on his own?
> 
> Cthulhu *



The founder of the Sabaki Challenge is Joko Ninomiya, he trained in Kyokushin before making his "own style".


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## RyuShiKan (Apr 25, 2003)

> _Originally posted by moromoro _
> *thanks
> 
> keep the info comming
> ...



He died of lung cancer if I recall.

One of his black belt students was my co-worker and we would workout together.
I saw no major difference in it from Kyokushin Karate and all the other Kyokushin splinter groups.


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## Cthulhu (Apr 25, 2003)

> _Originally posted by RyuShiKan _
> *The founder of the Sabaki Challenge is Joko Ninomiya, he trained in Kyokushin before making his "own style". *



I'm pretty sure that in his autobiography, My Journey in Karate: The Sabaki Way, he stated that he trained in Ashihara karate under the founder, then came to the U.S., either to represent Ashihara karate or after breaking from it...I read the book but don't own it so I can't fact check.

Cthulhu


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## moromoro (Apr 25, 2003)

is his son the new soke?

i heard that he is still very young


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## RyuShiKan (Apr 26, 2003)

> _Originally posted by Cthulhu _
> *I'm pretty sure that in his autobiography, My Journey in Karate: The Sabaki Way, he stated that he trained in Ashihara karate under the founder, then came to the U.S., either to represent Ashihara karate or after breaking from it...I read the book but don't own it so I can't fact check.
> 
> Cthulhu *




You are correct. I had him mistaken with another guy named Azuma who is head of Daido Juku.


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## Martin h (Apr 27, 2003)

Joko Ninomiya, (founder of Enshin karate, the organizers of the sabaki challenge event), originaly studied kyokushin karate (and was still doing so when he won the all-japan open 1978). However his Kyokushin teacher was Hideyuki Ashihara, and when Mr. Ashihara broke away from kyokushin 1980 to found Ashihara karate , Ninomiya joined him and became no2 in the ashihara organisation. Nimoya broke away from Ashihara a few years later (1988).

The Ashihara stye is very similar to kyokushin, the biggest difference being that the traditional katas have been replaced by modern ones more similar to kumite. And that Ashihara placed more importance to the circular movement than kyokushin (Kyokushin has it, but dont focus on it quite as much).

H. Ashihara died 1995 (I think it was cancer, but Im not sure), and the Ashihara style is now splintered into a few organisations, the "Original" one run by Hideyuki Ashiharas son, Hidenori.


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## Martin h (Apr 27, 2003)

> _Originally posted by Martin h _
> *Nimoya broke away from Ashihara a few years later (1988).*



The above should ofcourse read: "Ninomiya broke away from Ashihara a few years later (1988).


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## Kempo Guy (May 18, 2003)

As Martin h is correct.
Joko Ninomiya Sensei started Kyokushin under Ashihara Sensei. When Ashihara chose to leave the Kyokushinkai (the Kyokushin organization claims to have expelled him) Ninomiya Sensei left with Ashihara Sensei and helped him establish a new style called 'Ashihara Karate'. In '88 Ninomiya Sensei resigned from NIKO (Ashihara Karate organization) and created his own style/organization under the name "Enshin Karate".

As explained, Ashihara Sensei eliminated the traditional Kata of Kyokushin and replaced them with 'fighting kata'. He felt that the traditional Kata were unrealistic, and developed his own kata as he felt the kata should be applicable in real fighting situations. There are six kata and takes into account three ranges of fighting. These kata can be performed solo or with a partner as "control technique" training.

Ashihara Sensei's concept of fighting was based on the concept of 'Sabaki'. This involves getting out of the line of attack using one of four fundamental circular movements. This will allow the attacker to get to the opponents 'back/blind side', which allows the defender to take a strategic advantage and counterattack using various kicking and punching combinations (including takedowns/throws). In it's purest form, Sabaki (as it is meant in Ashihara Karate) is a way to "combine defense and offense into one".

Kancho Ashihara passed away in 1995 of Lou Gehrig disease (ALS).

KG


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