# American Karate...



## SRyuFighter (Jan 26, 2003)

Could you all tell me what American Karate is all about. I take an okinawan form and don't really know anything about American Karate.


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## Angus (Jan 26, 2003)

There's a million different kinds. I've seen American Karate that was essentially an amalgum of a couple different Japanese/Okinawan styles and forms, and others (like what I did) that was renamed ITF Taekwondo. I've seen others that has no forms at all and are basically kickboxing, etc etc. It is not a specific system/curriculum.


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## IMAA (Jan 27, 2003)

HI,

  I'll say this.  From what I've gathered in our school we coin the term American Karate  and or American TaeKwonDo.  Which ever. we use both names.  We're a mixture of shuri ryu Karate and we emphasise Taekwondo Kicking.

However we are bound by neither.  We are a mixed school, We have BJJ, Kali, Judo, JKD as our curriculum.  We have Kata however we do not stress them that much.  We are a more self defense ran school.   We to compete in the Tournaments so we learn point sparring and kata for mostly that aspect, and for promotion requirements.  Neverthe less I think we use American Karate because we draw from alot of different areas.  Boxing, Kickboxing as well...  I have wondered myself for a long timewhat American Karate or American TKD has actually meant.  

This is the best answer I can give.
thanks


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## Angus (Jan 27, 2003)

Sounds like my perfect school. Who's your instructor, IMAA?


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## IMAA (Jan 27, 2003)

Angus:

  Sensei Carl Jackson runs the Dojo,  however what we do is.

 Any given day on a rotation each blackbelt in the school teaches his or her favorite thing (so to speak)

One day one of the black belts may focus on Point sparring techniques, or Kata,  on anther day one may focus on grappling, judo or jujutsu

and I myself offer Kali, JKD, some kickboxing and self defense.

Since Sensei Jackson has so many dfferent blackbelts some have come in from different systems but nontheless he shares his ideas as well as he lets us teach what we like when its our day.


Thanks


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## Johnathan Napalm (Jan 27, 2003)

None of my business, but why not just name it more accurately as MMA, instead of the misleading XYZ Karate or XYZ TKD. Relabelling ITF as American Karate is surely, ehhh, dumb?


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## Angus (Jan 27, 2003)

MMA implies something completely different than what it was. It wasn't purely ITF Taekwondo, because we had some weapons forms and black belt forms that were taught that were definitely not ITF. Also we did punching that was more boxing than straight reverse punches a la Taekwondo, so there were other influences as well. MMA is defintely NOT what it was, at least for mine. MMA would be far more misleading because it would imply an, essentially, competative kickboxing/grappling GYM that may or may not have a little FMA depending on the lineage. Mind you, none of those have forms.


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## Johnathan Napalm (Jan 27, 2003)

Since ITF was rooted in Shotokan, repacking it as American Karate is probably what they called "irony". General Choi would have been shaking his head.


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## arnisador (Jan 27, 2003)

http://www.danandersonkarate.com/afk.html


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## Angus (Jan 27, 2003)

> _Originally posted by Johnathan Napalm _
> *Since ITF was rooted in Shotokan, repacking it as American Karate is probably what they called "irony". General Choi would have been shaking his head. *



A) ALL TKD is rooted in Shotokan, which is JAPANESE Karate, very definitely. However,
B) As TKD (ITF, WTF, whatever) is generally practiced today it's not much like Shotokan other than having some of the same techniques and being a "hard" style. Somehow I doubt that you'll ever see a Shotokan karateka do a 360 jump spinning hook. Shotokan doesn't have nearly as much emphasis on kicking.

Why would General Choi care? It's not his curriculum that was being taught, however there were a lot of elements that were, including the color belt forms and some of the black belt forms. However, our school didn't place much emphasis on forms unless you wanted to be an instructor. Otherwise, more emphasis was placed upon techniques, combinations, and their applications. It was NOT solely ITF TKD, and I'm not sure why you choose skip over me saying that. What exactly are you trying to prove, here?

It would be interesting to see you fill out your profile. Somehow I have a feeling...

On an unrelated note, I would love to study under Dan Anderson. I have his one of his Freestyle Karate books and it's one of the best (non-Japanese) Karate books I've ever come accross. It's outstanding. His system greatly interests me and I wish there was a school nearby because I would much rather do that than what I'm doing now. I think anyone who spars competatively, or at least wants a good read, should get one of his books.


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## arnisador (Jan 27, 2003)

Note that Dan Anderson posts in the Modern Arnis forum here.


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## Angus (Jan 27, 2003)

Yes, I'm aware. It was a nice surprise when I first joined Martial Talk, because I was pretty sure I recognized the name...and I realized I was sure when I saw the name on my book shelf!


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## arnisador (Jan 27, 2003)

He signed my last arnis promotion certificate--it was a big thrill for me because I was a fan of his when I was younger.


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## Johnathan Napalm (Jan 27, 2003)

> _Originally posted by Angus _
> A) ALL TKD is rooted in Shotokan, which is JAPANESE Karate, very definitely. However,
> B) As TKD (ITF, WTF, whatever) is generally practiced today it's not much like Shotokan other than having some of the same techniques and being a "hard" style. Somehow I doubt that you'll ever see a Shotokan karateka do a 360 jump spinning hook. Shotokan doesn't have nearly as much emphasis on kicking.
> 
> ...



What was I trying to prove? Nothing. You can call your school The PowerRangerArnisKarate for all I care.   I just went by your post that mentioned about relabelling ITF as American Karate. I didn't even know your school is one of those, until you said so.

"..It would be interesting to see you fill out your profile. Somehow I have a feeling...  ..."
Care to elaborate? I sure don't have any idea what you are talking about.


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## SRyuFighter (Jan 29, 2003)

Thanks everyone.


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## budopunjabi (Feb 4, 2003)

As far as I know, American Karate is now an amalgamation of many traditional arts and sport that has been termed karate.

Many soldiers during the Korean war learnt Tang So Do, and termed that karate. Many dojo's incorporate this, with american Kenpo into Karate.

Unfortunatly much martial arts has been marketed and sold to the public without capturing the main essense of the art.

In Budo


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## IMAA (Feb 4, 2003)

YUP that sounds just about like our school....however the only thing I see is our school gears more toward the side of Self Defense rather than spend alot of time on the Sport side.

We are a school that has blended alot of different styles together.

IT WORKS WELL I think...


thanks


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## Dan Anderson (Feb 4, 2003)

Hi Folks,
Thanks forv the plugs.  I hope you got your question answered.  As for instruction, I do teach seminars.  I go over principles which you can apply to your own method of fighting rather than just a technique seminar.
Yours,
Dan Anderson


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## RyuShiKan (Feb 4, 2003)

> _Originally posted by budopunjabi _
> *
> Many soldiers during the Korean war learnt Tang So Do, and termed that karate. *



And they were right too! Since the word tang soo do is the same as the old way to write kara te do (using the tang/kara kanji) in Japanese and Okinawan. Not to mention the art came from Okinawa in the first place. 



> _Originally posted by budopunjabi _
> *Unfortunatly much martial arts has been marketed and sold to the public without capturing the main essense of the art.
> *



And what in your opinion is the main essence of the art ?


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## budopunjabi (Feb 5, 2003)

i agree the art is okinawan..that is my main point! Tang soo do is heavily based around Shotokan, a form of karate that was completely diluted compared to the original art constructed by Miyagi and Miyazato sensei. The applications of Karate, found in Okinawan Jundo Kan are definetly deeper and have more potency that those found in shotokan. If you doubt it, visit Okinawa Jundo Kan's and see if they let you through the door using those deep stances and clunky blocks and punches. You may as well not call Shotokan and Okinawan Gojy ryu karate as at advanced levels they are very different.

In Budo


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## RyuShiKan (Feb 5, 2003)

uuuuuhhhh......I think you will find at least one person on this list was a student at that dojo.......and earned rather high rank from there.


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## RyuShiKan (Feb 5, 2003)

> _Originally posted by budopunjabi _
> * i agree the art is okinawan..that is my main point! Tang soo do is heavily based around Shotokan, a form of karate that was completely diluted compared to the original art constructed by Miyagi and Miyazato sensei. *



I wasnt aware that Miyagi or Miyazato ever studied Shotokan..



> _Originally posted by budopunjabi _
> *  The applications of Karate, found in Okinawan Jundo Kan are definetly deeper and have more potency that those found in shotokan. *



I dont think it is the style per say but the people practicing.



> _Originally posted by budopunjabi _
> *  You may as well not call Shotokan and Okinawan Gojy ryu karate as at advanced levels they are very different.*



Actually I disagree.
I think at advanced levels many of the same concepts are the same.
We do many of the same kata as Shotokan (Naihanchi, Pinans, etc) and I know people and have also had students from Goju and other styles that have compared and contrasted technique with me. By and large they are not that different.


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## budopunjabi (Feb 5, 2003)

of course they didnt! Miyazato and Miyagi sensei were founders of Goju ryu. Do you even know where shotokan arose from? Why millions study shotokan but can hardly apply it?

I disagree. I learn Goju ryu from a 7th generation descendent of Miyazato sensei and find the arts very very different. The stances, the bunkai, needless to say I never found a true jundo kan school anywhere except in Okinawa.

In Budo


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## budopunjabi (Feb 5, 2003)

on another note, how would you compare karate with other forms of combat, and self defence. Im interested in boxing?

Anyone got any ideas.

In Budo


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## RyuShiKan (Feb 5, 2003)

> _Originally posted by budopunjabi _
> *of course they didnt! Miyazato and Miyagi sensei were founders of Goju ryu. Do you even know where shotokan arose from? Why millions study shotokan but can hardly apply it? *



Yes, I know who they are.
And judging from the few posts you have made on the subject of Okinawa/Karate/Okinawan History I would say my knowledge on the subject would bury yours.




> _Originally posted by budopunjabi _
> *  Tang soo do is heavily based around Shotokan, a form of karate that was completely diluted compared to the original art constructed by Miyagi and Miyazato sensei. *



This sounds like you were trying to say there was some connection between Shotokan-Miaygi-Miyazato.




> _Originally posted by budopunjabi _
> *  I disagree. I learn Goju ryu from a 7th generation descendent of Miyazato sensei and find the arts very very different. The stances, the bunkai, needless to say I never found a true jundo kan school anywhere except in Okinawa.*



I see.
Sorry but you sound like a newbee to Karate to me.


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## RyuShiKan (Feb 5, 2003)

> _Originally posted by budopunjabi _
> *on another note, how would you compare karate with other forms of combat, and self defence. Im interested in boxing?
> 
> Anyone got any ideas.
> ...



Why don't you start a new thread on it.........this thread already has a topic.


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## budopunjabi (Feb 5, 2003)

new bee- nope.

I am interested in your comments, not wish to cause tension!

In Budo


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## RyuShiKan (Feb 5, 2003)

> _Originally posted by budopunjabi _
> *  new bee- nope. *



somehow I doubt it



> _Originally posted by budopunjabi _
> *  I am interested in your comments, not wish to cause tension!
> In Budo *



Then you might want to get your facts straight first


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## RyuShiKan (Feb 5, 2003)

> _Originally posted by budopunjabi _
> *I disagree. I learn Goju ryu from a 7th generation descendent of Miyazato sensei and find the arts very very different.  *



7th generation????
Seems kind of far removed considering you said on another thread and I quote:



> _Originally posted by budopunjabi _
> *I have trained with them.
> 
> I have trained extensively in Okinawa.
> *



if you trained in Okinawa like you said you would have trained with 1st or 2nd  maybe 3rd generation Goju people.not 7th.


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## SRyuFighter (Feb 5, 2003)

Some things just arent adding up here.


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## Ty K. Doe (Feb 13, 2003)

> By IMAA
> I have wondered myself for a long timewhat American Karate or American TKD has actually meant.



American Tae Kwon Do was coined by Grandmaster Jhoon Rhee, who was accredited with bringing Tae Kwon Do to America.  It is like ITF tkd because the founder General Choi Hong Hi influenced Jhoon Rhee when they met one another in Texas back in the 60's.  That's when the 'Texas Blood and Guts' national karate tournaments began.  Along with Ed Parker's famous tournaments.  It was during that time with competitors like Skipper Mullins, Allan Steen, J. Pat Burlson, Fred Wren, Chuck Norris, and many other greats began calling it American Karate, due to the tournament scene.


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## Infight (Feb 25, 2003)

What i noticed is that American Karate trains nothing!. What can i say, you train, kick, punching, newaza, naguewaza, and everythin, so, you train nothing, there is no time to pratice all, and youll ever spar with guys that try to know all too, poor AKarate!
       Shotokan Karate is based on the power of each technique, you dunno land many punchs and kicks on opponent, you just get your distance and throw a very powerfull punch. The weak point of it is that there are many katas and they spar just a litlle, thats too bad for a functional art, but really delightfull to train.
        I think the more devastating kind of Karate is the Kyokyshin, a competitive, very similar to Kickboxing, with the famous roundhouse kick of thai boxing, veery usefull, but you can pratice shotokan too ( this style is very famous in US ), but try to spar a little more than in class.


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## Angus (Feb 25, 2003)

That's a pathetically sweeping generalization, Infight. Just because something isn't competative in the circles you're in (MMA) doesn't mean it's not effective. Although I'm not big on kata myself (simply because it's my weakest point), it doesn't mean it's not insanely effective if taught correctly: it's in the application. Obviously nobody is going to do a kata in the middle of the fight; that's not what they're meant for. You've made many generalizations like this in many of your other posts that are very indicative of the MMA mindset, and given that you study BJJ it's not surprising, because they've really helped spread it. There's so many things and so many places that are called American Karate that there's no possible way you can judge every single school and every single person the same way, because it's 100% BS. Yeah, there are bad school, but there are also fantastic ones as well, with students who compete in MMA (like that, eh?). I've seen plenty of bad BJJ schools as well. Hell, there's one around here. Nothing is perfect; don't be so quick to judge something that you obviously don't have a lot of first hand experience with.

By the way, Kyokushin has kata as well.


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## SRyuFighter (Feb 25, 2003)

> _Originally posted by Angus _
> *That's a pathetically sweeping generalization, Infight. Just because something isn't competative in the circles you're in (MMA) doesn't mean it's not effective. Although I'm not big on kata myself (simply because it's my weakest point), it doesn't mean it's not insanely effective if taught correctly: it's in the application. Obviously nobody is going to do a kata in the middle of the fight; that's not what they're meant for. You've made many generalizations like this in many of your other posts that are very indicative of the MMA mindset, and given that you study BJJ it's not surprising, because they've really helped spread it. There's so many things and so many places that are called American Karate that there's no possible way you can judge every single school and every single person the same way, because it's 100% BS. Yeah, there are bad school, but there are also fantastic ones as well, with students who compete in MMA (like that, eh?). I've seen plenty of bad BJJ schools as well. Hell, there's one around here. Nothing is perfect; don't be so quick to judge something that you obviously don't have a lot of first hand experience with.
> 
> By the way, Kyokushin has kata as well.  *



Well said Angus!


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## GojuBujin (Feb 25, 2003)

American??? Karate???????

That says enough I think.

Michael C. Byrd
www.inigmasoft.com/goyukai


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## Infight (Feb 25, 2003)

Hey angus you missed the point! I said it shouldnt be effective cause:
   1 - Its not Karate anymore, trying to put many things that were not in Karate.
   2 - Its not a matter of how good a school is, or isnt, what im saying is that when you try to do too many things you finish perfecting any of them, so some art that tries to do all of martial arts, you just cant be good in any of them, its logic not an opinion.
   3 - Its not an MMA mindset, i like many martial arts, Aikido, Wrestling, Boxe, Kickboxing, Muay Thai, Karate.., and all of them knows where it wants to get, there is no Kickboxing training with some class of groundwork, you see?
   4 - Im not judging schools, or teachers, but the art, of course its just my opinion, and anyone who wants to pratice any art, go ahead and do it, in worst case itll help your health. I assume that i hate these " we pratice all " martial art, and worse, they claim to be effective, that sucks man! Anyone can create any art you want, even here in Brazil, many guys keep trying to create many different arts to try to get new students, its market, but it sucks, youre offering something illusional, these guys should be prosecuted. There are many Karate forms everywhere but almost all follow the same principle, but what you told me about this American Karate, haha, cmon, in 5 years training everyday youll know just a little of what some ground fighter knows, or just a little of what some striker knows, you know why? Cause youre trying to learn everything at once, and you just cant, there is no time, and since everybody on that school do the same, youll just trains with guys that dont know nothing too, thats what im telling, principles and objectives. So to finish, i cant tell you that are good schools of American Karate, cause i dont think American Karate is some usefull, if you tell me about some Wrestling Gym, ok, i know many good Wrestling Gym in US, and serious one, and even Kickboxing ones, cause these are serious art, all the other are just to gather student, and you know that.


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## arnisador (Feb 25, 2003)

Does this mean Western boxing, or Savate, or something else?


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## Infight (Feb 25, 2003)

I think its western boxing, if its what Tyson do.


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## Angus (Feb 26, 2003)

> _Originally posted by Infight _
> *Hey angus you missed the point! I said it shouldnt be effective cause:
> 1 - Its not Karate anymore, trying to put many things that were not in Karate.*
> 
> ...



The problem, though, is that you're making a HUGE inferrance into what "American Karate" is. Somehow, it's become some sort of kickboxing-mixed-with-grappling art...I don't know where you got the idea. There could be some schools out there that are like that (though I doubt they'd call it Karate), but I've sure as hell never seen them. I fail to understand how you came to your conclusion, but I can say that it's making way to many blatant speculations. American Karate, like I said, is basically a general term rather than a specific art (think "grappling" versus "Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu" or "wrestling" vs. "Greco-Roman wrestling"). Regardless of that, you are still passing judgment on both the schools (as being ineffective and a waste of time) and the students (as being, well, bad). Seems a bit impossible to me given that the judgments are based upon your knowlesdge of a name that does NOT imply a specific curriculum or lineage.

I didn't say I disagree with you about schools that focus on too many ranges too quickly, because in that sense I do, but I don't think your point has anything to do with American Karate because I don't think you really understand what it is.


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## James Kovacich (Feb 26, 2003)

> _Originally posted by Infight _
> *Hey angus you missed the point! I said it shouldnt be effective cause:
> 1 - Its not Karate anymore, trying to put many things that were not in Karate.
> 2 - Its not a matter of how good a school is, or isnt, what im saying is that when you try to do too many things you finish perfecting any of them, so some art that tries to do all of martial arts, you just cant be good in any of them, its logic not an opinion.
> ...




Where did all that come from??

10 years ago, the Brazilians came to America and made a statement, that statement was that the standup arts needed to learn to grapple. 

We've done that! 

Now you are saying the arts should be separate. Does not make sense at all. What does make sense is for the arts to evolve! It is common sense to perfect your art and if covering all ranges is what it takes, then so be it.

Also the last 10 years has created many new schools. These schools are the ones that represent the fighters of the UFC, Pride and all the others. These fighters most definately do not come from any other source. And if they did, then they transitioned into a "new school" to learn to fight for that arena.

Use what is useful, reject what is useless and add what is specifically your own!


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## Infight (Feb 27, 2003)

> _Originally posted by IMAA _
> *HI,
> 
> I'll say this.  From what I've gathered in our school we coin the term American Karate  and or American TaeKwonDo.  Which ever. we use both names.  We're a mixture of shuri ryu Karate and we emphasise Taekwondo Kicking.
> ...



    This is from what i get the idea of American Karate!


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## Infight (Feb 27, 2003)

> _Originally posted by akja _
> *Where did all that come from??
> 
> 10 years ago, the Brazilians came to America and made a statement, that statement was that the standup arts needed to learn to grapple.
> ...


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## James Kovacich (Feb 27, 2003)

> _Originally posted by Infight _



I probably did, but bro I am a grappler in my heart and a standup fighter by nature. I need to mix it up. My journey is the formless form.:asian:


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## Angus (Feb 27, 2003)

> _Originally posted by Infight _
> *This is from what i get the idea of American Karate! *



Which is VERY different than the AK that I did. Get it? It's not a specific curriculum! The training of the person you mentioned has a curriculum that's NOT the norm for the arts called "American Karate", because most of what he does isn't even Karate.


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## James Kovacich (Feb 27, 2003)

> _Originally posted by Angus _
> *Which is VERY different than the AK that I did. Get it? It's not a specific curriculum! The training of the person you mentioned has a curriculum that's NOT the norm for the arts called "American Karate", because most of what he does isn't even Karate. *



I'm a little curious as to what the curriculum to "American Karate" is?


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## Angus (Feb 27, 2003)

Doesn't have a specific one, that's the whole point!! It's a generic term that can mean anything.

Generally, though, it's basically some form of karate/striking, be it based upon taekwondo, karatedo, etc etc. I've seen a bunch of school that use the same name and have different curriculums, but GENERALLY it's something closer to that. Some incorporate judo (mine did), and some might incorporate FMA or groundfighting I suppose; I've seen the former, but never the latter. 

I think you're missing my main point, though, which is that it's NOT a specific art. However, based on the schools I've seen there are generally some things that stay basically similiar as far as WHAT they do, but it does NOT mean that they are all the same, etc, like Infight was implying.

This thread is getting really redundant.


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## arnisador (Feb 27, 2003)

> _Originally posted by akja _
> *I'm a little curious as to what the curriculum to "American Karate" is? *



I imagine there are many answers--many people have named their art American Karate I imagine.


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## James Kovacich (Feb 28, 2003)

> _Originally posted by arnisador _
> *I imagine there are many answers--many people have named their art American Karate I imagine. *



That is exactly where I was headed. I'm sure there was system intended, probobaly Parkers. But I remember reading in BB Mag. that Joe Lewis called his art American Karate. Besides the amount of peoples usage of that term its almost more like a term rather than a specific art.

But I am still curious as to which it that was intended.


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## Chronuss (Feb 28, 2003)

Ed Parker's American Kenpo Karate is an American system developed by an American in America.  AK is the only system that I've ever heard of as deemed American.


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## IMAA (Feb 28, 2003)

http://www.pkcheadquarters.org

>>>
But I remember reading in BB Mag. that Joe Lewis called his art American Karate<<<

Well to be exact I believe our systems follows Mr.Lewis to an extent.  In our system base we have Bill Superfoot Wallace, Joe Lewis , Glenn Kenney, as our technical supervisors over the system.  So this is probably were we coined the term American Karate.  I was asking my Shihan about this the other day and he said that as long as the early 70's this system that we do has been called American Karate it was put together by Bill Wallace when he was in his prime under one of his teachers, Glenn Kenney of Anderson,/ Indianapolis Indiana at the time.  Bill going to Ball State University in his younger years would travel to Anderson to train with Mr.Kenney and as Bill got more and more "famous" so to speak thru his Kickboxing carreer I guess they which was then USKA orginization called the system American Karate, a mixture of Gojuryu and TaeKwonDo.  

Now as I see it our system has become so versed were no longer with USKA as I beleve it no longer exists, they developed PKC, which I tagged thier websie to the top of this post so you can scan thru that and get some idea as to what it is they do. However it is merely a Sport Minded system anymore thru most schools that are in the PKC

Thanks


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## IMAA (Feb 28, 2003)

OKay my bad,  It was Joe Corley , not joe lewis.  I was just reading thru alot of the "OFFICERS" history in the website and i found out a few things.

This overview of the brief history of some of the guys will explain alot im sure

Go to the website

http://www.pkcheadquarters.org/

 and click the "officers" title part and read who started and when etc......

just a little FYI

thanks


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## arnisador (Feb 28, 2003)

> _Originally posted by Chronuss _
> *Ed Parker's American Kenpo Karate is an American system developed by an American in America.  AK is the only system that I've ever heard of as deemed American. *



Others have suggested other systems as being American--including JKD.

Both JKD and American Kenpo have such a strong base in Chinese martial arts that I cannot consider them American.


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## D.Cobb (Mar 1, 2003)

> _Originally posted by arnisador _
> *Others have suggested other systems as being American--including JKD.
> 
> Both JKD and American Kenpo have such a strong base in Chinese martial arts that I cannot consider them American. *



I was at a Jeff Speakman seminar, last night, and he described American Kenpo as an Hawaiian art.... Giving the impression that it was developed more for the Samoan type stature.....

--Dave

:asian:


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## James Kovacich (Mar 3, 2003)

> _Originally posted by arnisador _
> *Others have suggested other systems as being American--including JKD.
> 
> Both JKD and American Kenpo have such a strong base in Chinese martial arts that I cannot consider them American. *



Speaking of the Jun Fan system I was told it was Chinese American. The Wing Chun is from China but the modified Jun Fan and eventually JKD was a process developed in America by a Chinese American.


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## Johnathan Napalm (Mar 4, 2003)

Wasn't Bruce Lee's Chinese name Lee Jun Fan ?


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## James Kovacich (Mar 4, 2003)

> _Originally posted by Johnathan Napalm _
> *Wasn't Bruce Lee's Chinese name Lee Jun Fan ? *



Yes.


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## Infight (Mar 8, 2003)

> _Originally posted by Angus _
> *Doesn't have a specific one, that's the whole point!! It's a generic term that can mean anything.
> 
> Generally, though, it's basically some form of karate/striking, be it based upon taekwondo, karatedo, etc etc. I've seen a bunch of school that use the same name and have different curriculums, but GENERALLY it's something closer to that. Some incorporate judo (mine did), and some might incorporate FMA or groundfighting I suppose; I've seen the former, but never the latter.
> ...



    Man, this is really wierd!
    Tell me if i got wrong, but in AK in one school you should pratice kicks like in TKD, in other you can learn just punching like boxe, in another you train grappling, is that it?
    And all of that you call AK?
    Thats wierd, its the same you have a Jiu-Jitsu school that you learn only punching, or enphasis punching, in another you enphasis kicking and in another ground and call all of them Jiu-Jitsu, thats impossible, Jiu-Jitsu is a grappling art, as Karate is a Striking art, you guys went crazy!


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## James Kovacich (Mar 8, 2003)

> _Originally posted by Infight _
> *Man, this is really wierd!
> Tell me if i got wrong, but in AK in one school you should pratice kicks like in TKD, in other you can learn just punching like boxe, in another you train grappling, is that it?
> And all of that you call AK?
> Thats wierd, its the same you have a Jiu-Jitsu school that you learn only punching, or enphasis punching, in another you enphasis kicking and in another ground and call all of them Jiu-Jitsu, thats impossible, Jiu-Jitsu is a grappling art, as Karate is a Striking art, you guys went crazy! *



What it really is that there are so differant martial schools in the USA and many have more than one art in their school. There are just too many influences that are differant for each school. Even some schools with the same art may have big differances. 

Does that sound a little more clear?


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## Infight (Mar 21, 2003)

Yeah, i understand what you mean, i what want to say is that each one of these "influenced arts" should have some special name, cause i dont think they are Karate anymore, but of course thats the way i think, anyone may think differently.


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## Mike Clarke (Mar 21, 2003)

I think American Karate is an 'attitude'.

Just as Japanese karate is based [regardless of style] on the Japanese 'attitude' to life [this is why it's so different to Okinawan karatedo], Americans have put their own flavour to the kicking and punching they do.

Depending on where you live in the world, you might view this as a good thing or a bad thing, never the less every country does it.
Okinawan karate is its self [to a large degree] a blend of their own fighting methods and the Chuan-fa brought back from China and elsewhere in the region by traiders and travellers.

One thing American Karate is not, is important, save to anyone other than those who practise it.

Mike.


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## IMAA (Mar 22, 2003)

One thing American Karate is not, is important, save to anyone other than those who practise it.


Maybe perhaps, I misunderstood this post.  But I feel that American Karate is as important as any other form of martial art discipline. 

 Since I am a student of AK as well as a teacher/Sensei of the system I find it a rather well rounded martial art.

I have an extreme back ground in ChungDoKwan TKD, Pekiti Tirsia kali, Inosanto blend Kali, Serrada Escrima, some knowledge of Shotokan Karate.  as well as other systems.  

I find myself as a student of all and a master of none.  I feel in every aspect of fighting to be unlimitless.  Each system has something to offer and in our AK classes we teach all we can from different martial arts as well as that from Karate.  Our systems main core comes from shotokan karate we just are not limited to it. IN our sister schools they may teach a hybrid of GojuRyu and something else.  Some also teach Ishinryu so who's to say one is better then the other?

just my 2 cents worth
thanks


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## Mike Clarke (Mar 22, 2003)

My comment regarding American Karate not being important to anyone save those who train in it, was not meant to disrespect anybody involved in it. I was only pointing out that apart from those who are involved in it [and this goes for any other human activity], very few people could care less if it exists or not.

I've trained in karate for the past thirty years, and yet most of the folks I know get along in life very well without it. To them, it's just some 'passtime' I'm involved in!!!!!!

Your martial background sounds impressive to me, but in the bigger picture of life, it's nothing. If you look at my background in the martial arts, you will see that it too amounts to very little.

What we do and the value we get from our activity has more to do with our attitude than the particular way we throw a punch or a kick. From the sound of your post, you like to spread yourself out over many methods, where as I prefer to go deeply into one.
Personal likes and dislikes, thats the only difference here.

Niether [in the long run] is of much importance at all.
Except to us of course.

Mike.


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