Matt Stone
Master of Arts
He does get pretty wordy, doesn't he?
Japanese View of Karate.
- Thread starter arnisador
- Start date
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RyuShiKan
Guest
somtimes
F
fissure
Guest
I have to admire someone who is more of a smart *** than me
C
chufeng
Guest
Thank you for the information...
...it is really sad...but I guess that increases our responsibility to pass on the real thing to the next generation...
...my bones are gettin' to old for this...
:asian:
chufeng
...it is really sad...but I guess that increases our responsibility to pass on the real thing to the next generation...
...my bones are gettin' to old for this...
:asian:
chufeng
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RyuShiKan
Guest
Yes, some of them do practice Yoshinkan Aikido.
Unfortunately I have never been a big fan of Aikido, 2 reasons mainly, one because I have never met anyone that could make it work on me unless I "cooperated", and two the Aikido demos I have seen always have the uke (attacker) do such unrealistic stuff. Perfect example is Steven Segals movie "Above The Law" where he is giving a demo in Japanese and he has people attack him in pretty bogus ways........especially the karateka.
I hope people that read this don't think I am ragging on Aikido because I have known several Japanese instructors from Yoshinkan and Aikikai, we have done technique on each other. One of them became a student of mine for a while until he moved to the US. They are friends of mine but I would never study from them simply because what they tried on me didn't work on me.
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RyuShiKan
Guest
Actually I don't care if any Japanese person "gets" what I am teaching. I think westerners have a better sense for martial arts than Japanese. To date I have only one Japanese student that was worth a damn, and he was an ex-judoka so he had plenty of spirit. Most Japanese youths are more interested in hip-hop, rap and trying to look like an East L.A. Gangbanger than learning something like a MA.
When I was a school teacher my students said MA are "jiji-kusai". Jiji means old geezer and kusai means stink..........so they were saying MA reek of old manness................or MA are for old geezers.
Funny thing is the little s***t stain that said that tried to attack me a few months later and was quickly introduced in the lesser know art of how to "eat floor". (I don't condone violence against students..........normally, however this kid had a habit of punching teachers out and getting let back in school.........several teachers quite after he beat the crap out of them.............I didn't feel like he needed to improve his "fight record" with me)
On a cultural note:
In Japan the meishi (business card) is a big deal here. It gives you instant status if you are some sort of boss in a company. It is kind of like how many stripes you have in the military. More stripes more "weight".
So when Japanese ask me how long I have studied MA and what I study I hand them my card. On my "meishi" it says my name and then "Karate & Kobudo Instructor". You should see the "jaw dropping" looks I get when they read that...............cracks me up (I'm a karate man so it only cracks me up on the inside) every time.
A lot of Aikido movements are meant to build fluidity. Much like us Karateka that stay in Kiba dachi and punch to build up strength and proper body alignment. The part of aikido that really works specially for the novice is the Jujutsu or Aiki jujutsu part.
I have been studying aikido for the last four years with Obata Toshishiro Sensei,an uchi deshi and a graduate of yoshinkan. I have been around for a while in the MA world, so believe me when I say it does work.
Of course, he uses a lot old techniques that are no longer taught specially by aikikai instructors.
Internal arts take a longer time to master.
:asian:
I have been studying aikido for the last four years with Obata Toshishiro Sensei,an uchi deshi and a graduate of yoshinkan. I have been around for a while in the MA world, so believe me when I say it does work.
Of course, he uses a lot old techniques that are no longer taught specially by aikikai instructors.
Internal arts take a longer time to master.
:asian:
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RyuShiKan
Guest
I have met or seen some of the old boys that probably taught Obata.
I can't say as I was "converted". Anyway some people like Aikido which is fine by me.
Different boats for different folks. Or is it whatever floats your boat? and Different strokes for different folks...........
I can't say as I was "converted". Anyway some people like Aikido which is fine by me.
Different boats for different folks. Or is it whatever floats your boat? and Different strokes for different folks...........
Hey Robert, have you been hitting the VB's again?:rofl:
M
MartialArtist
Guest
Yeah, I was also surprised being stationed in Tokyo for a while that the Japanese shunned karate. The people you see in "no-holds-barred" "martial arts" "tournaments" are not as common as one think, not all of them are crazy fans like that. However, in Thailand and Korea, they carry their martial arts on their back and is their pride and joy. Now I'm not saying all people in Korea and Thailand study it, but to a lot of them, it is their favorite sport. The Japanese liked sumo more than karate at least when I was there. This is from my short experience in Japan.
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RyuShiKan
Guest
This is pretty much true.
Also since Sumo is Japanese (actually it came from Mongolia) and Karate is not, and sumo has a longer history in Japan they seem to like it and understand it better.
Also sumo wrestlers are supposed to have what is known as "hinkaku" (dignity and grace) making them more likeable than karateka which are often portayed as circus sideshow freaks freaking flaming pile of ice, killing cows and doing other ridiculous stunts that have nothing to karate.
It's actually no wonder people have the image of karate that they do.
jujutsu_indonesia
Black Belt
arnisador said:
Don't be surprised. Even the grandmaster himself are not very happy with the current state of Karate of today. Read this:
http://www.useasternwado.com/AnInterview3.htm
Today, in Japan, karate is not considered as highly respected a martial art as Judo or Kendo. Why? Because Karate ni Hinkaku ga nai (karate has lost its dignity or manners).
As a matter of fact, newspapers and TV (highlight) Judo or Kendo events all the time but as for karate, you need a magnifying glass to locate an article about karate in the newspaper. As long as karateka practice simply to win a game, dignity can not be built in the individual. Kendo is performed for winning like Karate is, but Kendo is more respected because it has built dignity through practice. Kendo teaches, win in your heart, loose in your heart, karate does not have that respect.."
I hope I can built dignity through practice as the grandmaster prescribed, or otherwise I will feel very guilty to him and his father the late grandmaster.
I think there are two factors. First of all, karate is not a part of primary school physical education. Judo and kendo are.
The second factor is that organized karate practice was not shut down after the end of WW2 and, like other martial arts, was a focus for fascist esprit de corp. In the postwar interim, karate clubs were the ones that most easily kept continuity of membership and practice from the wartime period. So to put a less delicate angle on it, you were more likely to keep fascists over from Japanese karate groups than those belonging to other budo. And Japanese fascists are the political core of Japan's organized crime.
The second factor is that organized karate practice was not shut down after the end of WW2 and, like other martial arts, was a focus for fascist esprit de corp. In the postwar interim, karate clubs were the ones that most easily kept continuity of membership and practice from the wartime period. So to put a less delicate angle on it, you were more likely to keep fascists over from Japanese karate groups than those belonging to other budo. And Japanese fascists are the political core of Japan's organized crime.
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