Why Traditional Karate Is Not Effective for Self-Defense

[Hyoho]

A swift kick in between the legs with some added karate skills is most effective. What is not so good is nowadays people that attack you are usually armed and possibly have taken drugs. M.A. on its own of any description as self defense will not work under these circumstances.

 

[Sojobo]

I would delve further into it, but I can only access from work, so I don't have the time to get overly specific. I will, however, point out the initial post that put my back up as it came across as arrogant, grandstanding, and dismissive all at the same time. Especially given the fact that nobody here knows who exactly you are, or why you feel qualified to pass this sort of judgment. I also have to point out, being an engineer myself, that this statement that I'm quoting is a gross generalization.

I had a break from the PC this weekend (for a residential training camp), and it was probably a good thing to let things simmer down a little.

I entered the discussion with what I thought was a valid point. I felt (perhaps wrongly) that my opening posts on the subject were ridiculed and dismissed in a way that sought to undermine the validity of the comments.

If I am being honest this did get my back up - and perhaps, as a result, the tone in subsequent posts were overly strong.

It was never my intention to offend or upset anyone - I do try to be a nice person (I seem to have failed though in this case).

Steve,
My post was a heartfelt response to sojobo's initial tone and hijacking of the thread. Please read the thread title if you don't understand. His subsequent posts about the beginnings and purpose of Wado were interesting but had no bearing on the initial discussion, and instead seemed to me to be part of a personal agenda outside of the parameters of the discussion.

Regarding Hijacking the thread - this was honestly not my intention.

I don't post too regularly on this or any other board these days, but I felt compelled to offer my opinion on the matter (from a Wado perspective) when a very strong comment was made about karate and its relationship to self defence in terms of being it's sole raison detre.

I don't believe this is the case, but we've done it to death - so I have no appetite to go back there.

I will however take you up on that cheese.

 

[Tez3]

when a very strong comment was made about karate and its relationship to self defence in terms of being it's sole raison detre.[/QUOTE]

You may have thought that was what I said but it wasn't so the whole thing was actually redundant and it caused a lot of upset because no one likes being targeted as you did me. You cried insult where there was none and as you have done this to me several times now there's obviously a pattern. You have your opinions on Wado ryu, other instructors in the style have theirs which they will pass to their students, in this case me. You will pass yours onto your students.I've not encountered such dogmatic views as yours from others in Wado, it's always been a friendly group who have never been overly concerned about being right

 

[Buka]

Ah, cheese.

 

[Tez3]

Ah, cheese.

We had lunch here the other day and tasted cheese, so much cheese.
Real Yorkshire Wensleydale Cheese - Wensleydale Creamery

 

[Hyoho]

We had lunch here the other day and tasted cheese, so much cheese.
Real Yorkshire Wensleydale Cheese - Wensleydale Creamery

Had some myself but had it served up in the Canadian Rockies. A real treat.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

A swift kick in between the legs with some added karate skills is most effective. What is not so good is nowadays people that attack you are usually armed and possibly have taken drugs. M.A. on its own of any description as self defense will not work under these circumstances.

"Often" might be a better word. "Usually" implies that the majority of attacks are by armed individuals, and I don't think statistics back that up.

Realistically, I doubt a higher percentage of attackers are armed today than were 50 years ago, when there were fewer laws about specific weapons.

 

[Hyoho]

"Often" might be a better word. "Usually" implies that the majority of attacks are by armed individuals, and I don't think statistics back that up.

Realistically, I doubt a higher percentage of attackers are armed today than were 50 years ago, when there were fewer laws about specific weapons.

I guess it depend where you live or the environments you frequent. Few crimes are carried out without some sort of weapon. Watch YouTube.

On a lighter note criminals also practice M.A. I used to teach at a yakuza dojo in Japan as well as the police headquarters.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

I guess it depend where you live or the environments you frequent. Few crimes are carried out without some sort of weapon. Watch YouTube.

On a lighter note criminals also practice M.A. I used to teach at a yakuza dojo in Japan as well as the police headquarters.

If we are speaking of crimes like armed robbery, you are likely correct (in fact, by default, you are correct). If we speak of crimes in general (including assault, theft, etc.), then weapons are probably involved in the minority.

If you are speaking specifically of assualts (many of which never get reported as crimes), then we need to look on YouTube again, and there are more videos there of people just hitting each other, etc. than of someone attacking with a knife, gun, etc.

One of the law enforcement folks here - do you know the stats on this, by any chance?

 

[RTKDCMB]

We had lunch here the other day and tasted cheese, so much cheese.
Real Yorkshire Wensleydale Cheese - Wensleydale Creamery

I had never heard of 'Wensleydale cheese' in the entire 44 years of my life so far and now I have encountered the name twice in one day (the other being an option in the multiple chioce question on the Chase). Weird.

 

[Tony Dismukes]

I had never heard of 'Wensleydale cheese' in the entire 44 years of my life so far and now I have encountered the name twice in one day (the other being an option in the multiple chioce question on the Chase). Weird.

You've never watched Wallace and Gromit? You poor soul.

 

[RTKDCMB]

You've never watched Wallace and Gromit? You poor soul.

So then I have heard the name before. Still weird though.

 

[Tez3]

There's Swaledale cheese as well, less well know but I live in Swaledale ( Wensleydale is next 'valley' over from us) so know quite a bit about it lol. The Swaledale Cheese Company

 

[Tony Dismukes]

 

[pgsmith]

Regarding Hijacking the thread - this was honestly not my intention.

I don't post too regularly on this or any other board these days, but I felt compelled to offer my opinion on the matter (from a Wado perspective) when a very strong comment was made about karate and its relationship to self defence in terms of being it's sole raison detre.

I don't believe this is the case, but we've done it to death - so I have no appetite to go back there.

I will however take you up on that cheese.

So, if I started a new thread about the origins and outlook of Wado ryu, would you be willing to contribute? Toby Threadgill wrote a little about this many years back when he was investigating the origins of the Shindo Yoshin ryu that he practices, and I thought it was interesting that Wado has such a different history than the other well known karate traditions.

 

[Sojobo]

So, if I started a new thread about the origins and outlook of Wado ryu, would you be willing to contribute? Toby Threadgill wrote a little about this many years back when he was investigating the origins of the Shindo Yoshin ryu that he practices, and I thought it was interesting that Wado has such a different history than the other well known karate traditions.

Yes, I'd be happy to contribute to such a thread.

 

[Tez3]

@Chris Parker needs to be involved I feel. I won't be involved because I feel that whatever I said I would be attacked for it, sorry but that's how it is.

 

[Sojobo]

So, if I started a new thread about the origins and outlook of Wado ryu, would you be willing to contribute? Toby Threadgill wrote a little about this many years back when he was investigating the origins of the Shindo Yoshin ryu that he practices, and I thought it was interesting that Wado has such a different history than the other well known karate traditions.

I've never met Toby, but we chat regularly and share thoughts on the matter.
He's also very good friends with Shingo Ohgami sensei who has played an important part in shaping my Wado understanding.

 

[Tez3]

I've never met Toby, but we chat regularly and share thoughts on the matter.
He's also very good friends with Shingo Ohgami sensei who has played an important part in shaping my Wado understanding.

So, how strange that he's influenced people in opposite directions then.

 

[Tez3]

So, how strange that he's influenced people in opposite directions then.

@Chris Parker needs to be involved I feel. I won't be involved because I feel that whatever I said I would be attacked for it, sorry but that's how it is.

You prove my point by disagreeing.
Are you saying then that the same person cannot have influenced us both?