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Q · Joined: 19 Dec 2007 Posts: 29 Location: Bagborough

What is traditional karate?
It seems there are varying views on this.
Is traditional karate as originally trained in Okinawa? In back yards and Sensei’s home in some secrecy, often hours of makiwara (striking post) practice and 3 years practice per kata?
Is it the “traditional” Tokyo university clubs of line work dressed in a white gi?
Or was there really no traditional karate as it has been ever evolving and developing?
Bearing in mind it had developed in Okinawa with Chinese influences.
I know karate is different things to different people, so I would be interested in your view…
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"Q might have done the right thing for the wrong reason, perhaps we need a good kick in our complacency to get us ready for what's ahead" -- Captain Picard

Rag Behag · Joined: 21 Apr 2008 Posts: 6 Location: taunton

I too often wonder about the same or similar things.
I am sure I am practising what I believe to be traditional karate, albeit spoken in english and with healthy questioning and discussion(after all we don't all speak and understand fluent Japanese, although I'd like to be able to).I believe the discipline and respect for sensei coupled with his knowledge and teasching capabilities is second to none. However I do sometimes wonder, as a side line, - why is it that the true fighting arts take so long to master? especially as they are apparently based on natural human movement. Also, why is is so hard to reach the upper dan grades, whare most are in thier sixties, seventies or older? surely such effective fighting men or women would ideallly need to be tougher, younger, to be effective in batle and campaigns?
Is there an effective short cut karate for troups?
Whilst I am interested in this I still at heart believe I am on the right path and thouroughly enjoy and appreciate everything I am learning, being as I am still a novice and hope to live well into my sixties and beyond.

Q · Joined: 19 Dec 2007 Posts: 29 Location: Bagborough

I think it takes a while to achieve the higher Dan grades because of the grading systems of organisations. The Kyu/Dan grade is something that is reasonably new in terms of martial arts - the Kyu/Dan system was copied from Kano's Judo.
My previous sensei at my old club who had spent about six months training in Japan explained to me many years ago how in some karate schools it was only required to physically grade up to 3rd Dan and then anything above that was honourary depending on either services to your school/style of karate or skill advancement.
However, I think most karate clubs have moved away from this and I know my previous sensei physically graded for 5th Dan. Also, a friend of mine in Plymouth took a physcial grading to 6th Dan as he did not wish to accept it as honourary. Anything above that level is likely to be honourary. Also rules put in place with most associations restrict Dan grading to minimum served time periods 2 years at 1st Dan to go for 2nd Dan, 3 years at 2nd Dan to go for 3rd Dan and so on, so it is not a surprise that it takes a long time to scale the ladder of grades. If you include the minimum time of 3 years to your 1st Dan - it would take 57 years to gain 10th Dan and assuming you had started at 16 years old would make you 73 years of age as long as you did not fail any gradings and there are sufficiently higher grades to assess you!
I have been doing karate on and off due to work commitments and other hurdles for almost 20 years and have still not made it to a Dan grade.
Anyway the Japs only class you as a serious beginner when you gain your 1st Dan... It is only the start!
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"Q might have done the right thing for the wrong reason, perhaps we need a good kick in our complacency to get us ready for what's ahead" -- Captain Picard