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Tag: traditional karate

Why we train to fight

Why we train to fight

Both Delguidice Sensei and I came up through the karate ranks and earned our black belts learning Shotokan Karate the “traditional Japanese” way. And I actually trained for three years in Japan and earned a 2nd degree black belt through the “Kenshinkai” organization, which was definitely traditional Japanese. (For those who want to know, “kai” in this context indicates an…

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Demonstration class in North Wales 10/7/18

Demonstration class in North Wales 10/7/18

My friend Yuka invited Shuto Karate Club to give a class for a group of children that meets at her house periodically to learn about Japan and the Japanese language. The name of the group is 日本語で遊ぼう, or, roughly translated, “Let’s have fun using Japanese (language)”. We had about 14-15 children participate, with ages ranging from about 5 to 10,…

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The Bygone Days of Karate in America

The Bygone Days of Karate in America

I only met the founder of Shuto Karate Club, Louis Rabouin (pictured above at center), once, about a year before he passed away in 2011. We had a class in our club’s headquarters dojo in Skippack (at the time there was only Skippack and Hatfield) and Rabouin Shihan sat in a chair and watched. I remember him sternly correcting my…

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The Value of Karate as Athletic Training

The Value of Karate as Athletic Training

Lately I have been having conversations with some parents about how karate, when practiced sensibly, can benefit almost anyone physically and mentally, no matter what their starting condition. In talking about this, I mention that many of the Okinawan masters from the 19th century were reported to have been, or described themselves as having been, weak or sickly as children.…

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Belt Ranks (Kyu)

Belt Ranks (Kyu)

(This is a guest post by Alan Gochin.) When a new student begins their training, they are continuously being monitored by the Sensei. In today’s karate, a student’s progress is measured by their ability to retain and improve upon the quality of their basic skills and their katas. Once the Sensei feels that the student has become confident with a prescribed…

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Our Dojo Kun

Our Dojo Kun

(Guest post by Alan Gochin) Generally credited to Gichin Funakoshi (but rumored to have been created by Kanga Sakukawa, an 18th-century Okinawan karate proponent), the Shotokan Karate “dojo kun” serves as a set of five guiding principles, recited at the start/end of each training session in most Shotokan organizations. The dojo kun is intended to frame the practice within an ethical…

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