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| About Shotokan Karate By Cathy Richey, the Cathy Factor The history of the martial arts style of Shotokan karate begins with Gichin Funakoshi, a man who is given great credit not only for its birth but also for helping to popularize karate in general. However, in recent years a UFC fighter by the name of Lyoto Machida has done quite a bit to bring the art of Shotokan to the forefront as well. Machida knows how to strike with devastating force before anyone even realizes he's considering it. This is what Shotokan karate looks like in battle. Funakoshi never actually named the fighting style that he refined from Itosu and Asato's teachings, just preferring to call it karate. But when he started a dojo in 1936, his pen name of shoto (meaning pine waves) was used along with the term kan (house) by his students to erect a sign above the entrance to the establishment that said Shotokan. Beyond building the foundation of Shotokan, Gichin served as an ambassador of karate, eventually helping to popularize it through public demonstrations and by working to bring it to karate clubs and universities. His development of the philosophical points or foundations tied to the style called the Twenty Precepts of Karate or Niju kun is perhaps what he's best known for. Gishin's third son Yoshitaka later refined the art tremendously. By changing several aspects (such as lowering stances and adding more high kicks) Yoshitaka helped to separate Shotokan from the other Okinawan styles. Many of the goals of Shotokan can be found in the Twenty Precepts of Karate. That said, one of these (#12) seems to say a lot: "Do not think of winning, think of not losing." In fact, it's something that one could imagine another martial arts master, Helio Gracie, saying. In "Karate-do: My Way of Life", Gichin Funakoshi also noted that, "The ultimate aim of Karate lies not in victory or defeat, but in the perfection of the character of the participant." In combat, Shotokan is a striking style that emphasizes stopping
an opponent with powerful kicks and/or punches quickly and without
injury. Famous Shotokan Practitioners:
About Cathy: She and her Doberman Trooper conduct research into all kinds of topics and produce articles like the one you see here. To contact Cathy, write to thecathyfactor@yahoo.com. Get the facts from Cathy, and let the Cathy Factor give you an edge. |
| Karate Books (Classics for Serious Karateka) |
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Black Belt Karate: The Intensive Course The Shotokan Karate-do International Federation now has branches in more than 90 countries throughout the world, including the United States. In Black Belt Karate, this preeminent figure in the karate world offers a systematic approach to basic karate. Karate is a martial art that can be practiced by anyone, regardless of age or gender, and can be undertaken at any time during a person's life. The training system employed in karate is comprised of three main areas: kihon (basics), kumite (sparring) and kata (forms). Here, using meticulously detailed explanations and illustrative photos, Kanazawa offers an intensive self-study training course designed to be accessible to beginners, as well as to those who are already at an intermediate level. If practiced continuously and diligently over the course of a year, the practitioner will be able attain black-belt-level proficiency.
Best Karate, Vol.1: Comprehensive (Best Karate, 1)
The fundamentals as presented in this volume, briefly but accurately, are the distillation of the author's forty-six years' experience in this art of self-defense. As well as setting forth the basic rules that must be put into practice when performing kata or applying techniques in kumite, this volume pinpoints the underlying physical and physiological principles of karate: source and concentration of power; stance, form, stability and technique; movement in all directions; basic and comprehensive aspects of training.
Best Karate, Vol.5: Heian, Tekki (Best Karate, 5)
Detailed here in 1500 sequential photos are the five Heian and three Tekki kata, mastery of which is necessary to attain first dan. Demonstrated by the author and Yoshiharu Osaka.
The Twenty Guiding Principles of Karate: The Spiritual Legacy of the Master
To support this life-long stance and offer guidance to future practitioners, he penned his now legendary twenty principles. While the principles have circulated for years, a translation of the accompanying commentary has never found its way into publication-until now. Master Funakoshi's approach stresses spiritual considerations and mental agility over brute strength and technique. Practitioners should not rely on technique alone-striking, kicking, blocking-but must nurture the spiritual aspects of their practice as well. Attend to yourself and the rest will follow, was the message he set for posterity over sixty years ago. As axioms, Funakoshi's principles are open to various interpretations. "There is no first attack in karate" has occasioned endless discussion about its true meaning. Many of these ambiguities are clarified in the commentary, which is also filled with philosophical musings, fascinating historical episodes, and advice for anyone seeking a better Way. Translated for the first time into English by John Teramoto, a karate practitioner himself, and accompanied by original calligraphy, this long-awaited treatise is a provocative read and, for martial arts enthusiasts, a long overdue godsend. |