Karate and martial arts

This site contains less information in english – most of it is german – but the google translator is available on each german page. Over time, the other pages will be translated too. Open original site…
Karate is very popular. This site provides information about Shotokan Karate, asian martial arts and budo. There are different reasons for children and adults to join a karate club, for example:

Karate as selfdefense – feeling savety and be able to protect yourself

Health for body and mind

Self-development by esteem and discipline

 

The art of Karate is practice

This applies to a lot of japanese arts. If someone will learn a lot about Karate theory or will read lots of books, he will get a big head maybe, but he will not learn how to do Karate 😉 So, went into a dojo and workout – all the theory will be developed by exercise.
The official german Karate organization resides at this address: DKV
You can find the german JKA association (DJKB – Deutscher JKA Karate Bund) here: DJKB

Shotokan is a style of Karate-Do – the „way of Karate“.

„way of Karate“, because there are more aspects than workout, competition and self-defense. Karate-Do means to get ethical values also, which will have affect to your eveyday life. Shotokan Karate in its current characteristic was developed in Japan – and its founder was Gichin Funakoshi, he has opened Karate for the public. Shotokan Karateka und dojos can be found all over the world.
If you ever will watch a Karate workout, you will find lot of charecteristic technical things. The students are in deep, low stance with upright posture and all thrown fist and foot techniques are underpinned with distinct breathing. Sometimes they will yell a „battle cry“ and everything is absolutely not „occidental“. But why do they do it? The answer could be found on this website.
 

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FAQ – frequently asked questions

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The essence of Shotokan Karate is friendly and respectful.
And this is on the maxim to enhance yourself and to learn respect other people.
Shotokan-techniques can be used as attack and also as defense techniques and therefore there are suitable for selfdefense.
In every dojo / club and organization there are different emphases in focus. Sometimes its your fitness, sometimes its „the competition“ and sometimes selfdefense. Its a bit confusing and there are a lot of trends.
These different interests have produced a very large number of organizations and styles …read more about ideology in Karate
Historical Karate always has lot of styles
You can find aspects of those styles in different techniques their application and fundamentals. But with the demands of modern time there are numerous facets of an old tradition for review.
New mediaformats, spectecular competitions and the unconditional desire to be an olympic discipline and to change everything is needed – all this undermines the mystizism which Karate had by its first public shows: It was new and fameless. …read more about Karate history
The outsider will not realize it
For a long time Karate was trained in private and the knowldge was protected. This is typical for several classic martial arts – why should someone whistle-blow his own skills to his enemies?
But the times have changed – former enemies are not existing anymore. Karate has found its way to the public, but it is hard to understand – this is neither a mark-up nor an advantage. …read more about Karatverein dojo
The elements  of  Karate are still based on the principal of encryption
The form of practical „physical education“ is a cause for missing records from the time of origin of Karate.
Elements that make up a large part of karate training, are incomprehensible to viewers and sometimes they are boring. This is because its elements themselves do not have the character of „self-revelation“. Their function was protection – protection against „curious eyes“.
Elements of  Karate

Kata

a defined sequence of techniques …read more about Karate Kata

Kihon

the conditioning of techniques and physical development through constant „rerun“ …read more about Karate Kihon

Kumite

workout with a partner …read more about Karate Kumite
Smash a plank
A long time facture tests were the „misunderstood synonym“ for karate. Attention should be awakened by those demonstrations for a not exciting story.
Nobles, peasants or both?
Who wanted protect his knowledge? Who knows?  The origin of karate is controversial due to the lack (or not made public) information. It could be that the Japanese rural population, which was once forbidden to carry weapons, has developed a secret self-defense system to protect itself. It would also be possible that samurai families have developed such a system to protect their interests, or this of a shogun or the emperor.
Anyway:
The passing of the different styles, their techniques and secrets were partly in encrypted form.
Samurai always transferred special knowledge only to the eldest son. This formed numerous styles. And if Karate is considered secret achievement of the rural population in the daily struggle for survival, one can assume that the exercise of a style has been limited in its special form to a limited area.
Some old styles have the name of a city or region in their denotation. …read more about Karate history
To be closed to the outside and a presence of numerous styles is in the nature of Karate.
Karate might be called „natural grown“. And not everything has to be subjected to the unit formats of our (global) society. This formats are currently subjected to the requirements of media and market, demand controllability and control, require new structures and partially destructive change.
In order to press and pack Karate into consumable form for the market it must be „simplified“. To be able to convey and understand Karate quickly and easily one has to examine each element of Karate on usability – things not recyclable are thrown away. The aim must be to find another way.
The variety of karate should be preserved!
Karate in competition with other sports and martial arts
The survival of an art or sport is not necessarily linked to the number of practitioners. Looking at judo and football in its organizational structure, the following can be seen: There is only one leading world association and all „play“ the same rules. In the world of Karate this is different.
There is not the real „one Karate“ like there is „Judo“ and there are several global organizations. Competitions and rules are different and the „overall structure“ of associations and organizations is ambiguous.
Karate is sometimes not very exciting as established, media-friendly sports. It will not fill entire stadiums every week. And in its „traditional“ form Karate has not this ambition.
The survival could once depend only on financial resources, may also depend on the audience. It will be exciting, which way is successfull and what price must be payed for it.  ….read more about Karate styles
You have to make Karate yourself
The fascination of Karate is up to the individual experience of action.
The performer itself is the focus, his body, his spirit, not the center, but part of the whole.
Learn to know your own body, the mechanics of the musculoskeletal system, its possibilities and limitations, the range of motion and limits, control of a perfectly conditioned movement, experience the freedom of defined shapes – this is indicative of Karate.
But you have to practice, practice, practice. …read more about karate clubs
Karate is an art, sports, gymnastics, martial, self defense
One can also say: It is a panacea;)
Seriously: Karate is suitable from 12 years up to age-old. It keeps mentally and physically fit, encourages and supports will and assertiveness, can be a competitive sport and with some practice you can use it for self-defense.
Karate is offered in the clubs / dojos also for children from 6 years or younger, and then the fun part has a more prominent role.
Karate is no team sport, even if you train together, conveys little emotion – on contrary wants to achieve a harmonious inner emptiness.
Respect for the opponent and the development of character are more important in traditionally „tinged“ form than being a winner.
Karate means fun
Regardless of conventions, styles and organizations there is a great karate community which has much fun. There are numerous events, courses and training camps and alle share a common experience:
Karate

Katas:	more Katas:	Karate equipment:	Karate terms:
Taikyoku Shodan Taikyoku Nidan Taikyoku Sandan Heian Shodan Heian Nidan Heian Sandan Heian Yondan Heian Godan Tekki Shodan Tekki Nidan Tekki Sandan Bassai Dai Bassai Sho Kanku Dai Kanku Sho	Empi Jion Jitte Ji’in Hangetsu Sochin Chinte Wankan Nijushiho Gojushiho Dai Gojushiho Sho Gankaku Meikyo	Brustschutz Handschutz Karate Gi / Karate Anzug Kopfschutz Tiefschutz Zahnschutz	A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z