Today’s generation knows that Martial Art is synonymous with action films. I was fine with this until the meteoric rise in rape cases caught my attention. These were not scenes out of an action movie but were real life situations where a brother died trying to save his sister from the ruffians, a young boy is crippled for life trying to save his friend from rapists….and the list goes on. This urged me to look at Martial Arts from a different angle. Not as a simple cover story but as practical hands on experience, which could help many girls and boys like me. So in this segment, let us take an insight into the Art Of Self Defense Through Karate. Introduction To Karate
“Karate” is the combination of two separate Japanese words. “Kara” means “empty” and “Te” means “hand”. In Japanese, karate is the art of empty hand fighting. It was invented in the eastern part of the world in countries like China and Tibet. The people had to travel long distances without any arms and were often attacked by bandits. Hence they developed an effective form of hand and leg techniques by which they could defend themselves without any weapons. Although the exact origin of karate remains in haze, it is widely accepted that karate originated in the islands of Okinawa where weapons were banned.
Karate is practiced in the form of Non-contact, Semi-contact and Full-contact Karate. Here, we would discuss about the Full-contact form of karate, originally named as Kyokushinkaikan, which was invented by the world famous and legendary Grand Master Sosai Masutausu Oyama. After the demise of the great Sosai , Kyokushin karate broke off into many branches. One such branch in Europe is the Tsu Shin Gen International Kyokushin Karate, started by Soke David C. Cook, 9th Dan.
Soke David C. Cook, 9thDan Grading System
Each ranking is associated with a “KYU” - until reaching the black belt. Thereafter, the ranking is indicated by "DAN".
- (no kyu): White belt
- 10 KYU: Orange belt
- 9 KYU: Orange belt (with 1 blue stripe)
- 8 KYU: Blue belt
- 7 KYU: Blue belt (with 1 yellow stripe)
- 6 KYU: Yellow belt
- 5 KYU: Yellow belt (with 1 green stripe)
- 4 KYU: Green belt
- 3 KYU: Green belt (with 1 brown stripe)
- 2 KYU: Brown belt
- 1 KYU: Brown belt (with 1 black stripe)
- 1st DAN: Black belt – with 1 gold stripe
- 2nd DAN: Black belt – with 2 gold stripes
- ...
- 10th DAN: highest Black belt level (Sosai Masutatsu Oyama)
Sosai Masutatsu Oyama
Break The NotionMost of the common people may have different misconceptions about full contact karate that it may damage our body, make us more aggressive and so on. But the fact is karate practice helps anybody of any age in development of a strong body, healthy mind and self defense techniques which other physical activities cannot develop so much. Physically, karate helps in the maintenance of general fitness, good blood circulation in the body, toning of muscles, strong joints and a high level of flexibility in general. Mentally, it helps in developing confidence, self control, determination, mental relaxation and to stay calm in any odd situation. The most prevalent misapprehension is that karate gives one the power to beat back everyone in the society. In reality, the very basic philosophy of karate is to gain control of oneself and to use one’s power while protecting oneself and others in the society. Tolerance and perseverance are synonymous with the doctrine of karate.
Karate Terminology
Kyokushin – Ultimate truthKara – EmptyTe – HandKarateka – One who practices KarateSensei – TeacherSampai – Brother,i.e., fellow learners
Few Awesome Feats Of Sosai Masutatsu Oyama
When Sosai found that he was too powerful for his fellow men, he began dealing with bulls. He battled 52 bulls in all, killing three of them instantly and ripping off the horns of the remaining 49 with knife hand blows (with his bare hands). One bull which he fought in 1953 weighed nearly half a ton and sported horns 4 inches in diameter at the root. Oyama after defeating the gigantic beast ripped off one of its horns at the root with a knife hand blow
He extinguished a lighted candle by punching one foot away from it. Sosai snapped the neck of a beer bottle with a knife hand blow (bare hand) having the beer bottle standing on its base.He split a 1 inch thick board (1 inch by 1 inch) floating in a tub of water with a downward knuckle punch. He bended an American Quarter completely out of shape with only his fingers. Principles Of Karate In the words of the great Mas Oyama, it takes 1000 days to learn karate and 10,000 days to master it. Learning karate calls for an open mind which becomes more and more duty bound towards the society as one progresses. The three do’s of karate are Discipline, Dedication and Determination.A disciplined person is bound to attain perfection in every sphere of life.
In many martial art forms, weapons are used. But the use of arms makes one dependent on the weapons, which become a crutch for him. The specialty of karate is that it is a free hand technique which not only gives the karateka immense physical strength but also erases the insecurity from his mind and infuses in him the courage and confidence to be prepared for any odd situation.
The three don’ts of karate are- Never Criticize Never Condemn and Never Complain. So in brief, karate means to identify the ultimate truth and to be a perfect man in all sense.
Try It Out! Be disciplined to get 100 out of 100.D I S C I P L I N E4 9 19 3 9 16 12 9 14 5Add it. What do you get? Did You Know? “Karate” indicates a type of Martial Art but there are many different types of karate which are further divided into various forms. So one can only be a practitioner of a particular type of karate (unless he has mastered all the other types of course!).Most Useful Self Defense Techniques
- If anyone strangles you –
- If anyone threatens you with a knife –
- If anyone grabs your hair –
a) Hold his hand at the wrist and turning his hand…
- If anyone grabs your shoulders from behind –
- If anyone catches your hand while walking –
b) lifting your hand upwards, grab his arm just above the wrist.
c) Not letting go of the grip, bend his palm inwards.
- If one person has already caught your hand and the other is approaching towards you –
a) Kick the approaching person in the groin or solar plexus.
Kata
Kata is a form of fighting with imaginary opponents. It is a crucial part of karate training. It consists of a sequence of around 20 predefined moves during which the karateka is blocking, punching and kicking on a predefined pattern. As a rule, each movement execution takes one second (there are exceptions), therefore in less than one minute a kata is over.
Special note – Kata Yantsu is said to make one so light that he can even stand on a singe egg.
Sensei Prashanta DasTsu Shin Gen International Kyokushin KarateBranch Chief Of India
Q. Tell us what made you take up karate.
When I was young I used to watch a lot of Bruce Lee movies. Then one day I saw an advertisement that Sosai Mas Oyama had come to India. It was then that I decided to take up karate seriously. Back then I was not financially secure. Everyday I used to save my bus fare and use it to pay the fees of my karate classes.
Sensei Prasanta Das representing India
Q.You were selected twice for the Kyukoshin Union Cup World Kyokushin Championship in Japan in 1993 and in 2006 but could not participate due to lack of funds. However, you ended up as a quarter finalist there in 2008. Do you hold the government responsible for not giving karate the proper recognition it deserves?
Yes, to some extent. In India, karate is not given so much recognition like other sports. As a result, there is a lack of sponsors for budding karatekas. However, in 2008, Mr. Debasish Rakshit of Kachrapara helped me to get funded by the government and I could become a quarter finalist in Okinawa, Japan.
Q. Is the training of girls different from that of the boys?
Girls and boys are given the same training. But we try that girls focus more on self-defense which is very necessary in today’s society.
Q. Would choosing karate as a profession be a wise decision in India?
As compared to before, many new opportunities are coming up for karatekas as many schools have included karate in their curriculum. But it is yet to emerge as a mainstream profession.
Q. Can the condition of any ailments be improved by practicing karate?
Yes, definitely. Lifestyle related diseases such as heart problems, nerve problems, depression, lethargy and many others can be cured by practicing karate. The warm up itself includes yoga. Special care is taken to increase the stamina of the people affected by such diseases.
Q. Is there any age limit in karate?
No, there is no age limit in learning karate. Anyone, whether young or old, is always welcome.Q. Now-a-days a lot of karate schools are cropping up in the city. Your views on this.
Only a handful of these so called karate schools are genuine. There are cases where it has been found that the head instructor himself does not have a degree or certificate. Even in genuine schools, the focus has shifted from infusing the basic philosophy of karate to making money by teaching the students only the attention grabbing stunts which would bring in more students. My advice would be to be careful not to fall in such traps and do some careful research about the trainer before joining the institution.
Q. What is the key to being a good karateka?
Whenever you are learning karate, always have a motive in mind. Do not do so just because everyone else is doing it. Your goal will encourage you to go further and you can get the results in as little time as six months. Discipline is the most important factor in being not only a good karateka but being a perfect human being as well. One must always keep in mind that Failure is Success and have the perseverance to continue further.
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